I’ve recently been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and have no symptoms at all, it was only discovered through a routine health assessment. I am keen to continue to swim, walk and exercise, but keep my heart rate to moderate levels whilst doing so.
Has anyone any advice for an accurate watch type heart rate monitor that gives real time information whilst swimming, as well as other exercise activities. I’ve looked at the latest Apple Watch but there seems to be conflicting information as to it’s accuracy in water. I wonder if I need something like a polar heart rate sensor in addition.
Any advice please.
Written by
Keenswimmer
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I do not believe that any of the wrist based heart monitor will work under water.
However Garmin do have a chest trap that does work for swimming and I think perhaps Wahoo does also. The Garmin swim chest strap stores 20 hours of heart rate data which can then be downloaded.
I use a Garmin Vivosport which is wrist mounted and if I tap on the display showing heart rate it also then shows exactly what the heart rate has been for the last hour.
ALL these devices will download to a smartphone, iPhone or laptop computer and give you as much detail as you require.
I found Garmin worked for a while- but like anything else the Chlorine attacked the Strap and they would not stay up. This may just be my experience and this was as someone who sum 10 hours a week. FYI strap replacement is possible but age 13 it did not occur to me.
Thanks for the info. Yes I have been given advice as to the level my HR should be whilst exercising, hence I am keen to ensure I keep within the limit.
I use a polar heart rate monitor with chest strap which performs well while swimming. I decided on the Polar as it was the same as the one used by the Physio during rehab sessions.
Garmin is definitely king for sports watches. I have an xt920 which is the triathlon version. Tom Tom are also good but have reliability issues with chlorinated water which kills them. Not all watches are heart rate monitor compatible so check the spec carefully. Garmin mostly have an add on chest belt that you sync to your watch. You can also get speed and cadence sensor kits for your bike and a foot pod so it works on a treadmill. I also believe that the HRM sensor cannot be used in swimming pools due to the chlorine but you can in open water swim mode. You can also sync effortlessly into Strava to get all your stats including HRM data.
I use a Garmin 920xt triathlon watch with the Garmin Swim HR belt; I find this gives an excellent record of my heart rate after the swim and stays in place better than any other HR strap I've worn in the pool. I am currently under instructions to stay below 80% of my maximum HR and find there's no problem doing so while swimming, though I've adapted the kind of sets I swim a little. I give myself a long steady warm-up, I wear (very short) fins much of the time, I go for longer repeats and short rests, e.g. sets based on 400m or 200m swims. I avoid high intensity anaerobic sprint kind of sets. I find the HR strap stays in place very well for tumble turns, but will come off if I ever attempt dive starts. I've also used the Garmin Tri strap, though I find that only stays in place if worn under a wetsuit; I work as a lifeguard and see one or two swimmers wearing them in the pool without problems; I think that depends on your body shape. Incidentally, while the 920xt might be available on offer somewhere at a low price (it's been superseded by even more expensive models) if you basically just want a watch for swimming, look at the Garmin watch that's sold for swimming.
It's such a good watch isn't it the Xt920. It's more of a training buddy than just a piece of tech. The virtual partner mode is also brilliant for pacing yourself and others. Best bit of kit I ever purchased along with the bike sensor kit and chest strap. Let's hope the new 735xt lives up to it. The pool swim mode is the most accurate of any I've owned for distance and strokes.
To add another point, I am also asymptomatic and diagnosed with a different condition (ascending aortic aneurysm). However, it was diagnosed through participation in a research study on the effects of exercise on the hearts of long-term endurance athletes (I've three decades going through masters swimming, marathon running and age group triathlon). Another finding on my echocardiogram is ventricular hypertrabeculation, which can be pathological but, in athletes, is not viewed in the same way. It's a bit like having a low resting heart rate: bad news in inactive older people but perfectly normal in trained athletes. So, while I'm not challenging your diagnosis or the advice you've been given, for as long as you're asymptomatic, I'd suggest you focus on learning what you can definitely continue doing within the guidance and don't worry too much if you occasionally go over.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
An abnormally slow exercising heart rate..... WHY?
Max heart rate while exercising
Heart rate whilst sleeping 
Heart rate monitor?
