Forums >Gears and Wears>Pool Mate - swimovate
Run like a kid again!
Todays swim was the second with my new swim watch. The first time all it did was tell me the total time. So I tried to figure out what I did wrong and tightened it a little tighter and tried to glide longer at the turn. This seemed to work great! I have data to share. This thing cost me $100 from the swim outlet and seems pretty accurate. Since I am new to trying to become a serious swimmer I think the data will be very important. It has an efficiency rating that I think will help me judge how I am doing as I go along. It seems to count your strokes per laps, distance and speed. This is more than I need. Anyway, I am very happy with it so far. It is all a manual download so I have to type in the information but that is okay. Below is some of the information from the watch. I mainly bought this watch so that I didn't have to count laps anymore and could just swim for a period of time while trying to focus on my stroke. At the very least I think this will be very good for that.
EF = 60 (Efficiency) CA 351 (Calories) SP 161 (Speed seconds per 100m) M = 1300 (total meters for swim) Sk = 16 (Strokes per lap) Lap 52 ( # of laps)
Data can be viewed after swimming directly from the CLOCK screen by simply using the Up/Down buttons to scroll though Laps, Average Strokes per lap, Distance (metres), Speed (seconds per 100m), Calories, Efficiency and Time.
The Efficiency Index is calculated from the distance travelled per stroke and time per stroke. This index decreases as your efficiency increases. less than 30 Excellent -Professional athlete 30-40 Very Good 40-50 Above average 50-70 Average more than 70 Below average
Damn it Bearcat
I was perfectly happy with my sportscount lap counter and then you had to go post this.
IronMan ;)
Tri-Kev Here are my favorite links: My "kick @ss" running club ;) Swim 2.4 miles. Ride 112 miles. Run 26.2 miles. Then brag for the rest of your life. -Commander John Collins, Ironman Triathlon creator
I have a question about the watch, can you set it for yards or meters?
I think just meters. I'm a little surprised by that. Not a problem for me but I could see how you would want both options.
http://www.swimovate.com/EnglishmanualPool-Mate.pdf
Damn it Bearcat I was perfectly happy with my sportscount lap counter and then you had to go post this.
Sorry. I just love data and thought I needed more data about my swimming. Since I have so much to learn I am looking forward to my efficiency number going down.
Run Wild
Hi - BearcatRunner:
I used my pool mate for the first time today and same as your first swim all I got was time.................and nothing in the log
. I guess tomorrow I will tighten it up on my wrist ---I don't flip @ the lap turn around-- could this mess me up too?
This is AWESOME.
Not one, but two BR swimming threads have blooped up to the surface.
Hi - BearcatRunner: I used my pool mate for the first time today and same as your first swim all I got was time.................and nothing in the log . I guess tomorrow I will tighten it up on my wrist ---I don't flip @ the lap turn around-- could this mess me up too?
I don't flip either! Definatley make it tighter on the wrist. For the last 5 months I have been focused on running but in Novemeber I plan to hit swimming hard again. The watch works great once you get it to count the laps. I hated trying to do that.
Let me know if the tightening worked for you.
srlopez:
Yeah amazing how those just come out of left field sometimes.
I thought about getting one awhile back, but wasn't sure I wanted to drop 100 on it.
I hate trying to count laps too, I'm trying to think about position so much I lose count rather quickly. I got a Sportcount for my wife to use, but she wont let me try it. I think she may have lost it and doesn't want to tell me that.
I've been using my Garmin. I don't swim with it on, I just hit the lap button after each lap. When I do two or more laps continuously, I have to use the elapsed time to estimate how many laps I swam for that set. Seems to work out okay and I can upload to RA and SportTracks from the Garmin.
The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff
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It looks like the newer version does yards and meters.
http://www.amazon.com/Swimovate-Pool-Mate-Swimming-Computer-Counter/dp/B0031IOK5O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286372789&sr=8-1
Goals: 20:00 5K, 3:30 Marathon, Finish Marathon, 4:00 Marathon, Finish IronMan, 45:00 10K
BTW: I hardly ever count laps anymore - mostly because my swim pace is so consistent (as would be most peoples). Instead I learn how long a set should take (ie: 500m = 9:00). At the end of each session I do a control 100 to make sure my pace was what I thought.
b
I watched a video on their website that said they are going to release a new version that will allow you to upload the data to a computer. I think I'll be waiting for that watch to be released before I decide to get one.
From their website:<big>Q Will the Pool-Mate upload data to a PC?A</big> We are working on the Pool-Mate Pro which will interface to a PC and automatically upload all data to a PC. This will be available in September 2010. Existing users will be able to upgrade their watches to the Pro version for half price. Keep checking the website for details.
I was really surprised when I read this in the manual...Replacing the batteryThe battery (CR2025) has an estimated life expectancy ofover 12 months. The higher your average hours swimming a week, theshorter the battery life will be.Pool-Mate’sTo maintain water resistance and ensurethe warranty remains valid, the Pool-Mate must be returned toSwimovate Ltd for battery replacement.Seriously?! This is a British company. Do I really have to send my watch across the pond once a year or is there someone here in the US that can do this?!
From their website:
Q How long will the battery last?A The Pool-Mate battery has an estimated life expectancy of well over 12 months. The higher your average hours swimming a week, the shorter the battery life will be. To maintain water resistance and ensure the warranty remains valid, the Pool-Mate may be returned to Swimovate Ltd for battery replacement. Alternatively it may be replaced by a qualified watch maker or jeweller- just be sure to tell them it's a waterproof watch so they can check the seal. The battery is a standard CR2025 that should be readily available.