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Using Tides on Instinct Surf and Instinct 2 Series Watches

Some Garmin watches have the ability to display tide information1 on the watch face and in the Tides app, including the tide height and when the next high and low tides will occur. This information can be customized to display tide data from a specific beach of your choosing.

NOTE: Tide information requires an active connection to the Garmin Connect™ app on a paired smartphone to download tide data.

Setting or Changing the Location for Tide Information

Once you have set a location, if you have an active connection with the Garmin Connect app you can receive tide data for that location from the nearest tide station. You can receive tide data from up to 5 locations and tide data will be good for 3 days. To receive tide data for a location, follow the instructions below.

  1. Press GPS.
  2. Select Tides.
  3. Choose an option:
    • To use your current location when you are near a tide station, select Current Location.
    • To select a recently used tide station, select Recent.
    • To select a saved location, select Saved.
    • To enter coordinates for a location, select Coordinates.
  4. Select Get Tides.
  5. After you have selected a location, a 24-hour tide chart appears for the current date.
  6. Press UP or DOWN to scroll through the tide data.

Adding or Removing Saved Beach Locations

Garmin Instinct® Surf watches can store up to 10 saved beach locations. To add or remove a saved beach, follow the directions below.

NOTE: Once 10 saved beaches have been added, the Add option will be removed. You will need to remove beaches to add more after reaching the limit of 10.

Instinct Solar Surf Watch

Adding a Saved Beach

  1. Press GPS.
  2. Select Tides.
  3. Select Saved.
  4. Select Add New.
  5. Select an option: 
    • To use your current GPS location, select Current Location.
    • To enter coordinates for a location, select Coordinates.

Removing a Saved Beach

  1. Press GPS.
  2. Select Tides.
  3. Select Saved.
  4. Select a saved beach.
  5. Select Delete.

Instinct 2 Series Watches

Adding a Saved Beach

  1. Press GPS.
  2. Select Tides.
  3. Select Saved.
  4. Select Add New.
  5. Select an option: 
    • To use your current GPS location, select Current Location.
    • To enter coordinates for a location, select Coordinates.

Removing a Saved Beach

  1. Press GPS.
  2. Select Tides.
  3. Select Saved.
  4. Select a saved beach.
  5. Select Delete.

Displaying Tide Information on the Watch Face

When using a watch face that supports the tide graph, Instinct surf edition watches can display tide information1 on the watch face after setting a favorite location and syncing to the Garmin Connect™ app. 

Instinct Solar Surf Watch

  1. Hold MENU.
  2. Select Watch Face.
  3. Press UP or DOWN to preview the watch face options.
    NOTE: You must select a watch face that supports the tides graph.
  4. Press GPS on the desired watch face.
  5. Select Set Favorite Beach.
  6. Select an option:
    • Select a saved location from the list.
    • Select Add New to save a new location. You will then be prompted to select Current Location, or Coordinates if you are not currently at the beach you wish to set. After following these prompts, the watch will return to the list of saved locations and you can select the new location from the list.

Instinct 2 Surf Series Watches

  1. Press GPS.
  2. Select Tides.
  3. Choose an option:
    • To use your current location when you are near a tide station, select Current Location.
    • To select a recently used tide station, select Recent.
    • To select a saved location, select Saved.
    • To enter coordinates for a location, select Coordinates.
  4. After you have selected a location, a 24-hour tide chart appears for the current date.
  5. Select Set Favorite.
  6. Tide data will now appear on the watch face.

Troubleshooting Missing Tide Data

If you have trouble getting tide data to display on your watch, there are a couple of things you can check. First, check your owner's manual to be certain that your watch is compatible with receiving tide data. If your watch is compatible, but you are not seeing the Tides app listed in your activities list, you may need to add it; instructions for adding activities and apps can be found in your owner's manual. If you are not seeing the Tides app in the list to add to the watch, you may need to update the software on your watch; your owner's manual has information about how to update the watch as well.

If your tide data is not updating or shows a message that it is waiting for data, check the connection with your smartphone; see - Garmin Connect App: Device Is Paired but Not Connecting to App. Your watch must be connected to the Garmin Connect app to download new tide data. If using an iPhone, make sure to leave the Garmin Connect app running in the background in order for new information to sync to your watch.

If you are seeing tide data in the Tides app but are unable to get tide data on your watch face, note that only Surf editions of the Instinct Solar series or Instinct 2 series watches are compatible with showing tide data on the watch face. If you have a Surf edition, check the steps above for displaying tide data on the watch face and setting a Favorite Beach for your watch face.

1 Tide data is supplied for information purposes only. It is your responsibility to heed all posted water-related guidance, to remain aware of your surroundings, and to use safe judgment in, on, and around the water at all times. Failure to heed this warning could result in serious personal injury or death.

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