What Watches Can Be Used to Track Heart Rate While Swimming?

The following watches will give you the option to turn on the optical heart rate sensor while using a swim activity profile:

Descent Mk2 series
Enduro
fenix 6 series
Forerunner 245 & 245 Music
Forerunner 745
Forerunner 945 & 945 LTE
Garmin Swim 2
Instinct Solar series
Legacy Hero series
MARQ Collection
tactix Delta
vivoactive 4/4S
Venu
Venu 2
Venu 2S
Venu Sq series

What Do I Need to Do to Take Advantage of This New Feature?

The software on your watch will need to be updated. If your watch is paired to the Garmin Connect app on your smartphone you will receive the update automatically. Just give it up to a few days to download and your watch will prompt you to install the update. If you do not want to wait, you can download the Garmin Express program to a personal computer and manually update the software. Download Garmin Express here: www.garmin.com/express.

How Do I Turn This Feature On?

Follow these steps to turn on wrist heart rate while swimming:

fenix 6 Series, Descent Mk2 Series, Enduro, MARQ Collection, and tactix Delta Series

With the latest software on your watch, the optical heart rate sensor should automatically be enabled when performing a Swim activity.

Press and hold the Menu button
Select Sensors & Accessories
Select Wrist Heart Rate
Select While Swimming
Toggle setting On

Instinct Solar Series

Press and hold the Menu button
Select Settings
Select Sensors & Accessories
Select Wrist Heart Rate
Select While Swimming
Toggle setting On

Forerunner Products

Press and hold the Menu button to access the menu on the watch
Scroll down through the menu and select Wrist Heart Rate
Select While Swimming
Toggle setting On

For additional assistance accessing the menu on your watch refer to your owner's manual.

vivoactive 4/4S, venu, and Legacy Series

With the latest software on your watch, the optical heart rate sensor will turn on when entering a Pool Swim activity profile.

How Accurate Is the Wrist Heart Rate When Swimming?

Swimming can have many of the challenges which are described in The Heart Rate Sensor on My Garmin Watch Is Not Accurate. The large arm motions can affect the level of blood volume in the wrist area, chilly water can reduce the amount of blood in the tissue on the back of the wrist, and the water can “pull” on the watch creating a gap between the optical heart rate sensor and the skin. The same tips apply to swimming as other types of activities. Warm up a bit before starting the swim activity and make sure you are properly wearing the watch. Specifically:

The optical heart rate sensor must always remain in contact with your skin
The watch must also be worn snug, but not too tight
- Too loose the watch can slide around, creating a gap between the optical heart rate sensor and your skin.
- Too tight and the watch can actually restrict blood flow..
The watch is properly snug when you can move the watch and the skin underneath moves with it.

For best heart rate accuracy during swimming, use the HRM-Pro, HRM-Swim, or HRM-Tri.