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Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 : Is It Suitable for Swimming?

ByOlsen Ia

Samsung have just released their 5th generation Galaxy Watch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5. This latest smartwatch offers a lot of new features and improvements over its predecessor. One of the main questions that people are asking is, is it suitable for swimming? The answer is yes! In this article, we will take a look at why the Galaxy Watch 5 is perfect for swimming, and how it compares to other models on the market.

Also I will be answering the question in 2 ways

  1. To a person who has owned a Galaxy Watch before
  2. To a person who has never owned a Galaxy Watch before.

That way you can scroll through my article and read through the part that ideally suits you.

You Owned A Galaxy Watch Before, So What Can You Expect With The Swimming Features?

Now in regards to this question I will answer it in direct comparison against it’s predecessor the Galaxy Watch 4. And the simple answer to that is, it’s the same. That’s right, nothing has really changed, such as water profiles, water locking and water resistance, all comparatively the same.

Then again should you upgrade to a Galaxy Watch 5 based on swimming features? Yes. However I am only saying yes on the following circumstances, and it’s towards a user who does 3 or more swim workouts per week on average. The main reason for this is the watch is always under dynamic pressure. To explain this in a no scientific term is that when you submerge the watch under water and hold it still, its currently under pressure. If you thrash the watch around under water it is now under dynamic pressure.

So when you are consistently swimming, the watch is in constant dynamic pressure and over time it’s ability to resist water diminishes over time. You maybe able to get at least 2-3 years tops, as for open water swimming or in the ocean, it will diminish faster. When the Galaxy Watch 5 under does a water resistance test, fresh water is used. The different water types offers a different pressure load against the watch so just be mindful of this.

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You Never Owned A Galaxy Watch, So What Can You Expect With Swimming Features?

Well your in luck, the Galaxy Watch 5 is a great watch for swimming . It has all the features you could want in a smart watch, and more. The design is sleek and modern, and it’s water resistant up to 50 meters. So what can you expect? Here is a list

1. Galaxy Watch 5 is Not A High Performance Swim Watch

If you are a person who often does multi sport, and is in the market for a swimming watch to improve your swimming ability then this watch isn’t for you. I’m talking about swim metrics such as SWOLF, cadence, pace settings etc. The Galaxy Watch 5 geared towards holistic health and not high performance.

Also you cannot pair the Galaxy Watch 5 with a third party Bluetooth sensor to improve your swimming ability. These types of analytics are particularly important to an athlete, as it can show how you are progressively improving. Most of the time a dedicated heart rate strap is often a sensor used for swimmers as heart rate tracking from the wrist is so difficult. Which in turn provide in accurate results.

If you are more interested in a watch that can provide you with swim metrics and analytics, then Garmin or Polar wearables are your best bet. Both brands specialise in this area, and have a range of different models to choose from. Go check out my articles on the polar pacer and Garmin Forerunner 255. Both Polar and Garmin can be paired to a Bluetooth sensor for that extra bit of accuracy. Check it out, it maybe something for you to look at.

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2. Offers Only 3 Swimming Metrics

The Galaxy Watch 5 can offer 3 different metrics when you are doing your swimming workout. Heart rate, calories burned and duration of workout. That’s it. I’m not saying that these aren’t important metrics, but if you are looking for more in-depth data such as distance, pace or even stroke type then this watch isn’t going to offer that.

3. Autoactivation is available For Swimming

As a default mechanism the Galaxy Watch 5 can auto detect your motion and begin a workout automatically. If you are not familiar with this type of technology, what it is, is that the accelerometer which is a movement sensor is built in the watch. Then the information is then processed through multiple algorithms to authenticate the information. It’s neat stuff really, but my preference is to activate it manually.

When you activate the swimming workout profiles manually, the water lock mode activates right away. This is a very useful feature as it will place your watch into stand by mode, and wont let your screen work under water when touched. This is to prevent accidental button presses, and screen swipes that may occur while you are swimming. This is important as moisture can enter the watch and cause damage.

4. Swimming And Re Creational Profiles Available To Track Your Calories

There are so many profiles that are at your disposal. There are over 90 work out profiles in total. This is for different types of exercises such as running, cycling, weights and more. When it comes to swimming there are only two profiles available which are pool swimming, and open water swimming.

However if you are a outdoors kind of person, there are many profiles Water re creational activities that can track your calories. Please note that list of activities does not auto start, so select you profile and away you go. The list as follows.

  • Aqua aerobics
  • Canoeing
  • Kayaking
  • Kite surfing
  • Water rafting
  • Rowing
  • Scuba diving (dont recommend using)
  • Snorkelling
  • Water skiing
  • Wind surfing
  • Yachting
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As you can see there is a lot of activities you can use the Galaxy Watch 5 for. But there are 2I activities that I dont recommend you to use which is scuba diving and snorkeling. The reason being is that these activities go beyond the depths that the Watch can withstand, and also the water pressure may cause damage to your watch.

As for the other’s it fine, just be aware that all of the activities have a lot of arm action or movements which means heart rate tracking will be difficult to measure consistently. Also if you are planning to do any of these activities, dont allow your watch to hit against any hard surfaces. What will happen is that any slight impact may deform the housing that protects the electrical circuitry of the watch. If this happens, moisture will enter and cause damage to your watch.

Final Conclusion

Is the Galaxy Watch 5 ideal for swimming? yes, it is. If you are a previous owner of the Galaxy Watch, you will be pleased to know that the new model is just as good as its predecessor. If you have never owned a Galaxy Watch before, then you should know that the Watch 5 is an excellent choice for swimming.

The Galaxy Watch 5 is not a high performance watch as mentioned earlier. If that is something that you want in a fitness track / smart watch the Polar Pacer or the Garmin Forerunner series would be the most ideal watch for you.

Any way one last thing before I wrap up this article, is that all though the Galaxy Watch 5 is ideal for swimming, eventually the watch’s ability to resist water will diminish over time. Im not just talking about just the Galaxy Watch 5, however it applies to every fitness tracker or smart watch. Just keep that in mind when you going to track your swim workout’s in future.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you found this article useful.

galaxy watch 5 swimming features