Looking for a swimming watch that actually keeps up in the pool and open water? The Garmin Swim 2 is built for swimmers who want detailed stats but don’t want to wear a chunky, multi-sport beast on their wrist.
This GPS-enabled smartwatch tracks underwater heart rate right from your wrist. It captures distance, pace, stroke count, and even figures out your stroke type.
It works for both pool and open water, so you’re not stuck with just one environment.
Battery life is solid—up to seven days in smartwatch mode, or 72 hours if you’re just tracking swims. The slim profile means it won’t slow you down or snag, and the always-on color display is visible even mid-set.
Most swimmers find it accurate for lap counting and stroke detection, though sometimes it’ll miss a length if you’re sloppy with your turns. There’s drill logging, timed sets, and an auto-rest feature that knows when you’re catching your breath.
Outside the water, it’ll track steps and sleep, nothing fancy but it gets the job done.
You can sync it up with Garmin Connect to break down your sessions and build custom workouts. Folks love the GPS for open water—quick to lock on, and the button controls work fine even with wet hands.
The optical heart rate sensor is surprisingly handy for swim workouts, though it’s not perfect.
Click here to get the Garmin Swim 2 and start tracking your swim workouts today!
Overview of Garmin Swim 2
This swimming smartwatch stands out for its specialized tracking in both pool and open water. The Swim 2 uses GPS for outdoor swims and offers detailed pool metrics—stroke count, stroke type, pace, and distance.
It’s got wrist-based heart rate, which is great if you hate chest straps.
The 1.04-inch round display is pretty crisp at 208 x 208 resolution. Battery life varies: up to 7 days as a smartwatch, 13 hours with GPS and heart rate, or 72 hours in pool mode.
At just 1.28 ounces, you barely notice it’s there.
It’ll count your steps and monitor sleep, too. Data uploads to Garmin Connect, where you can slice and dice your workouts or build custom sets.
Accuracy for pool length is around 95%, but sometimes it’ll miss a lap—especially if your turns are inconsistent.
GPS Accuracy for Pool and Open Water
For open water, the Swim 2 relies on GPS to track distance and pace. Most users say it maps routes well in lakes and oceans, and the GPS usually connects within seconds.
In the pool, it switches to accelerometer tech since GPS doesn’t work underwater. You’ll need to enter your pool length for accurate stats.
Lap counting is based on turns and strokes, not satellite data.
Sometimes, if you pause in the middle of a length or switch up your stroke, it might miss a lap. Open water GPS is generally more consistent than pool tracking for distance.
Dense trees or tall buildings can mess with the signal, but that’s not unique to this watch.
Underwater Heart Rate Monitoring
The wrist-based heart rate sensor works underwater, so you can ditch the chest strap. The Swim 2 uses optical sensors to estimate your heart rate in the pool and open water.
Accuracy depends on how snug you wear it and your own physiology.
You’ll get continuous heart rate tracking during workouts, and all the data shows up in Garmin Connect for review later. It’s a nice way to check intensity zones after a swim.
Optical sensors aren’t perfect in water. Some folks see odd readings, especially during sprints or if the watch slides around.
Tightening the band helps, but it can get uncomfortable on longer swims.
Detailed Swim Metrics and Tracking
The Swim 2 captures a bunch of swim data for both pool and open water. It automatically tracks distance, pace, stroke count, and stroke type.
No need to manually select your stroke—it figures out freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly on its own.
Drill logging and rest interval tracking are built in, which is handy for structured sets. The SWOLF score combines stroke count and time to measure efficiency.
GPS is there for distance and pace in open water, where pool metrics don’t really apply.
Key Metrics Tracked:
- Distance and pace
- Stroke count and type
- SWOLF score
- Drill logging and rest intervals
To get accurate heart rate, you’ll need the watch snug on your wrist. Multiple swim profiles are available, and everything syncs to Garmin Connect for post-swim analysis.
Advanced Training and Workout Features
For swimmers who want more than just lap counts, the Swim 2 offers detailed performance tools. It tracks stroke count, stroke type, and SWOLF for each session.
You can also monitor stroke rate and distance in open water.
There’s support for pace alerts and drill sessions, plus you can build custom workouts in Garmin Connect and send them to the watch. Analysis tools online help you break down your swim after the fact.
Key Training Metrics:
- Distance and pace
- Stroke count and type
- SWOLF score
- Underwater wrist-based heart rate
It’s focused on swimming, not triathlons or multi-sport, so if you want a jack-of-all-trades, this isn’t it.
Battery Life and All-Day Wearability
Battery life is a strong point. In smartwatch mode, you’ll get about a week before needing to recharge.
Using GPS and heart rate drops that to 13 hours, which is still plenty for most workouts or even a long race.
Pool mode with heart rate gives you up to 72 hours, so you can get through a couple weeks of swim practices without plugging in.
Battery Performance Summary:
- Smartwatch: 7 days
- GPS + HR: 13 hours
- Pool + HR: 72 hours
It’s light—just 1.28 ounces—so you can wear it all day, even under a shirt sleeve. Daily steps and sleep tracking work fine, though sometimes the GPS signal drops during open water swims.
That’s rare, but it happens.
Connectivity and Smart Notifications
The Swim 2 pairs with your phone via Bluetooth. You’ll see smart notifications for calls, texts, and alerts right on your wrist.
Available Connected Features:
- Smart notifications (when paired)
- Auto workout upload to Garmin Connect
- Online analysis and custom workout creation
There’s no Wi-Fi, so syncing happens through your phone. All your swim data uploads automatically once you’re connected.
Notifications show up outside the pool, but this isn’t a full-blown smartwatch—its focus is definitely on swim tracking.
User-Friendly Design and Display
The interface uses physical buttons, which honestly makes more sense underwater than a touchscreen. The 1.04-inch round display is always on and full color, with 208 x 208 pixels.
Most people find it easy to read, even without glasses. Button navigation is simple, and you can operate it with wet hands or mid-swim.
Key Interface Elements:
- Round color screen with a protective rim
- Button controls (no touchscreen)
- Always-on display
- Lightweight—just 1.28 ounces
It runs Garmin’s own operating system, so you won’t get a huge app store. But honestly, that keeps things simple and focused on swimming.
Performance for Different Levels of Swimmers
The Auto rest feature is a lifesaver, especially for beginners. It’ll detect when you stop between laps, so you don’t have to fuss with pausing the watch.
Advanced swimmers can use timed sets and drill logging for more structured training. You get stroke count, stroke type, and SWOLF to help analyze technique.
Sometimes, it’ll miss a length or two in the pool. Accuracy is about 95% for lap counting, which is fine for most, but hardcore swimmers might get annoyed if they’re strict about intervals.
Community Integration with Garmin Connect
The Swim 2 syncs to Garmin Connect, where you can dig into your stats and track progress over time. You can compare workouts, set goals, and build custom plans.
Automatic uploads keep your data organized—no more manual entry. You can share results with friends or just keep everything private.
How social you get is up to you; some folks love the community, others just want the data.
Pros and Cons
The Swim 2 is packed with features for swimmers, but it’s not perfect. Here’s a quick rundown.
Pros
It nails pool metrics with about 95% accuracy on lap counts. You get stroke type, count, pace, and SWOLF to help you get faster and more efficient.
Battery life is a highlight—7 days as a smartwatch, 72 hours of pool tracking with heart rate.
Open water GPS is reliable once it locks on, and works in lakes, oceans, and rivers. Satellite acquisition is quick and consistent.
The interface is straightforward, and the display is easy to read even without glasses.
Underwater heart rate adds useful data without a chest strap. You’ll also get sleep, steps, and body battery tracking when paired with your phone.
Cons
The watch sometimes drops a pool length during tracking. Overall, its accuracy is good, but swimmers should be aware that occasional counting errors can happen.
GPS satellite acquisition isn’t always smooth. A handful of users report trouble getting that initial satellite lock or losing GPS mid-swim, which can be frustrating and sometimes means reaching out to customer support.
Triathletes might run into limitations here. Since this device is really built with swimmers in mind, anyone wanting full triathlon tracking might want to look elsewhere.
The price is a bit steep compared to basic fitness watches. For casual swimmers, it might feel like a lot to pay if they won’t use all the specialized features.
Customer Reviews
Swimmers often praise the Swim 2 for its accuracy in tracking pool lengths. Some do mention it can drop a count every now and then.
GPS and heart rate monitoring pick up positive feedback for holding up across different swimming conditions. Folks seem to like the simple interface and the clear watch face, which stays readable even without glasses.
A few reviews point out how the device tracks distance, pace, and body battery stats reliably. The transition from older Garmin models seems pretty painless for most longtime users.
Some swimmers specifically mention the GPS tracking for open water as a highlight. There’s feedback suggesting the watch is best for dedicated swimmers, not so much for triathletes needing more features.
At least one buyer mentioned durability concerns and decided to spring for an extended warranty, especially considering the price.
Conclusion
The Swim 2 really carves out its niche for swimmers who crave detailed workout data, both in the pool and out in open water.
Its GPS tracking feels solid, and the underwater heart rate monitoring is surprisingly reliable. Automatic stroke detection usually gets it right, though sometimes it misses a pool length here and there.
Key Strengths:
- The display’s clear enough that you don’t need glasses to read it.
- GPS is spot-on for open water.
- The interface? Simple, no-nonsense.
Notable Drawbacks:
- Every so often, it’ll drop a pool length when tracking.
- Not the best pick for triathletes who want multi-sport features.
This device really makes sense for swimmers who care most about their time in the water. If you’re eyeing something that handles cross-training or a bunch of other sports, you might wanna weigh your options. At this price, it’s worth thinking about whether swim-specific features are what you actually need—or if a more versatile smartwatch would make more sense for your routine.
