Is there a Kayak App for Fitbit Sense?

[MelanieDoug]

Is there a kayak app for Fitbit Sense? Do we still have to use a walking app?

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity/format 

[LZeeW]

Hello @MelanieDoug and welcome to the Help forum.  I'm sorry, but there is no kayak app for the Sense or Versa 3.  Fitbit put an Outdoor Workout on the Charge 4.  It is described as being designed for activities like kayaking.  I started a Feature Suggestion asking for this shortcut on other devices.  Please vote for it and leave a comment.  My children want to track their stand up paddle board.

[LZeeW]

@MelanieDoug   Fitbit listened!  Outdoor Workout is coming to the Sense/Versa 3 in a firmware update.

[rlithgow]

There WAS an app for either kayaking or canoeing (I forget which, but kayaking I think) that a private third-party developer had on FitBit’s App Store for the original Versa from May, 2018. As I recall, it measured things like strokes per minute, total number of strokes, etc. I believe I tried it once on a wii sport resort game, but never managed to have it installed whenever I was in an actual kayak or canoe. I’d seen similar apps meant for competitive team rowing, and there were a number for competitive sailing. I’ve only been on the Sense for a month and haven’t been in a rush to install apps yet because I think some of them caused some stability issues related to permissions and syncing late in my Versa device’s life (it died with finality last month). From what I’ve seen so far, some FitBit app developers continued to support the newer devices and re-wrote or otherwise updated their code and made the same apps available, but I don’t think FitBit OS allows the user to download and install software from previous FitBit smart watches on the later models (it seems you can’t even see the apps available in the store for older devices unless you’re still connected to one of those older devices). It’s possible whoever made the kayaking app for the original Versa is still around and could help you out by updating their old code and getting listed in the App Store for the Sense (or perhaps another developer could do something for you). I suspect you’re best bet is figuring out how to get in the forums the private developers use and asking there, or else tracking down the developer who made the original kayaking app on the Versa.

it does look like they added something for kayaking in the latest firmware released for the Sense (or is it an update to FitBit OS? I have trouble telling the two apart with clarity within the device itself).