Versa is adding steps while simming

[JRW]

According to FitBit Documentation:

"DOES SWIMMING COUNT TOWARD MY STEP GOAL?

While you don’t earn steps for swimming, the exercise counts toward your active minutes and calories burned goals. By default, your device’s primary goal will be steps taken, but you can choose a different goal." 

However, I wrote down my steps before I swam (8,928 steps) then  I swam for 130 lengths or 3250 meters (2 miles). I swim in a 25M pool. The steps I ended with after my swim was 13,728 - the Versa added 4,800 steps to the step count. Since then I have noticed this has remain the case every time I swim. I have read over and over the documentation & set up the watch to ensure all is correct on the Versa so my swimming stats would be correct. But it still added steps.

When I purchased the versa from "Bed Bath and Beyond" about two weeks ago I had a Fitbit tech walk me through setting up the Versa for the first time, so it would work properly; the tech seemed very knowledgeable and I believe he knew what he was doing.  When I hung up with him I was confident the set up was done correctly. 

Is there a solution or correction to this issue. Why is this a problem?

I have a Galaxy  S5. 

[AlvaroFitbit]

@JRW Welcome to the Fitbit Community! I hope you're doing well! While logging a swimming activity won't give you steps the movement you actually do while swimming could be interpreted as steps by your Versa. These steps will be superseded by the detected swimming session so you have a better caloric burn estimation on your account but it won't mean that steps won't be counted at all. This also happens when you drive a car with stiff suspension or on a bumpy road. You can read more about this here and here.

Let me know how it goes!

[JRW]

Alvaro, could you please clarify. Are you saying that before I begin swimming my step calories are used to calculate the swim calories? Why should steps be counted when swimming?

 Am I hearing you say that the Versa doesn't know when a person is swimming or walking? The watch sometimes gets confused and counts steps because of the way the crawl is executed in swimming. So Versa couts my strokes as steps?

I would believe if the watch is smart enough to count laps is should know if a person is swimming and not walking; at least it should. From the Fitbit documentation I believed there is a switch that turns off the step tracker when swimming; especially when I have been using the Fitbit Swim App only.  Important to me is the counting of my laps.  Hence are you saying that when swimming the step counter is NOT turned off? My thinking would be that the code that is programmed into the watch would say something like this: "IF the swim app is selected THEN turn off the step counter and Perform  Calculation RTN: Swimdata = Swimdata  + lap, + meters, calculate calories used , lap time, and total elapsed time RETURN Else Close Fitbit Swim App endif" If this is true the watch could not be confused. 

Is this a known bug or is Fitbit just learning about it? If there a fix being worked on? The bumpy road explanation does not help me understand, swimming is not a bumpy.  I swim 130 laps (lengths) and I get an extra 4000 + steps.  That seems a little much for a swim app to get confused that often.

Thanks for trying to help me understand. 

Would resetting my watch fix this bug? Please try again

[JRW]

I already have a topic on my Versa adding steps when swimming.

I swim and the Versa add 4000 + steps to my step count .  As I noted before I thought the step tracking is turned off when swimming, at least I believe that is what the documentation is saying.

To add to my point; when you look at the exercise stats on Fitbit.com the steps column on the row for swimming has N/A in it; leading me to believe that steps are not supposed be tracked when a person is swimming.

Is this a known problem?

[JRW]

I have found out that when swimming the swim app counts steps when swimming.  I was told it has something to do with how Fitbit programs the calculation? They call the steps I gain when swimming  Impact. 

I would like to see the Activity Log have a column called "IMPACT" and not add the steps to the step count.  One reason is that if you are in competition with other walkers and they don't swim I have an advantage.  Since I swim an hour or more when I swim I add 4000 steps to my count; really not fair.

I have other ideas but I will save them for another post.

[N8teGee]

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@JRW wrote:

I have found out that when swimming the swim app counts steps when swimming.  I was told it has something to do with how Fitbit programs the calculation? They call the steps I gain when swimming  Impact. 

I would like to see the Activity Log have a column called "IMPACT" and not add the steps to the step count.  One reason is that if you are in competition with other walkers and they don't swim I have an advantage.  Since I swim an hour or more when I swim I add 4000 steps to my count; really not fair.

I have other ideas but I will save them for another post.

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Many people have different opinions about this. My personal opinion is that you are still earning those competition steps, albeit in a different way. You mention you earn around 4000 steps for an hour of swimming, I could easily earn 6000 steps doing an hour of walking. So I wouldn't say it's unfair on the walker as you seem to be at the disadvantage. You've put the effort in to swim, so I wouldn't feel bad for earning those steps in challenges. 

With that said though, I've always thought it would be good to introduce challenges based on active minutes. Where people could then compete over a range of activities. 

[Nikegurl]

Hi JRW - Interesting post.  My husband and I both own Versas.  We swim laps a few times each week.  His Versa counts steps while swimming while mine does not.  One thing I noted in the pool is that his swimming style is very much different than mine.  I have a short kick. He tends to have a much wider kick than I do.  After reading all of these comments I think his Versa is counting steps because of his swimming style.   

[JRW]

I still would like to see a separtart column that would document steps taken while walking separate from lengths a person swims.  You should be able to see steps alone like you see lengths swam alone.Then you could added together if you want too. 

Swimming and walking are two different exercises else why would their be two different exercise apps one for swimming and one for walking. You wouldn't add your steps to your swimming exercise why add the swimming laps to your walking exercise? To me it doesn't make sense.  

[JRW]

The fitbit documentation and another fitbit expert explain that steps are counted when swimming.  I don't understand why, because they are two different exercises.  Why don't they add my steps to my stroke count; isn't that the same thing?

Your explanation of swimming style is the reason one watch counts steps and the other one doesn't is interesting since fitbit is saying they do count steps as part of their calculation. 

[JRW]

When I am finished swimming and I first push the checkered flag, then I see my splits and the times for each 50 meters.  I scroll down to the bottom where the Versa tells me if I want to see the rest of the splits look at the app; I assume it means on my phone.  However, I can't find the rest of the splits either on my phone or on the computer.  So what are the steps to find the rest of my splits?  The one on the phone only gives calories for the splits and a column telling me what stroke I am swimming, I guess that is ok for some, but I want to see my timing splits; not calories. Once I press "Done" that is the last time I can see the information for my completed swim.  The app will track the lengths, meters, calories and impact (what is impact? is it the number of steps that the swim app counts when swimming?). There is nothing in the app on my phone or PC has my timing splits. I would think that the PC would have all the information on a particular exercise.