Swimming With The Apple Watch Ultra 2

[@anindubandara]

came here to see if i can swim a few meters pathetically in the sea wearing my watch and this man proceeded to flex on my face for 10 minutes straight with his 1000m swims...

[@mlegrand]

Ha! 😆 No flexing here. I know I’m not the world’s best swimmer but I do some training. I’ve also swam in the ocean with this watch and it’s been fine so far. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@JJMorris90]

I did the exact same thing lol.

[@flashes95]

This was exactly the information I was looking for. Thank you for such a clear video!

[@mlegrand]

You're very welcome Jodie! There's still a lot I'd like to see Apple do on the swimming front but most of my adult swim buddies use Apple Watches and don't mind it at all. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@KevinSteeleisme]

The lack of manual splits is the toughest pill to swallow with the Ultra. The lack of drill mode is frustrating, but I almost understand it. Fully agree with you on the touch screen too. I love my Ultra for 95% of what I do day to day, but the poor swimming implementations are tough.

[@mlegrand]

It seems like it's something they could fix in software. Or at least partially. I think they'd fix it if they noticed it was an issue. 🤷‍♂️

[@DrDoinks]

Wow, what a beautiful place to swim! 🤩

[@mlegrand]

It really is! Although it the pool floor is really gross looking and I tend to try to hide it on videos. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@mikefaulkner3163]

Great video as always, Matt.. I did an ‘at home virtual Olympic TRI’ yesterday, (pool, Zwift and treadmill) using the AWU ‘multi sport’ workout profile.. the auto transitions were spot on, and a good little experiment.. worth a video I reckon as it does offer something here Garmin doesn’t..

[@mlegrand]

Yes! I have tested the auto transitions and it did work well for me. I made a video about triathlon with an apple watch a while back. I think I had the Series 7 at the time. Thank you for all of the support Mike!

[@bonn1771]

Amazing work Matt. Those shots in the beginning was on fire. Looking forward to your next video.

[@mlegrand]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!

[@bsmukler]

Yes, it would be great to see bike and run specific videos re: the AWU 2.

[@mlegrand]

Thank you BSMukler! I'll get to work!

[@bsmukler]

Great!

[@bonn1771]

Agree it be cool to see. Keep up the great work

[@Jay-sd9ye]

Nice information. I haven't swam for exercise in a really long time. Almost a year. I'm going to try a swim workout, hopefully soon. Gotta go buy goggles.

[@mlegrand]

Best of luck buddy! It’ll come back quickly.

[@hehehe5635]

What a detailed and visually appealing video! I absolutely love your content. What would be interesting is to potentially compare the watches to the FORM Smart Goggles 😃

[@mlegrand]

I've tested the FORM swim goggles here on this channel before and it is very very interesting. In a lot of ways, they are the best bit of technology for automatically tracking swimming and their app is fantastic at displaying and organizing your swim data. There's some very smart tech in those goggles and it's not just the heads up display. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@FrancescoRomiti]

I really miss a rest timer, automatic or even manual. I quite agree with your other points, though!

[@mlegrand]

I really do think Apple could make some minor software adjustments and be in a great spot for swimmers. We’ll see. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@RunnerRemRem]

These are good 100m splits Matt. Kudos.

[@mlegrand]

I'm sure some people would say that they are awesome and others would say they're pathetic. We just got to keep at it regardless of pace!!! Thank you so much for the kind words Remilaquenelle.

[@CarolineNH]

I came looking specifically for something comparing Garmin, I have a 935, to the Ultra 2. I wasn't disappointed. Now I'm looking for something that will tell me whether or not the Ultra 2 will connect to the same apps that my Garmin does, mainly Training Peaks, & Zwift, as well as whether or not it works well with my Garmin Edge & Varia radar on my bike. Thank you.

[@mlegrand]

It will not connect to your Varia radar on the bike. I’m a huge fan of bike radar systems so that’s a big issue for me. 😬

[@Cookefan59]

I used the Ultra watch the entire 2023 season and its strongest performance was in the running department. Swimming? It can be frustrating at times. Lap swimming often dropped freestyle laps for an unknown reason, so badly at first that I would bring my old Garmin 910XT along to keep things honest! In the open water the Ultra worked pretty well. It tracked all of my swims here in Colorado Springs, Colorado at 6100 feet of elevation, as accurately as I needed it to and I was pleased. One other area it didn’t seem to work smoothly in was during a triathlon. Just a few little Sprints. I just couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong between the swim and bike portions. Once again, my 10 year old Garmin 910XT came to the rescue. I find that a little ridiculous. The saving grace of the Ultra (and the prior Apple Watches I have had) is that they are extremely functional for me during business hours. I didn’t want to spend more money on a dedicated sports watch and I found Garmin to be clumsy in my everyday Apple ecosystem. I am also not an Ultra Anything when it comes to distances. I’m just your average 64 yo male who stays fit with Tri stuff. Overall I’m really pleased with the Apple Watch Ultra. I’ve found an App called “Run Gap” that allows me to share the results with Garmin Connect which is a godsend. It allows to record swims over to Garmin Connect. That was the last issue, leaving Garmin Connect for Apple Health and Workout. That was a major decision. I don’t really care for Strava much but it was a necessary evil to get data transferred. Perhaps in 2024 I won’t renew the paid subscription. You make awesome videos. I appreciate the time and energy you put into your presentations. I used to live and work in Vancouver, Washington for about 4 years. Really loved it there. That’s one beautiful lake you were swimming in. I used to splash around in Lake Battle Ground I think it was called. Anyways, thanks for all the great information.

[@mlegrand]

Very cool! I have swum in Battle Ground lake many times. It's also great biking up there. I think you're assessment of the Garmin watch being great for running and only ok for swimming is spot on. I 100% agree. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@blurayauthority]

Just got my watch yesterday and heading to the pool to give it a whirl. Haven't ever used the native app for laps so I'm sure there's a learning curve.

[@mlegrand]

It’s pretty straightforward. Hopefully you had a great swim. 🏊

[@blurayauthority]

@@mlegrand Good swim, but it told me I swam 55 laps and I only did 1/2 mile (36) so I guess I’ll need to investigate that.

[@mlegrand]

@@blurayauthority - Oh yeah, that’s way off. That’s odd. I wonder what’s going on. 🤔

[@blurayauthority]

@@mlegrand No idea. I’m swimming for fitness, so if I can’t figure it out - I’m still reaping the benefits of swimming. And, to me, that’s all that really counts. And I’ve never had an Apple Watch before, so I’m sure I’ve a lot to learn.

[@braer240]

Would love your take on the Apple Watch for cycling. I just picked it up. I live in the country so use a mtn bike on the backroads but kinda still the same. Haha

[@mlegrand]

I’ll get to work on it! Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@HilarioAntonioPerurena]

Well now I’m not feeling alone with the “wishlist” for the swim workout in the AWU 😅… I hope they include some split time in the action button or in some combination of the three will be a great improvement… thx 4 your video…😊

[@mlegrand]

Exactly! Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@etiennericco]

Great video! Quick ask... Can you make us a video on how to use the swimming profile on GARMIN watches?

[@mlegrand]

Great suggestion! Garmin watches tend to be my favorite for swimming. I like being able to switch into that drill mode for any sort of weird swim sets that confuse the watch.

[@paulafig14]

Yes. Thank you for your reviews. I had doubt about buying between apple & garmin but I think for swim bike & workout Garmin is better ?! Your thoughts pls & model suggestion ?

[@mlegrand]

It kind of depends on what all you're going to be doing with the watch. I wear both a lot I think you'll really like the Apple Watch Ultra for all of the smart features it has.

[@barracodamole1]

Matt, very useful video. I watched dozens of videos trying to find one that can help me maximize my Apple Ultra for open water swimming specifically. Most are promos for My Swim Pro which is a great app but that does not help me to learn all of the ways I can use/customize the existing Apple features. But as you say the watch is not great for medium level or let alone higher levels swimmers. And as you say the touch screen is of no use when you are in the water and unless I do not now something I cannot see how to lap when I am open water swimming...how can I push lap when I turn around for example. Garmin has a pause/start button and a lap button which I use all of the time. Also ts hard to read the small print through foggy goggles to quickly check your total distance as you swim...easy on Garmin Swim 2. And confusing about how to stop the screen from going dark as to get it on you really have to stop swimming for 2-3 seconds to get the screen to light up. Super annoying. Any other tips specifically for open water swimming when I want to 1-see clearly instantly, 2-button for pause, 3-button for lap, 4-get an alert after x hundred meters???. And finally is the only way to stop at the end is to eject water and then stop?

[@mlegrand]

I've been meaning to spend some time testing My Swim Pro but I haven't gotten around to it. Seems like a solid option. Yeah, I only see the one way for stopping the workout. You can pause the workout but I'd really like splits which is slightly different. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@username_luze]

Каждое видео как мини-фильм. Great job

[@mlegrand]

Thank you!

[@JohnHarryShaun]

I’ve always had the choice of water lock auto or off ?And drill mode?? And been able to utilise the buttons and crown for pausing etc…With AW🧐🧐

[@mlegrand]

Hi John, yes swimming automatically locks the touchscreen for me. You can pause a workout by pressing the crown and button at the same time. I’d like to see true splits with an active recovery timer. I’d also love a drill mode here. So, for example, if you were doing a one armed drill you could select the distance and correct for missed yardage. We do drill almost every day during swim practice here. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@parkerkerth8446]

"lets just dive in"... good one!

[@mlegrand]

😆

[@lucp252]

Hi Matt, I had an Apple Watch 6 and did indoor and outdoor swims with it and it seemed to record laps, breaststroke and crawl no problem. Then I got the Ultra (1) and haven’t had a chance to use it in the pool but did an open water swim with it. Because I was out of swim shape I was just doing the breaststroke. The results - abysmal!! After 30 minutes swimming it had recorded approximately 100 meters!! I tried multiple times over the next few days and got similar results! I took it back to Apple and they tested it and reset it and said it was fine and to try it again outdoors. A bit chilly at the moment so don’t know when I’ll get to try it. I went to the Apple support and the site says that it’s only good for the crawl !! Again Bizarre!! Have you tried the ultra either 1 or 2 with breaststroke outdoors and had issues? I rechecked my watch 6 results and it seems to have recorded everything breast and crawl.

[@mlegrand]

I haven't really tried Breaststroke for open water but it shouldn't work. Typically these watches are connecting and reconnecting to satellites as your arm comes up and out of the water. Breaststroke shouldn't work very well at all. Water is about 700 times thicker than air and does a number on GPS signals.

[@lucp252]

@@mlegrand- I rechecked my swims in 2021 and ‘22 with my watch 6 and it seemed to have recorded the breaststroke .84km and crawl .21km. in one example. These are sea swims where I just go back and forth almost like a pool swim. But using the Ultra it shows some breaststroke distances but completely inaccurate. Admittedly this summer I was more playing in the sea than swimming so was not paying too much attention to what the watch was doing. But it seems off.

[@JohnHarryShaun]

I have done manual splits with my aw’s for years 🧐 I don’t bother with auto splits.

[@mlegrand]

Do you just use the pause feature? Or the normal split and then you know the split with zero meters is your rest split? Have you tried swimming with other watch brands?

[@3825382500]

Thank you for your informative video. i have benn using garmin fenix watches and lately apple watch ultra 1 for my competitive master open water workouts. i must say that apple software and hardware is not enough to train open water or pool swim. it can not read heart rate during open water. Also when you pause a workout during open water and resume back, all your data mixes. Lack of interval, rest timers of pool swim is also a problem. i dont understand why apple dont improve software of swim tracking to compete with garmin. As a result, i will sell my apple watch and buy a garmin

[@mlegrand]

I really do think Apple could make some minor software adjustments and be in a great spot for swimmers. We’ll see. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@joaobaccarin5552]

Thaaanks! Finally a comprehensive review of a smartwatch for swimming. I appreciate that. If you'd like to do more of these, I'd be your fan for life hehe But seriously now, I think Garmin is still the king when it comes to pool swimming. Even their most basic models are years ahead of competition. Which doesn't even necessarily mean they are close to being perfect. There's a lot o room for improvement. It's just that, overall, OW swimming and pool swimming seems to be a bit overlooked by smartwatch makers and we (swimmers) kind of suffer with the lack of competition...

[@mlegrand]

I’m with you on that. Garmin still feels like the best swim watch in my opinion. And you don’t need their top of the line watch to get all the good swim features. Pretty much every Garmin has it. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@EvanFotis]

Any experience with apple watches malfunctioning after a while due to saltwater? My applewatch 8 won't charge anymore after 2 years, and apple service will not open it, so since warranty is ended looking for replacement. The only dedicated swimmer smartwatch seems to be to Garmin Swim 2 but it's a 5 year old model. Any other suggestions?

[@mlegrand]

I wouldn't go for the Swim 2. The AMOLED screen on the Forerunner 165 is better for swimming in my opinion. I've only done about a weeks worth of ocean salt water swimming with the Apple Watch Ultra. I haven't had any issues with it but I'm guessing you might put watches through a bit more? Maybe the solution is to rinse off the watch really well after each swim? Salt water is really hard on any sort of exposed metal. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@EvanFotis]

@@mlegrand thanks for the prompt response! Are you planning on smartwatches comparison with latest models for open sea swimming including endurance etc any time soon?

[@mlegrand]

@@EvanFotis - No time soon. I don't get too much time in the open sea. I have a lake near by and I've done an open water swimming comparison video but that video is getting a little old. But more and more of these watches are putting Dive functionality into these watches. So the expectations hopefully are that they'll be more resistant to sea water.

[@jacksanchez4688]

Great video. For someone who can't afford the Apple Watch Ultra 2, are there other watches you can actually go swimming with? Samsung claims you can swim with their watch but they actually won't guarantee from water damage.

[@mlegrand]

I’d highly recommend taking a look at Garmin. Specifically the Forerunner 255. 👌

[@jacksanchez4688]

Thanks!@@mlegrand

[@stevehallesy]

Hi Matt can you wear the apple watch over a wet suit, I know the heart rate will be lost but I find my series 9 switches off and asks for pin code, which is virtually impossible with neoprene cloths on, i need to see time spent in the water for safety

[@mlegrand]

I’m sure you could but I’ve always worn it on the inside. I’ve always been scared of loosing it in the water.

[@ZudZud-n9e]

question: can you do "laps" while you are swimming . can you push the button for laps ?

[@mlegrand]

Not really and I find it really annoying. Pushing the action button an pause your workout. Laps are only made automatically on the watch but not manually. 😬

[@markwebster243]

Great job how does the watch with the shortened distance for open water compare to garmin? Just that watching the female ultraman last weekend a few of the competitors were saying that garmin accuracy wasn’t as good as what they were expecting or are we maybe expecting to much from these devices?

[@mlegrand]

Some of the Garmin watches tend to be a bit closer to the accurate distance. For some reason, each Garmin can actually be a bit different. So it might depend on settings and which watch they were using.

[@mikefetters6674]

I just got an Apple Watch Ultra and tried swimming laps with it and everytime I get in the water, the screen goes black so I can’t view my progress as I’m swimming. It also wasn’t tracking my laps.. any idea what it could be?

[@mlegrand]

That’s an odd one. It’s not something I’ve experienced. Sounds like maybe some sort of battery saving feature maybe? 🤷🏻‍♂️ I’d go through some settings and make sure the screen is set to always on and any other settings you can think of and try switching backing into the swim activity type to see if it continues to go black. Otherwise maybe reach out to Apple. 😬

[@twest6857]

Hello. I would like a new watch. I now have a Garmin Forerunner 55, but I would prefer a slightly more advanced watch. I was looking at the Forerunner 965, but I'm not sure if I'll buy it because there are rumors going around that the Forerunner 975 will be released as early as March 2024, but I'm not sure. Do you think the Forerunner 975 will be much better or will it make no difference compared to the Forerunner 965.

[@mlegrand]

Wow, that sounds so soon! I haven't seen that rumor. I'd love reading about it. I'm a big fan of the 965 but maybe they'll add a flashlight, wireless charging or the new ECG heart rate sensor? Who knows. It's always hard to predict these things. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@twest6857]

@@mlegrand Thx, if only those changes are added then I think I will just go for the 965, because they are not major changes that matter much to me.

[@pekingerleben]

How do I get the apple watch ultra 2 to show the temperature when I am in the water?

[@mlegrand]

No idea. I don't think I've seen that anywhere. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Byku700]

Hi Matt, will you be reviewing the upcoming Polar Vantage V3? It would be cool to see an in-depth review on your channel. Cheers.

[@mlegrand]

I’ve been sending them emails. I really hope so. 🤞

[@Byku700]

@@mlegrand Thanks for your reply Matt. Fingers crossed they'll eventually send you a package 👍

[@alihoury4402]

Last year i got the AWU 1 and it was complete failure for open water swimming. Distance way off and sometime no tracking at all. I got a replacement watch but same issue, after i got a full refund since the apple support couldn’t fix the issue. They admitted that it’s under review by engineers but with no timeline on when it can be fixed. I’m curious to know if you tried the AWU 1 last year or this is with new software update.

[@mlegrand]

I’ve tested both and they both tested similarly short. GPS files look ok but it just measures short for some reason. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@jasperspecial]

My Garmin 965 also quite off (number of laps more than the usual ) for lap swim , any help ?

[@mlegrand]

Here’s a weird one. Make sure it’s set to the left wrist if that’s the wrist you wear it on. I’ve noticed that can throw off the totals.

[@Robinghosal]

You can use the crown in swim mode

[@mlegrand]

Yes, you can scroll through a few pages of data. I'm all for using the crown. I just want a bit more functionality. Splits for example. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@Robinghosal]

@@mlegrand yes fair enough. Good point. Do you know any good 3rd party apps

[@mlegrand]

@@Robinghosal - I think My Swim Pro is the most commonly recommended but I haven’t tested it myself

[@billylee5335]

Do you have any merchandise with your Logo Matt?

[@mlegrand]

I have some hats and some t-shirts. I really like this shirt: cottonbureau.com/p/2ZF9YQ/shirt/swim-bike-run-rinse-repeat#/10059368/tee-men-standard-tee-vintage-black-tri-blend-s

[@TheDobsaPS5]

Great video! May I ask is the apple watch ultra2 good (safe) enough to swim with it in salt water?

[@mlegrand]

I swam with the AWU 1 which is pretty much the same watch in salt water with no issues. I imagine that the salt water might be a bit more corrosive to watch bands and the watch body but I didn’t see any issues after testing it.

[@TheDobsaPS5]

@@mlegrand thanks for the info, if thats the case i deff gonna buy one soon!

[@shanemcgurk7896]

I have been ocean swimming almost daily with a standard Apple Watch for years and no issues at all. Cold water may vibe the only exception knocking the battery life a round a bit.

[@DesertTriDad]

Have you tried any of the swimming apps?

[@mlegrand]

Not really. I think the My Swim Pro is the one to get. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Hasssprechbeauftragter]

@@mlegrandbut it’s very expensive

[@markr3926]

I bought the ultra 2 thinking it might be good. I like it in some respects but nothing is accurate, it is a toy. Altitude miles off, depth miles off, distance miles off. it is actually rubbish but I am stuck with it as it is the one I bought. Compared to the marketing it is an absolute rip off.

[@mlegrand]

I’m surprised you’re having so many issues with it. It might be worth reaching out to Apple to see what’s going on with your watch. Thank you for watching and taking the extra time to comment. I really appreciate it. 👍

[@markr3926]

@@mlegrand Thanks. I have reached out to Apple and all the help and diagnostics confirmed it was performing as expected. I just think it is entirely inconsistent with the advertising. The compass on the watch rarely agrees with the compass on the iphone 🤷🏻‍♂️ There is just nothing precision about the functions outside of time measurement. The waterproofness is as advertised but a lot of advertising is fantasy to the extent I really think they should be prevented from suggesting it is a serious peace of kit. It just isn’t and I really wanted it to be as I am all Apple with my tech gear.

[@JC_555]

hate it no thanks!

[@mlegrand]

Not your favorite swim watch or just hate the AWU in general?

[@JC_555]

@mlegrand I have tired didn't like it