Can I use my Sense in seawater?

[wicks21]

Is Sense able to be used in seawater? 

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Clove6060]

At your own risk. There have been reports of people swimming daily in fresh and salt water. Then there have been reports of first time sense gets wet in salt or fresh water it stops working.  Do a search and you will find the threads/topic.  I guess it really depends on the integrity of the seal. It is glue.

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @wicks21, welcome, I do not think that the fact you are in seawater rather than chlorinated pool water or freshwater makes any difference. I have been swimming daily with my Sense in a chlorinated pool for nearly two years without any problems. There are occasional reports of adhesive failures which appear to be manufacturing faults but in the context of the number of these devices being sold it appears rare.

Clearly, if you knock the device or if it becomes damaged the seal may be compromised and it makes no difference what kind of water you are in.

I do take care when swimming, lane swimming in a pool can be quite busy and you need to consider how you can reduce the risk of knocking lane separation lines as you advance. In my case, we swim clockwise in the lane so I wear my "Sense" on my right wrist.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

[Cass_Peter]

Sadly no in the long run. Managed to ruined my sense yesterday when I went snorkeling. It was working for the 1st 30 minutes (recording my swim in the ocean) but ended up dying around 15 minutes later. I think it mostly depends on luck but I advised against it. @_@ my 2nd sense not working after 8 months. Time to move to another brand in this case. Not really happy with the past 2 fitbit i purchased. My old charge 2 managed to last me 3 years before dying. None of my sense managed to last me 1 year

[Heather-S]

@wicks21 I live in Florida. I’ve taken my Sense (and various other Fitbits) in the ocean quite frequently. I also have a chlorine pool at my house and shower with my Fitbit. Never had one die from water exposure. I wouldn’t go diving with one but swimming has worked out fine for me. Your mileage may vary. 

[wicks21]

Thanks for all the replies. Seems to be a mixed bag - some have no issues while others do. Fitbit themselves responded that it is 50m waterproof. 

[Mila7]

Don’t do this. Watch gets fried within less than minute. Fresh water is no problem. 

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @Mila7, I disagree with your view, It does not matter if you are in salty water, chlorinated water or freshwater, your Sense will not let water in if you are just swimming on the surface or underwater at a depth of fewer than 50 metres (provided it is not damaged). If your Sense has failed you should look to see what else can have caused your problem. Is it charged, check to see if it's still syncing with the app on your phone. If you put it on a charge for at least 60 minutes & it gets warm stop charging & talk to "Customer Support". If it's not charging at all check the 4 little pins in the charge cable puck to ensure they are free (they are spring-loaded) and even - there are lots of posts about this issue.  If you have only had your Sense for a short time you may have the benefit of the "Warranty", depending on where you live, and how long you have had it, provided you bought it from an approved supplier.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

[Mila7]

You can disagree. I just lost THIRD Sense watch because I forgot to take it out when I went to ocean. Swimming pool, shower etc never been a problem and salty water 3 times fried the watch within minutes of swimming. No diving. No jumps … 

[Guy_]

Hi @Mila7 -  I agree with @Gr4ndp4  and @Heather-S that the type of water has no bearing in general.

What can happen through usage, is any water can enter and as it begins to seep in corrosion starts. When the problem manifests itself can be sometime later once damage has become pronounced.

That said temperature difference may play a factor, more than the type of water. It is known that you shouldn't expose the watch to detergents and preferably not hot water, saunas, direct sunlight [unworn to absorb the heat]. It may also suffer from a sudden decrease in temperature that might occur in the sea.

So basically prior treatment [bar a manufacturing fault] can be the criteria to recall. Even sweat has been known to enter a watch after time, probably from a poor seal or deterioration over time.

Conclusion, best to keep a watch dry after the warranty has expired as it won't be replaced, in the event of drowning!

[KB9WNS]

https://www.active.com/triathlon/articles/what-does-a-water-resistant-watch-really-mean?page=2

[Mila7]

Thanks for sharing 

[Mila7]

Thanks. I think the slow corrosion over time can be a reason. I never worn the watch to sauna or any extremes. 
customer service told me to clean it and try to charge. Watch tried to charge for few hours and no response again. Looks like it’s time arrived. 
I’m active person and I didn’t keep watch dry all the time … cause I thought I bought water proof watch to not be over obsessed by this. 
my last one lasted 8 months.