Garmin Swim 2 Sportswatch Review

Here's a look at the Garmin Swim 2 - a swimming focused sportswatch with some of the advanced swimming features that you'd normally find in more expensive multi-sport watches. You can get the Swim 2 here: geni.us/swim2 (Amazon)
DC Rainmaker's Garmin Swim 2 In-Depth Review: www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/10/g...
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[@patrysscaron]

I bought this watch and used it for a month now for training at the pool and at the lake. I used it for a total of 15 km and I'm half happy. For pool swimming it works pretty well and tracks a lot of data with acceptable accuracy. For open water, GPS didn't work at all for me. I contacted Garmin support and they just refered me to the website. The problem is GPS signals don't go in the water so if you keep your left arm under water too long it fails to record your position. The best solution for me is to put the watch inside my swim hat. Doing so, it can't record heart rate and strokes. Since I bought this watch because it's supposed to work for open water, I am really unsatisfied. I purchased a more expensive watch because of this option and it's unusable for me. Now I will need to buy a separate HRM and I still don't get stroke count. Conclusion: Open water GPS tracking can be difficult when swimming in a lake surrounded by forest. (This applies to all GPS smart watches...) I used the same watch for cycling and running in the forest around the lake and it works perfectly.

[@bombsqaud558]

Thanks man I'm training for the Rottnest Channel swim in West Australia 19km swim and I sure don't want to waste 449 bucks Australian on a watch that won't track my performance in open water training! Cheers for the advice mate.

[@ked4864]

I like watching both your and DC Rainmaker's videos. The two of you are so complementary -- they synergy is great for understanding the gadgets...thanks!

[@DesFit]

Thanks so much! We love working together when we can!

[@salavora]

Thanks! My Versa just broke and now I am looking for a good replacement and I think your video just sealed the deal for me ^^

[@ricarprieto]

FINALLY a really great and cool 5 minutes review, straight to the point. Thanks mate

[@DesFit]

Sure thing. Thanks!

[@cyrusthegrape]

I’ve really come to depend on your reviews, man. Thank you. Subscribed.

[@DesFit]

Thanks a bunch! Glad they help.

[@fastlx13]

Great review. Bought this a few months back, and love it. Can't swim anywhere at the moment (SD Quarantined), but I do love the sleep tracking. Huge for me as I'm diagnosed with AFIB, and sleep with a CPAP.

[@DesFit]

Thanks! Hopefully we’ll all be back in the water soon!

[@isabellalalove]

Ooh didn't know you were gonna review this watch! I miss swimming right now since the facilities are all closed and the weather is getting nicer.

[@thebrownmansjourney2364]

Thanks for the video. Can't wait to own this watch

[@DesFit]

Sure thing!

[@txiki2004]

best review on the swim2! I only do swimming and gym. Any recommendations other than the swim2?

[@otongoongo]

Thanks. Informative and concise video.

[@DesFit]

Glad it helped. Thanks!

[@carlosmobellan9443]

Thanks Des, great video

[@DesFit]

Sure thing. Thanks!

[@jennysmirnova1887]

Super review and information 👍🏻

[@DesFit]

Thanks! Glad it helped.

[@cryora]

If this has running and cycling, and accurate swim features that include open water tracking, why would you get another GPS fitness watch, if say you're a triathlete? Are there important features for running and cycling that other watches have that this watch doesn't have? As long as it can track the distance traveled and time elapsed as well as your route via GPS, that really should be enough to tell you what your pace is at any given point in your run / bike ride right? Or are those features missing?

[@properjob]

fine review that tells me a lot. Thanks!

[@DesFit]

Thanks!

[@dhmacdonald8605]

Great review. Thank you.

[@DesFit]

Sure thing. Thanks!

[@Jake-wb3ob]

Thank you very much for this well informativ video

[@DesFit]

👍

[@riekobarreto6455]

I hope you posted the features of running as well. Does it transmit to the app just as other Garmin watches do?

[@majahoocom1295]

Nice review. I was motivated to buy Swim 2 :) Can You tell me how to set advanced sleep tracking that shows brathing activity as seen on Your video?

[@GeoffreyEduard]

Des, do you think the indoor lap count is accurate? I've heard the Forerunner is not accurate at all indoors. I now use an outdated Huawei Band Pro 3. It's useless for anything other than reading the time and tracking my activity that I can review on my phone. But the tracking seems to be correct. Also the touch is unusable when it's wet. So taking a break is always a pain. What are the most accurate watches for indoor swimming?

[@tbarrett1984]

Think this'll be the watch for me. My first garmin swim broke 😢, they don't replace them anymore, and I loved that watch

[@DesFit]

Good luck with your next one!

[@gavinclark2646]

Thanks for the reviews. Im looking for advice on the most accurate heart rate watch for pool swimming without a chest strap if such a thing exists. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thanks

[@herbertgonzalez1999]

Thanks, great video!

[@DesFit]

Sure thing. Thanks!

[@frankj242]

Very helpful, thank you.

[@DesFit]

You're welcome

[@SteveDahlskog]

I would be nice to see if the watch is good enough to use for interval training with a planned swim pool session.

[@thefivestarclub1]

This video was very helpful 🙂. I'm tossing up weather to get the Garmin swim 2 or fr245. Specifically in relation to the pool swim capability, does the fr 245 have the same features as the swim2? Thanks!

[@DesFit]

The 245 doesn't have open water swimming or the ability to download HR from an external HR strap but it does have pool swimming and wrist based HR in the water. Thanks!

[@robertmilner855]

I'm thinking about getting this watch to get me into triathlons. For basic running features like hr, distance, pace, calories etc would this watch suit me as it seems to be swimming specific. Also does it suit for triathlon events. Thanks

[@Primetime_dads]

Does the swim heart rate monitor track heart in the water. Or do you have to come out the water. And if you have to come out the water, then it would not be accurate right?

[@Primetime_dads]

When I’m in the water or pool, and I have the heart rate strap on, will I be able to see my heart rate from my strap while under water with the watch. And when I connect the heart rate strap to the watch, don’t it automatically over ride the wrist heart rate monitor.

[@egyasia]

Great video and info , Is the detection of strokes accurate pls?

[@DesFit]

Yup!

[@AllAroundFlight]

Hey, wanted to get myself a watch mainly for active swim tracking and some outdoor running. Looks like this watch could be my best bet but i found out now that simalar watches like forrunner 165 do pretty much the same thing for similar price. Would i just go with that one?

[@tsbcoutinho]

In the pool activity, Is it possible to press the "lap button" and it just mark a lap, without starting a "rest time"? As I find the automatic laps inaccurate, I'd like to get the laps myself, but without any rest.

[@acf894]

My question is will it track strokes in a swim spa and give an estimate of distance swam using that data. Cause I have a swim spa and I ride a bike and this seems like a great watch for tracking those metrics.

[@Selahree]

Thanks for reviewing. I'm a daily swimmer who is not swimming right now (pandemic) looking for what i want to try to get on black Friday sales. Looking at this or just the Samsung galaxy watch 3 with my carrier. Thanks. 😊 nice clean review. Subscribed.

[@DesFit]

Thanks! I'd probably look at something other than Samsung wearables for fitness functionality.

[@Selahree]

@@DesFit thanks. I appreciate it. And I see this is not badly priced even on Amazon.

[@dmbcourt]

Great and concise review! How/Where can I see the chart you displayed at 3:36? Is it possible with Garmin to edit within workouts?

[@DesFit]

That can be found on the laps tab by rotating the display sideways 👍

[@mariagabriellasoccir.dacam1491]

Hi! Nice video, thanks! Do you ware a protective film on it? Do you think it is necessary? Where could I find one? thanks a lot!

[@DesFit]

You probably don’t need to have protective film, unless you’re careless (like me 😂). But you can just find some protective covers on Amazon. Thanks!!

[@dr80ali]

I am a pool swimmer but confused which one to buy: Garmin Swim2 or Apple watch SE? As they both can be used for swimmers and their prices are close to each other. Of course Apple has more functions than the Garmin. Can anybody help?

[@georgemin2793]

Can the watch measure accurately if I change stroke type between laps without rest?

[@giovannialonso3724]

Hello. Can a DISTANCE COUNTDOWN be done? Like I want to swim 1km on open waters, and I would like to program to be in a countdown format, is that possible?

[@swimgood3873]

How do the running and hiking features compare with other watches

[@stix31003]

What does the running features look like

[@Javiercav]

What will you choose between the Swim 2 and a 735xt ? I’m looking to buy a whatch primary for swimming since I already have GPS on the bike. I’m probably will start to train for my first triathlon , and I like the new HR sensor

[@DesFit]

If you plan on training for triathlon the 735 XT may be a better bet.

[@tinaharrison1972]

How do I set my Garmin 2 swim watch for pool size 20 meters as having difficulty in the custom bit ,any help would be appreciated.😉

[@daniX12345]

Is it possible for swim 2 to show the distance swum in the last 7 days instead of starting to count every Monday ?

[@krystalallen8210]

This is a weird question but part of my rehab for my knee is water walking so laps in the pool. Will this capture my walking in the water?

[@luischaufon5252]

If you are trying to get your first Garmin, but you are between the Swim 2 or Forrunner 955 i usually just do swim but I want to start doing more bike and running wich watch you recommend me? Also Im into the watch pro 5 by samsung. The swim 2 can be used in the ocean? Also the Forrunner 955? Thanks.

[@rosetunna6335]

For mainly pool swimming (hoping to get into open water swimming in future), walking and gym workouts would you recommend the swim 2 watch or vivoactive 4? This is my first sports watch/smart swatch and really need help deciding! Thank you 😊

[@DesFit]

The vivoactive 4 doesn’t have an open water pool swimming profile so that may not work for you in the future. If you can spring for it, I’d suggest the new Forerunner 255 which has a lot more for the money. Thanks!

[@rosetunna6335]

@@DesFit Thank you for your advice! I will look into this now! From your experience, do you prefer a touch screen watch or button controlled watch?

[@baraklevy3344]

Hey, i have swim 2.0 and hrm pro plus. Could you please explain how you put the data on the same graph ? What i find is that the data i get from my watch and the data from the strap is identical. I doubt if i am doing something wrong

[@oscarpalacios22]

I see the backlight is bluish, does this watch have the same problem as the fenix 6?

[@robertdanks2783]

I am looking for a swim watch that clearly displays lengths and time that I am able to read whilst swimming as my Apple series 5 is very inaccurate and my counting is even worse? Thank you.

[@andreslinares6429]

Does it give you the Vo2max for running like the forerunner 45?

[@jamesmahoney1878]

I brought the hrm swim to go swim my fenix 5 plus changed the battery but it does not work any ideas?

[@NZL50505]

Does it also detect depth? I’m looking for a watch for open water swimming and free-diving.

[@homeprocoverlive4418]

can you set distances other than 25 or 50meters? I often swim in 33m pools, that makes it quite painful to do the math after swimming if it doesn't have that option.

[@jdwet]

Yes

[@edyedy1481]

When I activate heart attack detection in the pool, do I need to wear the chest strap or don't I?

[@Algorhythmical]

Can you set an alarm for distance reached?

[@tanmayw]

Please review the stratos 3, Des.

[@firminodias4419]

Can we costumize pool size to 15m?

[@CanInelli]

Great review mate, thanks a lot! Is it possible to sync the data from Garmin Swim 2 to MySwimPro App on iPhone? Currently I'm using an Apple Watch Series 5 with MySwimPro App, but planning to get a Garmin Swim 2 as well. I suppose Garmin Swim 2 is lighter and has a more accurate GPS compared to Apple Watch S5. Anyone here compared these two?

[@elpopooley8009]

I saw an article comparing the two which suggested both were very similar on accuracy And were also the best of the market on swim watches

[@Primetime_dads]

No you can’t. It’s the only garmin watch that doesn’t work with my swim pro. Makes no sense

[@DiegoBarbosavl]

Help!! Venu 3/3s or Swim 2? I will only use in the pool. Other suggestions? :l

[@sergiodesiderio7722]

Hola , sería muy bueno estos videos subtitulados en castellano , soy de Bs As Argentina 🇦🇷

[@eyalaa]

Great review! If you compare to vivoactive 4 which one you recommend better for pool swimming mostly, cycling and day to day activities. Ignore the price differences? (Or even to Suunto 5)

[@DesFit]

I’d probably opt for the VA4 if you mainly do pool swimming. Thanks!

[@eyalaa]

@@DesFit thanks a lot for the quick reply. Just saw you review on the Venu also. I see that in the Blackfriday VA4 and Venu at the same price tag. What do you recommend for me between them? Thanks! Eyal

[@DesFit]

The Venu and VA4 are virtually the same device except for the display. The Venu gets about 1-2 days less battery life than the VA4 but I’m a big fan of the Venu’s display.

[@eyalaa]

@@DesFit thanks! You nailed it for me. Going to buy it now.

[@DesFit]

Nice! Enjoy!

[@wucko1989]

I am interested. Does Venu SQ have the same abilities like Swim 2, for swimming?

[@DesFit]

The Swim 2 has an open water swimming profile plus the ability to pair with a swim-compatible external HR monitor which is not found on the Venu SQ.

[@alexrov6149]

Hey Does the swin 2 show live HR while swimming ?

[@kopievsky]

Built-in optical HR sensor works in real-time while swimming

[@greghill6117]

It doesn't count lengths in real time when pool swimming. The lengths field updates sporadically and not after every turn. Which is less than ideal for a quick glance after a turn. All my other Garmins counted lengths very well.

[@bartez8018]

which garmin do you recommend for swimming?

[@greghill6117]

@@bartez8018 Apart from the lengths issue I still think the Swim 2 is the best swimming watch. Especially if you swim open water, the GPS is very accurate and the heart rate monitor works very well. For pools I use the distance field instead of lengths.

[@VernonCrumpSr]

@@greghill6117 it doesn’t have a heart rate monitor

[@greghill6117]

@@VernonCrumpSr Yes it does, and it works well whilst swimming. You're thinking of a chest band, but the watch has it built in using the green lights on the underside.

[@Primetime_dads]

@@greghill6117 you mean you don’t use lengths you just use distance. Can you explain how it reads them. I just used a Apple Watch and it shows distance, not familiar with lengths…. Like does it actually say (5 lengths) or something like that

[@Primetime_dads]

If in the water and have a heart rate strap on will I be able to see my heart rate in the water, or do I got to Waite untill I’m done

[@PhillRS]

Im new to the channel... Trying to purchase the "watch" so i can start triathlon next season... Can I pair my cycling heart band from a garmin edge 530 with the forerunner 945? Would the 954 be the one does it all watch? Or would you recommend something else?

[@DesFit]

If the heart rate strap transmits ANT+ or Bluetooth it will pair up just fine with the 945, however, you will need a HR strap that is designed for swimming if you are looking for swimming HR. The 945 also tracks HR in the water using it's built in wrist-based HRM, but not quite as accurate as a chest HRM. The 945 is one of the best options out there for a triathlon/multi-sport watch.

[@PhillRS]

@@DesFit understood... the bundle that comes with the swimming HRM band also comes with a running one... kind of a waste there but it's all good... i'll look into my options! thanks for your response

[@doyouhaveyourtoothbrush6660]

thanks! great overview. The GPS in open water is not that great!

[@andreac658]

Thanks for the video! I’m struggling to decide which watch to get for indoor swimming. Garmin swim2 / FitBit charge 4: which one would you recommend for someone swimming about 3 times a week for exercise not competitively? Any other budget friendly trackers for swimming you would rather use besides these?

[@christinealfieri2968]

That's where I'm at currently .. what did you end up going with and did you make the right choice? 😖

[@jahnsgar]

I swim 3 times a week, 45 minutes, mostly freestyle and just got myself the Garmin Swim2 two weeks ago wouldn't want to miss it anymore, it works excellent and the insights are so valuable and changing my approach to training highly recommend it

[@robertm.9515]

I'm looking to get a smartwatch sorta like an apple watch in terms of athletic features and smart watch features, but compatible with android. I pool/open swim, bike, run, and walk a ton, and I'd kinda like having all of the stats that a 945 would give you, with nice pool features. Garmin pay for transit and playing Spotify off the device are features that I'd use. GPS is a must, and they have that. My main concern with the garmin watches is the price and the lack of Cellular. If I'm on a run or open water swimming, the point of the watch is to not carry my phone, I'd love the emergency call functionality. Furthermore I'd love to be able to get on the train w/o my phone around. For $550 idk if it's a worthwhile investment to get the extra features without LTE, get a swim 2 or instinct or a galaxy watch.

[@robertm.9515]

or would it be worth it to get the 935 with all the stats but not the smartwatch features? I do pool swimming so I'm not sure if it has everything the Swim has or not.

[@monicamendez3923]

Hi thank you for the video! I have a question, is the screen also touchable; like a smartphone or not? cause' I did not see it so Im not sure

[@monicamendez3923]

Never mind! I found it, is not touchable, thank you!

[@DesFit]

Sure thing! Garmin’s sport-focused watches (Forerunner/Fenix/Swim 2) don’t have touchscreens mainly since physical buttons are much better to use during physical activities (sweat/movement can make touchscreens hard to use).

[@robertperkov5758]

There is no gps on my Garmin 2 swimm.Can somebidy help?

[@armstrongball694]

How accurate on the bpm?

[@35ozgur]

I ve garmin watch for dry land =) I dont use it ( I don't like to wear things....) but swimming at sea this one could be handy.....

[@joseeduardotschen9186]

Yeah, its the FR 45 for swimming

[@dantripps9695]

Any thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 (not Pro) compared to the Garmin Swim 2?

[@DesFit]

Quite different watches where one is focused on being a good smartwatch with fitness being secondary and the other being purely swimming focused.

[@KTMHANDBIKE]

How must I pair the HRM Swim to the Watch Swim 2

[@DesFit]

Sensors, add sensor.

[@pimpfreaks]

Thank you, I love your videos but this is probably the worst time for a review of this watch, most of us don’t have access to swimming pools right now 😭

[@DesFit]

Don’t disagree, but this was a review I’ve been meaning to do for a while now and at least wanted to get the information out there! 😀 Thanks!

[@relevant_nebula]

Does it count strokes

[@michelle_michie_sam]

Which would you recommend between venu 2 plus n swim 2?

[@DesFit]

If you would like to track open water swimming the Swim 2 would be the way to go. The Venu 2 Plus doesn't have an open water swimming profiles. However if you are looking for more smartwatch features the Venu 2 Plus is the better option.

[@romanzYelonek]

Hi, what is the accuracy of heart rate measurement in water? Thank You.

[@DesFit]

Did you happen to watch the entire video? I included that information 👍

[@romanzYelonek]

Thak You🙂

[@teaddict-]

Yep, this is the watch I'm getting to replace my charge 3 once virus days are over.

[@ameeraa101]

Hi Is garmin venue 2 plus good also for swimming?

[@DesFit]

Pool swimming, yes, but it doesn’t have an open water swimming activity profile.

[@nathaliecornejo5822]

Hello, does this watch have screen touch?

[@DesFit]

It does not. Garmin’s sports-focused watches (Forerunner/Fenix/Swim 2) use physical buttons because touchscreens don’t work well during fitness activities (sweat/movement).

[@zachrowe7241]

Does it count how many lengths you do?

[@DesFit]

Yup

[@bobcaminha]

My Garmin Swim 2 counts more laps than I usually do. I swim 4000 metres but is shows 4300. Any suggestion? Thank you ladies and gentlemen 🙂😊🙏❤️

[@DesFit]

I’ve seen extra laps counted occasionally if I’m moving around a lot in between sets when resting, but other than that it’s usually pretty spot on for me.

[@bobcaminha]

@@DesFit thank you sir! It's just the fact that 300m is a lot. I'm trying to figure out with the settings 🙏❤️🇧🇷

[@DesFit]

I don’t think anything in the settings would improve that but there’s also the option of pressing the lap button if you know you’ll be stopped for a bit.

[@montana2806]

Is it better for swimming than a forerunner 935?

[@DesFit]

It will have similar functionality and performance to a 935

[@ActuMoto]

DesFit is an apple watch more accurate ? Especially regarding the hear rate without external sensor.

[@DesFit]

The Apple Watch Series 4/5/6 and even SE have great HR sensors

[@gerardchau4123]

um... open water performance is not mentioned?

[@DesFit]

5:03

[@Mspisascam]

Question about the lap auto-detect... can you still hit the lap button manually with this setting? I want to time myself but often forget for a couple seconds once I hit the wall (the literal and figurative wall, of course). I'd want the auto-detect as a backup as I start to break down

[@DesFit]

Yup, you can use the lap button in conjunction with the automatic detection. A use case for this would be for tracking uninterrupted sets.

[@alelimascks]

If it had been released earlier, I would have bought it instead of 245.

[@nvfvdn2608]

does 245 have swim and open water swim features ? sorry for asking if you dont mind

[@ushabuntu]

nvfvdn pool swim only unfortunately

[@alelimascks]

@@ushabuntu yes, only pool swimming.

[@ann0ynim0us]

my Garmin swim still works, replaceable battery, fantastic lap swimming companion >< the whole issue with this new model is definitely the overbloatedness to justify the steep pricing. I mean biking? running stats? heart rate monitor? stress levels?! this should be a SWIM watch, we should be focused on SWIM only, not a jack of all trades trying to tell you about the weather. Instead of shaving off all the unnecessary features from a multi-sport watch and offering a budget swim watch, now it becomes a half-assed multi-sport watch instead D: Bring back the simple form factor and focus more on improving stroke detection...

[@Carefreeblues]

That doesn't make sense. If your average pace is 2:17/100m, and you're swimming for 23:21, you would have done at least 1000m not 600m.

[@DesFit]

It excludes rest time

[@Rob.Kisiel]

Is there a watch that only counts laps and that's it....If your doing 2.km sessions and 10x50s on 45 as if you can think about what buttons to press if your hardly can see because of blurred vision....It's Not simple enough.... Not everyone is a computer geek to remember 12000000000000 functions...

[@maneldiez1728]

Very bad precission in swiming distance. In pool or even in open water distances. I'm not satisfied at all

[@sailorfamilytse5330]

when I see the hr straps, I ban garmin immediately

[@DesFit]

Why?

[@gybx4094]

Garmin Swim 1 was a terrible O-Ring seal design. It should have been recalled. Garmin has no accessible customer service. It's very difficult to trust Garmin after the Garmin Swim 1 fiasco. Many of us don't have loads of money to waste.

[@Stef_koman]

don't buy this thing!

[@barbaradumont8672]

Thank you again for the fantastic review as usual Des my search is finally over!!! That’s the one 🤍

[@DesFit]

Glad to help! Thanks and enjoy your watch!