Open water swimming for Versa/Sense

[DanReyLop]

The Fitbit Ionic looks awesome, but it's only compatible for swimming laps in a pool.

The main competition, the watch with a certain fruit name, can be used in the sea and it will use GPS to map the workout and track distance / calories / speed. Other trackers have GPS, water resistance, but curiously aren't capable of using the GPS while swimming, but can be tricked by choosing a "Running" exercise and just jumping into the water. That makes me believe that the only thing stopping FitBit supporting this feature is just software, as all the hardware sensors and capabilities is already there.

Please consider implementing an "Open water swim" workout that uses GPS to track calories / distance for swimming, instead of laps.

Moderator Edit: Title for Clarity/Added Labels

[tribri]

Today I swam open water with the "Running" exercise. The GPS tracked the swim. I did have an issue in that the exercise mode ended early, I am guessing due to my wet suit hitting a button (will have to be careful of this). So since the Swim exercise is incapable of tracking anything except time, I will continue to use Running until Fitbit can resolve this failure.

Using Running mode gives me distance and time. In open water I am less interested in stroke count. Would be nice to have to compare differences in the current (we will have neutral, against or with, which will make a 1 mile swim a 10 minute average change from total time, i.e. 25 to 35 minutes on average). But happy with distance and time (and the track is a fun feature - can I swim straight).

[Catttt]

Use GPS in Water For Fitbit Iconic.

[ColumbiaSwimmer]

I am anti-iPhone and HATE the fact that Apple has a nice looking open water tracker on their watch.  Please, Fitbit, for the love of all things open-water, make an update so that I am not forced into the iPhone sphere!  I love many things about my Fitbit Charge and Charge-2 and I want to stay with Fitbit..

[Adam.79]

If this doesn’t get implemented soon I’ll be taking my Ionic back and getting an Apple Watch. The main reason I bought it was for the Swimming feature and to not have an Open Water option is ludicrous. 

C’mon Fitbit get your act together 

[ColumbiaSwimmer]

Shut the door!  I'm a Columbia swimmer myself:)  I received the Ionic as a gift yesterday and have high hopes that we can get open water tracking by summer.
Justin Schober

[ColumbiaSwimmer]

I am a die-hard FitBit consumer, loyal to the brand to the point that I got an Ionic in spite of knowing that it currently lacks open-water swim tracking with the gps.  I swim open-water every summer and it's an important feature of my yearly fitness regimen.  The apple watch is capable, I know.  Which leads me to believe, with grossly equivalent hardware, it's just a matter of programming.  Please do this!  Allow me to continue to be both a shareholder and staunch supporter of the FitBit brand.

[Migueltrxsf]

I would love this feature added as well 😀

[Adam.79]

Hi Fitbit,

Just letting you and everyone else know that my friend and I both returned our Ionic last week. 

Let me know when you bring out a version that has an open water setting and we might consider coming back.... if I haven’t bought an Apple Watch by then. 

[Trickyazzo]

It is awesome that you now have the swim app on the Iconic Fitbit but please can you update your swimming app so we can calculate swimming in open waters not just the pool  with all the details of distance, calories,time, etc this is the only thing that is letting Fitbit down, if you could throw in the GPS that would be great.  - Thanks

[SantiR]

That’s an interesting idea and could be useful, thanks for sharing this suggestion.

[amhan84]

Stroke count and HR in swim mode, PLEASE!! GPS in swim mode too, if you're feeling inspired.

As a surfer and open-water swimmer, I would love to include what is a HUGE aspect of my training into some more accurate stats! Have been a passionate Fitbit user for years, and am disappointed their proud leap into smart watches has been without this significant Fitbit Community consideration.

Bring on swim firmware updates!! 🙂

[Trickyazzo]

I am so with you on this would love to see this also. Please Fitbit bring it on.

Sent from my iPhone

[Fertetkingdom]

I would LOVE to see Fitbit add features such as GPS for open water swim tracking.   I'm getting into triathlons now and would really hate to need a new fitness tracker for that.   I love my ionic for most things,  but it's definitely lacking in the swim area.  Adding HR monitoring during the swim is needed too.  

[Trickyazzo]

Hi,

I have also asked this question if they would do it and all you get is "we
will pass this on to the team that works on it" but nothing has been done
and probably never will be. such a shame coz Fitbit has great potential if
they had better programmers. I wish they would get there act together.

Nicky

[Saric]

I hope fitbit addresses this soon, to at least let us know if it is a go or no go.  I'm about to replace my garmin 920 and would like it to be in the fitbit family, but it looks like I might have to stick with garmin for my training items.

[Ottop]

Please consider including Open Water Swims as an exercise and the ability to track exact distances by setting unit lengths in metres on Fitbit Versa.

[SunsetRunner]

This needs to be a top priority! I love my Ionic- switched from Apple Watch to Fitbit. With built in GPS there is no reason to not support OWS!

[Rich_Laue]

Stat advertising in the community guys. so for there are not many votes. We have had several people test GPS and say that it works with the Ionic for swimming. 

Without a built in GPS, omI'not sure if open water swimming can be tracked better than it already is through auto detect. 

[Fertetkingdom]

Is everyone using running mode to get the GPS while swimming?   Are you leaving it on you're wrist?  I heard the GPS wouldn't work in the water and you'd have to pr it ib your swim cap.  

[tribri]

I am a 3 day a week minimum open water ocean swimmer. I have tried the Running and Bicycling exercise modes and have had none, zero, nada success with the Ionic for straight linear distance swims (mile and longer). Also, I would not suggest putting anything of any value under my swim cap unless you are referring to some type of method of securing it against heavy surf and large swells. For pool lap swimming, my experience is the Ionic works well 90% of the time, meaning about 9 of 10 pool swims my Ionic is either accurate or within 25 yards and 1 lap of actual swim (set to pool length of 25 yards). The other 10% it fails completely to capture anything close to actual laps and distance - off by over 100 yards and 4 laps.

[Saric]

I still use my Garmin 920xt which its close to needing to be replaced.  I'd love to replace it with a Fitbit, but not if I have to fight to get the data I need.  I currently have a garmin on my left arm and fitbit alta on my right (I know, nuts right).  

[Ottop]

I agree totally.
I am so disappointed with my versa. I ve tried the swim and the run for open water and none of it is near accurate.
I am seriously considering selling my Versa (which i only have 6 weeks} and buying a Garmin.



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[Ottop]

Don't do it!! Especially if you want open water tracking.


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[Fertetkingdom]

@tribri yeah I have no idea how those that have suggested putting it under your swim cap keep it there.   Lol.  I don't get to do enough open water swimming unfortunately to try it even other than in a race,  and i'm certainly not fiddling with it then!   

[Jtasse]

I am a triathlete and just received an Iconic as a present and I am very disappointed I can't track my open water swims. I have not tried the running or biking app in the water, but those apps work well on the Iconic. I really like my charge 2 that I have, but I couldn't use it in the water. I have a Garmin forerunner that I can use for my triathlons, but it would be nice to have one device that does it all. It is called Multisport and it tracks your swim, transition 1(T1), bike, T2 and the run and then gives you a total time. It seems like just a software upgrade, because it does almost everything else. Thanks, looking forward to seeing this upgrade. I may return the Iconic, if I don't hear anything, because it isn't much better than the Charge 2 I have, because I have been using the Garmin to track my Triathlon training.