---
title: 'Swimming with a Watch'
url: 'https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en/blog/plavani-s-hodinkama'
markdown: 'https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en/blog/plavani-s-hodinkama.md'
lang: en
date: '2021-08-15'
description: 'In the sea My Garmin (Instinct Tactical) can track open-water swimming using GPS (optionally GPS+GLONASS/GALILEO). I selected open water swimming, waited for the satellite signal, and jumped in. After a good swim I got out, looked at the watch, and saw zero. I stared in surprise and started figurin…'
taxonomy:
  tag:
    - Garmin
    - plavání
    - GPS
    - Galileo
  category:
    - sport
  '':
    - ''
  archives_year:
    - '2021'
---

# In the sea

My Garmin (Instinct Tactical) can track open-water swimming using GPS (optionally GPS+GLONASS/GALILEO). I selected open water swimming, waited for the satellite signal, and jumped in. After a good swim I got out, looked at the watch, and saw zero.

I stared in surprise and started figuring out what went wrong. GPS doesn't work well underwater. So you have to change your stroke — front crawl instead of breaststroke. I tried the next round doing front crawl and it was immediately better. You do need to kick a bit to let the metres register retroactively… but it works.

I also discovered some amusing things — when the watch locked on to a larger number of satellites the accuracy dropped to within tens of centimetres! That genuinely surprised and impressed me.

 [ Previous Post](https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en/blog/hladina-protilatek) [Next Post ](https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en/blog/prispevek-ve-sborniku) 

#### Other Related Posts:

 [  Garmin  ](https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en/blog/tag:Garmin#blog_list) [  Instinct  ](https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en/blog/tag:Instinct#blog_list) 

###  Garmin Instinct Tactical 

[Garmin Instinct Tactical](https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en/blog/garmin-instinct-tactical)

# Smartwatch

I'd been thinking about a smartwatch for a long time. I wanted to know how fast I run, what my pace is. How many steps I take in a day... and I'd also like to know how far I've swum, and so on. So I searched until I found it: [Garmin Instinct Tactical](https://www.garmin.cz/garmin-instinct-tactical-black-optic/80164). Why those in particular?

They c...

 22nd Jun 2021 

 [  2021  ](https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en/blog/tag:2021#blog_list) 

###  2021 

[2021](https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en/blog/2021)

# 2021 in review

What were the highlights of this year?

OS: **Windows 10** — unfortunately I don't get a choice at work, so I suffer through Windows.

HW: watch, **Garmin Instinct Tactical** — GPS/GALILEO and GLONASS, supports MGRS — what more could you ask for.

Podcast: **Kecy a politika**, the comm...

 31st Dec 2021 

- [Intro](https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en)
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- [Pricing](https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en/pricing)
- [Blog](https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/en/blog)
- English 

    - [Čeština](https://www.ondrejsramek.cz/cs/blog/plavani-s-hodinkama)

---

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