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My understanding from reading some posts is the heart rate monitor is turned off automatically while in a swim exercise session. I'd like it on. Thanks.
I've used it to auto log a swim session now, and that seems to work just fine. Recorded calories (based on the HR recorded) matched what MyFitnessPal estimated for the session to within about 5%, the heart rates logged seemed about right for the effort I was putting in, and active minutes were correctly updated. I made sure the band was quite tight before starting - not excessively, but so there wasn't any noticable gap when gently lifting it from my wrist. I'm using a steel mesh band with a magnetic clasp, which possibly helps as it allows continuous tightness setting, as opposed to the discrete settings you get with the standard band. This is an acceptable workaround for me - I don't get onscreen length tracking whilst swimming, like I would with a properly logged session, but being in my fifties I can't read the band without my reading glasses on anyway, so no big deal for me. Given all that though, it seems a daft decision not to enable the heart rate monitor during manually logged swim sessions. Have a disclaimer if you must, but what you're doing at the moment is crazy - there'd need to be a 100% error to achieve the same incorrect readings you're currently recording
How about some comment from FitBit? This seems a really simply change to make, just remove the code that says stop logging the heart rates, easy win. I'm a software developer and I'd love to have such a simply change to make my users happy!
I have posted several comments here. I recently updated to Charge 3 from Charge 2 and having issues getting the reliable tracking for my swim sessions.
I finally called Fitbit Customer service to ask the following questions:
1) The HR results from the manual "workout" mode vs. auto-detect swim mode don't seem coherent. Why? And which is more reliable, or neither is accurate?? (Since my focus is HR during my swim, I have not used the manual 'swim' log).
2) The distance seems off; yesterday by 25 yards, the other days by 175 yards, 50 yards, and 75 yards. (I always swim 1800) My first two trials after I began using Charge 3 gave me the correct distance; however, it has been wacky since then. I count my laps. I could possibly miscount one round, but 25 yards extra is impossible. I always start from one side and finish at the same side of the 25 yard pool, never one way. I asked what type of actions/movements I am doing to cause this error and add extra length?? I usually take two 45-seconds rest during my session, nothing else.
3) The calories are totally messed up. My very last swim of 1800 yards in 46 min gave me 94 calories. It doesn't bother me as much since I am not tracking it, but for people who are interested, the calculation is totally useless.
After talking to the rep, I got no clear answers to any of the above questions. On top of that, my firmware is the most recent one, so apparently, all the corrections/updates have been done, so at this minute, nothing is on their to-do list...?? I still have NO IDEA how to get the accurate readings of anything. How can Fitbit say, "this device tracks swimming", when HR is questionable, the distance is inconsistent, and the calories are totally wrong???
On top of that, I have also mentioned the small fonts of the clock faces. I would like to get back this one clock face from Charge 2 which had date, time, HR, and steps all in one and still readable to 54 years old eyes. Sadly, I did not get the clear answer on whether Fitbit is working on this issue, either...
I have contacted the store that I bought this Charge 3. They said I can return it anytime (no deadline) as long as I have the original box and receipt. If no improvement is made soon, I am going to have to return it and search for the better option.
After some experimentation I can confirm manually setting a swim activity ceases heart rate monitoring, and it also often doesnt even record it as an acivity at all.
So the manual 'swim' option is worthless.
However, if you let it auto detect the swim it will quite accurately record heart rate, and the activity. It mostly records it as a swim but on one occasion it recorded it as 'sports', which is close enough.
I dont know why Fitbit dont simply turn on heart rate monitoring for swimming, as it works.
Everybody, make sure you up vote this thread and get anybody you know to up vote it. Fitbit will only make the change if there is a significant vote for the change (55 votes is not enough - I suspect they only respond to thousands of votes). The last tine I emailed Fitbit support about this issue they said 'the are no plans to implement this feature', the same respond for getting lap times uploaded to the phone rather than calories.
I bought the charge 3 specifically because I thought I could track my HR while swimming. I was annoyed to learn that I cant ttack HR while swimming......i was redirected here to try and get Fitbit to fix that issue. Here I am. I want to track my HR while swimming PLEASE FIX THIS!
if you just leave it to auto detect it will record the swimming activity including HR. It usually records swimming laps or ocean swimming as ‘Swim’, but occasionally records it as ‘Sport’. That would be fine if it I could edit the activity back to ‘Swim’, but there is no option to do that (Fitbit??). So that’s a minor annoyance.
But it it certainly can record HR while swimming. Why Fitbit has HR disabled when manually selecting ‘Swim’ is beyond me.
I have just upgraded from the Charge 2 to Charge 3 as my New Years resolution was to start swimming again. I was perfectly happy with Charge 2 even after 2 years of use but I really wanted to include swimming. Tried it yesterday for the first time in the pool and was amazed by the lap count until I noticed the distance is way off as our pool is not 25m. Can I manually adjust the lap length somehow?? Then I also noticed the lack of heart rate info. Without being able to measure distance or exertion levels I’m not sure what the point is of Fitbit advertising this as a product for swimming?!
For those of you using workout mode instead to get hr info, does this also record distance? Or are we essentially forced to choose between slightly inaccurate hr in workout mode or lap counting only in swim mode?
JRdxb: I’m in exactly the same position, was really happy with my Charge 2 but like the idea of tracking my swimming more accurately so asked my husband for Charge 3 for Christmas. So disappointed and have complained to Fitbit. You’re right you can only track HR or lengths, and no can’t find anywhere to change pool length (I swim 17m). Plus it seems way more sensitive than C2, especially when driving so having to add driving activity to negate extra steps. Fitbit said to add concerns to these message boards and they will take them on board. I feel conned!
I leave mine to auto-recognise I’m swimming (don’t select any exercise mode before starting). I get heart rate and it counts the lengths I’ve done. Only downside is I don’t get the data until I’ve finished swimming. Works for me, as I tend to swim for a set time, rather than a set number of lengths. Of course, now I’m paranoid about updating my firmware in case they “fix the bug” that makes this work.
feels like they’re missing a trick on the amount of analysis they could be doing on swimming
By distance do you mean distance or number of lengths? I’ve found the latter to be pretty accurate so far. Could have sworn I saw a setting somewhere to specify how long a length was, but can’t find it now
Have found the pool length setting. If you go into Exercise on the watch and scroll across to Swim as if you were about to manually start it but instead swipe up and the pool length setting is there. Going to try setting that today and then letting it auto detect when I start swimming to see if that works. Will update with how I get on! 🤞🏻
I found the pool length setting after a lot of scrolling! If you go into Exercise on the watch, then scroll across to Swim as if you were about to manually start it, but instead swipe up and the pool length is there.
Mine seems to count a lot of extra floors for no reason when I’ve been walking on completely flat terrain which the Charge 2 did not do. step count seems ok so far though but I don’t drive much.
Disappointed in the lack of info and instructions from Fitbit as it seems we are all finding our own methods by chance rather than having any clear info readily available.
Interesting, I've just been swimming for half and hour and no Auto-detect! It seems FitBit doesn't recognise breast stroke as swimming! (Ironically it does sometimes recognise driving as Outdoor Cycling, but that's another issue!) So it seems I'm stuck with either distance or heart rate! I'm guessing you guys who are getting auto-detect are front crawlers?!
I never tried autodetect for swimming, gps is not working in water, heartrate only when you tightly bind it to wrist and do not use swimming, but workout or if you like some gps walking. I change it into swimming in Strava. But I hate it is not a better watch for this pricing
Thats funny getting credit for cycling while driving..lol. yes im a front crawler. I dont use the swim mode at all. I just use the workout mode and monitor my heartrate. Its too bad it doesn't work better.
Yes, front crawl here too. I guess it’s an easier spot from accelerometer data. If you manually start a swim session does it count breast stroke lengths for you then? Wish they’d just fix it so HR worked for manually started swims. As for wearing it tighter for swimming, I’d echo that. Forgot to tighten it yesterday until half way through and HR was recording low (though still more accurate than not recording at all, lol). The second half of the session, after tightening, was fine
Yes if I manually start Swimming and do breast stroke I get lengths but not HR. I would rather have HR than nothing at all, so I'm going to stick with adding in the App for now - ideally I would love both and what I foolishly thought would be available to me when upgrading to the C3. Either that or I'm going to have to get into some front crawl!!!
I tried auto detect today and it worked pretty well. I tightened the band before I started and it recorded a 35 min swim with number of lengths being fairly accurate (I think it gave a few extra compared to my manual count but I could be wrong) and heart rate readings seemed reasonable for the effort I put in compared to what I used to get doing other forms of exercise with my Charge 2. Downside of doing it this way though is that you don’t have the timer count and other stats on your wrist whilst you are doing it and have to wait til you sync to check. Also I would like to do some kickboard training but I don’t think it will pick that up as it won’t have any arm strokes to recognise whilst doing that. It really would be much more useful if Fitbit just switched the HR on for manually starting Swim!
Anfa - I did breaststroke to start for about 20 lengths, then front crawl, back stroke and back to breaststroke again and it counted them all. So it seems a bit hit and miss between users!
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