GPS watches and apps for documented swims

ChrisBChrisB Issaquah, WAMember
edited November 2021 in Beginner Questions

I see a lot of people that use a SPOT gps device but I have also seen a few Garmin 910XT or 920XT wearers out there.

Am I correct in that the SPOT devices are utilized on the escort boat or kayak only?

I have the Garmin 920XT watch which I use for my open water training. Can I use that to record the GPS data? If so, do I need to modify it (put some tape over the display) or have it in a certain mode to qualify as an unassisted marathon swim?

Any clarification would be appreciated.

Tagged:
evmo

Comments

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited June 2016

    Good questions!

    The only reason to use a SPOT (and pay their subscription fees) is the ability to transmit data back to civilization via direct satellite link, when no other option (such as cellular data) is available. In other words - if you're way off the grid, and you want friends & family to follow you in real-time, use a SPOT.

    If you just want to record a GPS track for later analysis (not transmit it back to the mainland in real-time), you don't need a SPOT - just a GPS-enabled watch (Garmin, Suunto, etc.) or a smartphone with a GPS tracking app.

    With regard to the rules.... some watches nowadays can be programmed to provide tactile navigational feedback. MSF Rules, as currently written, prohibit wearable technology that provides feedback/data to the swimmer beyond the time of day. Most other sets of rules are silent on the issue.

    I believe the spirit of these rules is disallowing "technological lanelines" and pacing aids. The recently launched course-correcting goggles are another example.

    If you want to avoid any grey area, just leave your Garmin on the boat/kayak and let the support crew manage the tracking.

    timsrootDanSimonellidpm50gregoc
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member

    @ChrisB, I am a good example of what @evmo is talking about above. My swim last year in lake Issyk Kul, where you get at the most 2G, resulted in my son, as "social media" guy on my crew, having no job. I had great plans to have him update my progress on FB and on my blog, but he was rarely able to get a connection in the middle of the lake.

    This year we'll be using a Spot simply so family and friends can track me. And yes, you're right: the Spot goes on the boat (or kayak).

    When I've done other swims, I've put the Garmin (910) under my cap or in my dry bag, so that later I can upload the tracking data and analyze my swim. (You can see a swim I did on the island of Brac in Croatia in the MSF "GPS Track Database". As of a minute ago, it was the only swim in the database in Croatia, so it is easy to find.)

    DanSimonelli

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin

    I recently wrote a blog post attempting to answer some common questions swimmers have about GPS technology:

    IronMikedavid_barraKarl_KingerythelittlemerwookieDanSimonelli
  • BridgetBridget New York StateMember

    Botheration! I'm low tech. I spring for a lap counter on my watch for pool swims. When doing laps at the beach, I use 6 hair elastics swiped from my daughter, and move one after each lap from one wrist to another, estimating 6 "moves" per half mile. ;-) When I swim Lake George this summer (32 miles) should I expect a rented boat to have GPS equipment on board, and is that sufficient? I really don't want a Garmin of any kind. Could someone with a cell phone do a few videos at regular intervals? Lake George isn't great for cell service, anyway.

    dpm50
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited April 2017

    Bridget said:
    Botheration! I'm low tech.

    ...
    When I swim Lake George this summer (32 miles) should I expect a rented boat to have GPS equipment on board, and is that sufficient? I really don't want a Garmin of any kind.

    This is the whole point of the article - your boat doesn't need to be equipped with expensive equipment. An iPhone or Android phone, even in airplane mode, is all you need to log tracking data for a swim.

    DanSimonelli
  • DanSimonelliDanSimonelli San Diego CASenior Member

    evmo said:

    This is the whole point of the article - your boat doesn't need to be equipped with expensive equipment. An iPhone or Android phone, even in airplane mode, is all you need to log tracking data for a swim.

    @evmo,
    It will still track in airplane mode?

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited April 2017

    DanSimonelli said: It will still track in airplane mode?

    A phone in airplane mode can log tracking data (for documentation purposes), but not transmit it (e.g., for live tracking). In current versions of iOS and Android, the GPS receiver is not disabled by airplane mode.

    IronMikeDanSimonelli
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member

    Bridget said:
    Botheration! I'm low tech. I spring for a lap counter on my watch for pool swims. When doing laps at the beach, I use 6 hair elastics swiped from my daughter, and move one after each lap from one wrist to another, estimating 6 "moves" per half mile. ;-) When I swim Lake George this summer (32 miles) should I expect a rented boat to have GPS equipment on board, and is that sufficient? I really don't want a Garmin of any kind. Could someone with a cell phone do a few videos at regular intervals? Lake George isn't great for cell service, anyway.

    @Bridget, the track.rs service here at MSF is worth every penny.

    Speaking of Lake George, make sure you start a thread for your attempt. We'll all be here cheering for you!

    evmoDanSimonellidpm50

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • StLucia_ChannelStLucia_Channel Saint Lucia Member
    edited November 2021

    Hello all!!! I am really hoping someone can give some suggestions.
    We normally use the rs tracker for documented marathon swims and have a garmin backup. We had been testing out a couple other trackers used by the local sailing community in St Lucia, but due to app changes we can no longer get the downloaded information.

    It is very difficult to get garmin watches and such down here without high costs and these days, long waiting periods due to transportation issues around the world. I am trying to find an app for a tablet or mobile device that can use data signal from either device to run as back up during documented swims. We would also like to use it for training purposes if possible with a couple of our local swimmers.
    Does anyone have any tested, tried and true suggestions?

  • miklcctmiklcct London, United KingdomMem​ber

    I used the Android app "Live tracking" for live tracking purpose, with two GPS watches worn by two crew members as well, such that we could get at least 3 tracking devices in each swim.

    We didn't have any problems in procuring Garmin watches because it's normal for people in the running / triathlon / cross-country / kayaking community to have one where I lived. I'll be surprised if the runners / triathletes in your country are having problems in getting these watches as well as they are normally stocked in every sports shop.

  • StLucia_ChannelStLucia_Channel Saint Lucia Member

    Thanks @miklcct for the feedback. You can secure them in a digital device provider store, but on a small island like St Lucia they are twice to three times as much as Canada, UK, or the USA.
    I appreciate the info about the app and will be testing it out.

    miklcct
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited November 2021

    @StLucia_Channel said: I am trying to find an app for a tablet or mobile device that can use data signal from either device to run as back up during documented swims. Does anyone have any tested, tried and true suggestions?

    For Apple (iOS) devices: OpenGPXTracker

    For Android devices: GPS Logger

    StLucia_Channel
  • StLucia_ChannelStLucia_Channel Saint Lucia Member

    @evmo said:

    @StLucia_Channel said: I am trying to find an app for a tablet or mobile device that can use data signal from either device to run as back up during documented swims. Does anyone have any tested, tried and true suggestions?

    For Apple (iOS) devices: OpenGPXTracker

    For Android devices: GPS Logger

    Thanks Evmo!

    miklcct
  • AngieSwimsAngieSwims United StatesMember

    I am pulling my hair out trying to set up traccar service on my phone for my swim next Saturday. I've downloaded Traccar Client, Traccar Manager, and the Traccar app. I paid for my traccar account, but nothing connects! The admin with the company is like, "read the support page" which does nothing to help because I'm not an IT person and I swear it's in a different language.
    Has anyone else successfully used this service? @evmo ?
    I'm feeling like I wasted $10 and hours of my time.

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin

    @AngieSwims

    I'm confused. What are you trying to do?

    Don't you have a SPOT tracker? If so, why are you trying to set up the Traccar app?

  • AngieSwimsAngieSwims United StatesMember

    @evmo I was trying to set up a backup GPS track for redundancy. It looks like we'll go with Strava via phone and a Garmin watch. There's a place on my route where 4/5 GPS watches and my SPOT stopped last year for 30-45 minutes (old Naval shipyard). If the feed cuts out we'll double down on documentation and take photos/videos every 5 minutes.

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited July 2022

    For purposes of documentation / redundancy, I recommend using a basic GPS data logger such as a Garmin watch. This is the simplest solution and least likely to fail. For redundant documentation purposes, there's no need for live tracking broadcast to the internet (which is what Traccar does).

    LakeBagger
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