Versa and Swimming

[ShannaS]

Will the heart rate monitor work while swimming with the new Versa?

[N8teGee · Accepted solution]

The heart rate monitor is disabled during swimming activities started using the exercise shortcut. This is due to water effecting the accuracy of the readings. Although there is a workaround by letting the device auto track the activity, this keeps the HR monitor on but you won't be able to view detailed stats during your swim. This will only be available after the device syncs. 

[NellyG]

I use Smart Track to track my swims on the Ionic, and yes you get a heart rate graph in the app but it is way innaccurate (far to high readings), so even if you get a heart rate while swimming it is not reflecting your true HR.

[MarciM]

I have found that by tightening the band (one more notch) and using Smart Track, I get a decent graph of my heart rate. The key is to have the Ionic as tight to your wrist as possible. 

[Terryjx1]

How do you set the device to auto track

Elliptical work out?

[YFW]

I also found that in smart mode the Ionic can detect HR during swim fairly well (especially the later part of a session when it realizes you are swimming😀). You have to wear it pretty tight, yet the performance is not consistent. I heard the Versa is better in HR detection so it would be interesting to see how it works during swim in smart mode.

[Ddiddk]

That is disappointing. Does anyone know of this is likely to be corrected? I mainly want the gadget for swimmimg practice. 

[c4rm3n]

Hi thank you for the explanation... however it is not very satisfactory. I have bought the Versa basically because of swimming and learning that I cannot monitor heart rate is highly disappointing. 

I would appreciate if Fitbit would give suggestion on how to make this work and possible consider a software update.

Carmen

[NellyG]

The problem with HR and swimming is not softwear. It is an optical HR monitor that uses light in tracking the heart rate. Light travels differently through water than air, so the monitor is not really teacking the same thing.  As @MarciM says, if you tighten is as much as you can it will probably work better under water (I havent tried it myself) as most of the water is excluded.

[Ddiddk]

But, yes it would be great if they just enabled this in the Swim exercise function, and saved this messing around.


Ddiddk

[JCFAF]

It's as shame. I was planning to spend less than £50 getting a Flex 2 because it was the only model that could track my swimming. Then Fitbit announces Versa, £200, adding heart rate monitor. So I went for the more expensive model to be able to add heart rate info into my training history. Disappointed. I understand though the physics limitations regarding light through water and air. However their marketing department should be honest and clear about the technology limitation.

[Ddiddk]

Hi,

Really, don't make the mistake of thinking it doesn't track swimming heart
rate!!!! This is the Versa track my heart rate during swimming on Monday.
It's just that it does it in the automatic tracking mode, which is a bit
rubbish as you can't see the lap count during training. Otherwise it's fine.

​

[JCFAF]

But I believe that the water might change the accuracy of the readings. This might be the reason they have disabled the heart rate when you deliberately select swimming. To be honest, it seems to me that they "forgot" to disable it in auto recognition mode. Don't be surprise if they disable heart rate for swimming in auto recognition mode in future app versions.

Will be jumping into the pool in the next hour and will try the suggestion to use my Versa very tight. Perhaps it minimises the influence of the water in the readings.

[Ddiddk]

​Doesn't need to be VERY tight, but make sure it's a bit further up the
wrist (eg two fingers worth as per the instructions) and tight enough to
stay there. One extra notch on the strap is enough for me usually.

[ÁlexMM]

How do you access this screen you're showing? I'm new to my Versa and used it today for the first time to swim. (By the way, out of 32 lengths —16 lanes back and forth— with a total of 640 metres, my Versa tracked 20 lengths and 400 metres, so I'm truly disappointed.)

Thanks in advance! 

[JCFAF]

Ironically in my first swim Versa also lost half of my laps. From the second time onward it never happened again.

I have been swimming with it for 2 weeks now and it is been tracking laps correctly. My disappointment is regarding the heartbeat rate that is not accurate and I think Fitbit should address the community on the DOs and DON'Ts on swimming with Versa. I use it slightly tighter than normal to avoid water to circulate through the sensor but still think it is under measuring the heart beat.

If you want Versa to capture heart beat you should not activate the swimming mode. Just leave Versa to automatically detect that you are swimming. Downside is that you can only see the statistics once you have finished your training and have synchronised Versa with your mobile App.

In the other hand, if you want more details about your swimming like the strokes then you can swipe to the left, select swim and press start. Versa will track your activity but not your hear beat rate.

[ÁlexMM]

Thanks a lot for this, JCFAF. I'll go swimming again today and try to fasten the strap tighter.

[vkjain]

If the HR monitor is inactive when swimming is selected from the exercise mode, then how are calories burnt calculated when swimming? For an an accurate calorie burn rate isn't HR an important parameter ?

I ask this as my calories burnt while I walk or run are far more than the calories burnt while I swim for the same amount of time. And I know for sure the calorie burn rate given after a swim is inaccurate as I feel far more hungry after a swim than after a walk.

[c4rm3n]

Yes, indeed. My calories consumption when swimming is not accurate at all.
I've started letting the watch identify the activity automatically without
selecting the swim exercise. In this way it recognize I'm swimming but
keeps the HR on. A bit of a contradiction, though..

[vkjain]

So, are the calorie consumption figures better with automatic track mode while swimming or they still the same?