Product Review: The Finis SwimSense Watch

Created On: 21 March 2011

Let me start by explaining what we did last week at my Monday evening swim squad session* - I asked the swimmers to take it in turn to wear the Finis SwimSense watch to swim 4 lengths and then pass it on to the next person

Then later on after the session I was able to upload the data for analysis and see what it revealed.

Technical innovation 9/10

Okay, now I'll explain in very high level terms what the watch can do. Using accelerometer and magnetometer technology (similar to that used in iPhones and other gaming devices) the watch's electronics can determine which way it is oriented and in which relative direction it is moving in 3D. This means that it is capable of storing data points to represent the path that the watch moves through the air (or water), when it stops moving, and/or changes in direction.

You pre-configure the watch before you start your swim session so that it knows the length of the pool i.e. 25m and which wrist you will be wearing the watch on during the session (the reason that second bit is important will become apparent). It doesn't measure distance travelled, so it needs to know that when it detects a turn a certain pre-determined distance has been covered. If you set the length to 50m instead of 25m all the time and distance per stroke data will be inaccurate.

So if that bit of techno babble makes reasonable sense you can begin to comprehend how the watch could conceivably determine when you have completed a length, how many strokes you took, how long it took, and therefore how many strokes per minute you swam and so on. But here's the exciting bit (depends on your excitement threshold I guess), based upon lots of empirical data the boffins have been able to develop sophisticated algorithms to determine what stroke you are doing, based upon the 3D pathway that your hand travels through with each stroke. That is why the left right hand stipulation is important.

So does it work? In a nutshell yes! We captured some really good data. Including some changes of stroke to try and catch it out. Here is an example summary for one of the swimmers.

Please note that the stroke count is in stroke cycles i.e. you double it if you prefer to count every left and right arm stroke...and you have to take that into account when looking at the seconds/stroke, and the SWOLF scores too.

It is worth noting that it will record erroneous data if you stop halfway through a length (it happened) and may record that as a turn.

Watch user interface 6/10

I had a few reservations with the watch user interface; I think a backlight would be a really good enhancement of the next generation of watch - it was a bit difficult to see the display options next to the buttons in our swimming pool lighting. However, this is more of a data capture device, so the lack of backlight certainly isn't a deal breaker for me.

I did discover that there is a firmware bug that means even if you select metres in the set up options (rather than yards) it still shows yards on the display. However I am assured by the support team that the data being recorded is correct and is in metres, and this bug will be fixed in the next firmware release.

I suggested to the development team that it would be great if you could pre-program a set or a workout and then get warning beeps to indicate when the set is complete (i.e. on covering a certain number of lengths or overall distance). Apparently this feature is on the development roadmap for a future firmware release.

Online training log 8/10

The online training log is really nice for analysing your data post swim with really nice graphical and summary statistics for you to review.

For a long time I have been used to expressing my swim statistics as strokes per length, not stroke cycles per length, so interpreting the information in stroke cycles wasn't all that intuitive for me. However I got a really straightforward explanation as to why the data is presented as stroke cycles - its to make sure that the stroke count is accurate regardless of whether you were swimming a long axis (frontcrawl and backstroke) or short axis stroke (butterfly and breastroke).

In time the developers will gather lots more anonymous empirical data (via the online training log) to underpin and improve the accuracy of the algorithms that determine what stroke you are doing and then the online log will be able to display the information as individual stroke counts rather than stroke cycles if you so wish.

Value as a training tool 9/10

I have no reservations at all about the value of a training tool like the Finis SwimSense watch for swimmers (and their coaches) - it makes easy work of monitoring your consistency, stroke count, stroke rate, distance per stroke and pace judgement, which are all parameters that every swimmer needs to be familiar with and striving to improve.

It would make easy accurate work of a T20 test!

Value for money 8/10

An alternative product to consider that provides similar functionality is the Swimovate Poolmate Pro. They are both available from retailers in the UK for around £130.

Overall 8/10

About the Author:

Steve Casson is a British Triathlon Federation Level 3 Coach and a GB Age Group Triathlete. At the beginning of 2009 Steve set up a triathlon performance coaching studio in Northampton to fulfil a vision of providing a range of 1-2-1 technical coaching sessions and performance testing services to complement his interactive coaching support package.

During 2010 Cassonz Performance Coaching helped a wide range of triathletes from Novices to Age Group World Championship medallists achieve their goals.

Find out more at www.cassonz.com/

If you are looking for swim coaching I have got a few spaces available at my coached swim sessions: Monday 8-9pm and Friday 7-8pm. Contact me if you're interested.

Tags: news,swim,products

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