Smar****ch/Bracelet for Tracking Swimming?
Hi all,
I'm just over two months out of surgery and have taken up swimming. (For various reasons, walking doesn't work for me.) I'm looking for a watch/bracelet to track my laps, calories burned, etc. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Not sure if this is relevant, but the pool I use is 25 yards in length. I'm also super slow, but hope to speed up over time.
Thoughts and suggestions are very much welcome! 
Mermaids,
-LB
I've Come Too Far To Take Orders From A Piece of Bread.
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot
Surgery 7/27/15
44 lbs lost
I'm not a swimmer but what I've seen looking at countless trackers and GPS watches is that most of the swim tracking is geared toward Ironman and Triathalon type people to track the swimming portions of their events. And they're expensive! I know a few people that use the Polar v800. They love it but like I said it may be way over kill for what you're looking for.
There are tons of youtube videos of people reviews different trackers and watches. I would start there. May run into something acceptable for you.
VSG: 3/12/15
Thanks, docbad22, for your response- Yeah, that Polar v800 is way too much (money and job wise) for what I'm looking for. That said, I can always dream! ;-)
I'll take gander on youtube and see what reviews crop up for other items-
Tick tock,
-LB
I've Come Too Far To Take Orders From A Piece of Bread.
"It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot
Surgery 7/27/15
44 lbs lost
Garmin Swim is a good basic watch. Most of the GPS stuff will be geared towards Triathletes. The real way to be cost effective is to really know what you need in a product. I will say that you don't really need to track calories while swimming. even at Half Ironman distances the calories burned on a swim are minimal in the grand scheme. Given that the most accurate way to track calories burned is through metabolic testing where the define what calories are burned per time unit at a heart rate. While swimming you can't get your heart rate and any product that says is only effective to a point.
There are cheaper alternatives such as lap counters and pennies on the deck. Looking back on my Garmin data my last 2000m swim was only 500 calories for 61 minutes. 300 Calories for 1600m in 60 minutes.
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
You can always use Myfitnesspal or something similar to track calories burned swimming. As the previous poster mentioned, swimming is not a giant calorie burner (neither is walking) but it is great exercise!! I have a Garmin 910xt for triathlon that keeps track of laps, calories burned, etc. But it would be overkill for you. If you need something to help keep track of laps then there are several watches under $50 that will help you. But anything more advanced will be $$$. :(
