Garmin to add advanced Pool Swim Features

Source: Doesn’t want to be disclosed

Warning: This information is approximately correct.

Garmin is introducing new features based on send-off times, making training sessions more personalized and efficient. Some of these features exist on watches to some degree and where that’s the case the newness comes in how that feature can be used to plan a workout. Here’s a look at what’s coming:

Definition: “Send-Off”

Runners typically use a fixed rest interval between efforts but swimmers often use a send-off time where the gap between start times of each successive interval is fixed ie the recovery time varies. This changes the difficulty for swimmers of different abilities but helps coaches better manage lane discipline with multiple swimmers.

For example, if you set a send-off time of 3 minutes and then complete your previous swim step in 2 minutes and 30 seconds, you’ll have 30 seconds of rest time. Complete it in 2:45 and you only have 15 seconds rest. The watch will count down the rest time and advance automatically.

Rests based on send-off times should come after a distance-based swim step.

Pool Length Flexibility

Garmin’s updated swim workouts allow you to select a send-off time for one type of pool (meters or yards) but the watch automatically adjusts the send-off time based on the actual pool length when you execute the workout; for instance, a send-off time of 2:00 minutes/100 meters will adjust to 1:50 minutes /100 yards. 

So if you train at multiple pools of different lane lengths, the same pre-defined workout should work at all pools.

If you’re unsure of your pool length, you can still complete your workout as the device will accommodate the unknown length and adjust accordingly. I’m not entirely sure how that would work in practice! Comments are welcomed below.

Critical Swim Speed (CSS) and Send-Off

For swimmers focused on their CSS, Garmin provides options for CSS-based send-off times. For example, a workout can include CSS+30 second send-offs. If a specific CSS value isn’t available, the device will use a default CSS of 2:00 per 100 meters.

EG, if you set the CSS-based send-off time to “CSS + 30 seconds,” and your CSS is 1:45, then you will have a send-off time of 2:15.

This feature is useful for coaches managing multiple swimmers, as it customizes the workout based on each swimmer’s ability.

Personalized Rest and Send-Off Times

A fixed rest time lets you set a standard duration for your rest break. Your watch will count down from your selected rest time to zero and then advance automatically.

New Metrics

These new metrics appear to be added on watches: Circuits, rounds, CSS-Based Send-Off Time, send-off time, and a few others.

Individual Medley Support

New metrics are added for more serious swimmers training for IM and these metrics include: IM by Round; Reverse IM Order (RIMO); and IM by round stroke types.

New Watch Feature

The Send-off rest period is ended by pressing the bottom-right button.

Take Out

Garmin has made some nice changes here for self-coached swimmers and swim coaches.

These changes are highly niche and represent those features that non-Garmin watches will probably never include, except where the non-Garmin watch supports 3rd party apps (like Apple or Suunto)

Often Garmin brings out new features to be the headline on a new watch. I don’t know if these new swim features indicate if either the Garmin Swim 3 watch or a new triathlon watch like the 755 AMOLED is inbound. My bet would be on the latter, ie a smaller version of the Forerunner 965, but that’s just speculation at this stage. That said, I wouldn’t bet too much at this stage!