Apple - Watch Series 2

Used to have a watch series 2. That one sucked. Then went to a apple series 5. That one fell into a lake and seeing as the ground in the middle was over 10m, i doubt it survived Switched to a Garmin instinct 2 tactical solar about 3 years ago. I love not plugging it back to charge everyday (with gps its been lasting a solid 15-20 days a charge) Great with sports especially skiing (it uses about 3 different satelite technologies so i never lose connection and it detects skiing / lifts to get back up) I can control music from the watch - bit finnicky with the buttons but eh it is what it is I got 50% ish off through work so that was a bonus I do miss being able to send custom messages from it and controlling songs on spotify.... I also miss having the touchscreen, but this watch has remained on my wrist even diving hard into water from cliffs About 18 months after switching I binned my iphone 9 and got a google pixel so yeah, i never would turn back to apple products.... Depends on what you want to be honest. Just know, that most of these watches can survive in water for a few hours to a couple days, so swimming/diving in it isn't a problem but thats just my opinion Hope I helped

I've been swimming with my Apple Watch + [MySwimPro](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id994386450?pt=117803900&ct=adam-reddit&mt=8) app weekly since 2016 when the Series 2 came out and never had any issues.

It depends on the person and how they swim. Each device has its own plusses and minuses but I've been a devoted Apple Watch user since Series 2 and it does the job well for my purposes (structured interval training with [MySwimPro app](https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id994386450?pt=117803900&ct=adam-reddit&mt=8))

Apple Watch will count a mid-lap stroke change (as you described) as two laps very reliably. For example: if you do 100IM in a 50m pool, it will appear as 200m IM in the Fitness app. So if you are really serious about loving mid-lap stroke changes I wouldn't use it. I don't know off the top of my head other wearables that handle this better, since the repetative motion and the force of pushing off the wall are two of the main indicators for lap detection, so I would rely on what other commentators say. Source: I build the MySwimPro app for Apple Watch.

Battery life is insane on this thing! I upgraded from a series 2 so it was a huge change, not used to this haha

You *can* maybe squeeze a few days by turning off features you probably want on. Just plan to charge it once a day. Assuming you also shower once a day it is exactly zero hassle. I’ve worn Apple Watches since the Series 2. I also often wear a running watch that lasts 10+ days between charges, so I do know firsthand what it’s like to need to charge less. I simply do not understand the majority of people who fixate on battery life. Unless you’re on an all day GPS activity you essentially can’t use up the battery in less than 24 hours.

My wife’s series 9 has a battery health of 84% and it barely makes it through the day. Usually it dies in the evening if she’s still at work. It’s one of the major reasons I got an AWU2. My series 2, 5 and 8 would all be fine for the first year or so, and then they’d struggle to make it thought the day. Having to charge every single day absolutely destroys the battery.

I’m in the same boat. Currently have the AW2, but want to get more focused on health, without having to juggle multiple apps. Had the Fenix 8 Solar in my cart for awhile now, but wondering about the reliability of the data vs the AW2.

Valid points. The reliability of the metrics is a big consideration for me. My two biggest cons with the AWU 2 are the battery life (not the biggest deal) & the lack of a cohesive health/fitness experience. Overall, I think it’s the best smartwatch on the market, but there’s room for improvement on the fitness side.

I went back to AW2 after from from 965. I got bored of it and I don’t run and missed the smart watch aspects and charging for 30 min a day is not an issue.

Family friend got me an AW2 in February from AAES for $399 because they were getting rid of the stock that still had the 02 sensor enabled. I wasn’t going to change watches unless they said Jesus would actually carry you around…or they introduce a sand/gold neutral color. They didn’t, so I’m not upgrading. However, for that small amount, you might as well get the newest.

I've been using Apple Watches ever since v2 (the first that could be used in water). I use it for a mix of pool and open water. For pool workouts, I pretty much just use the, "open," setting. If the pool has a pace clock, I much prefer to use that for intervals. If not, then yes the watch face is big enough to use for intervals. However, for very tight intervals, I'm often touching, pulling my arm out, focusing to see, and immediately pushing off. I can see mine clearly, my goggles don't fog. I normally do a mix of different things in the pool, mostly on the fly. For open water, I also use the, "open," setting, even if I have a set distance/time in mind. I swim in a group with people who use various devices, and they are all usually pretty close in distance to each other. Years ago, I used Garmin devices for running and cycling (before they had one that could be used in water). When I upgraded a device, it was defective, and the support / lack thereof turned me off from Garmin products (I was able to return my product where I bought it for a full refund). But after that, I won't ever buy another Garmin product. I went without for a few years before until the AW was available for water.

They all have their positives and negatives... I'm an Apple Watch user and swim with others who use Garmin and other devices. Usually they are all within .1 mile for a \~3 mile swim. Occasionally mine will be overly generous or overly stingy...but so are the others from time to time. I do keep my phone in my buoy, but it isn't required. I use double Ziploc freezer bags for phone and car key. More just in case something happens and I need to call someone, but I've never needed to do that. Plus when I finish I have it with me to take some after-pictures.

The first waterproof one (series 2) lasted less than 2 years. The pool was salt water, and the speaker and microphone port quit functioning. A few weeks later it shorted out and died. They seem to last as long as the apple care warranty. Plus a couple of months, (or an update)😏 currently using an 8, and it no longer accepts voice commands, so I am going to try an Ultra when it dies. The pool we use is no longer salt water, and the chlorine is easier on the watch, and they are lasting a bit longer. I love the functionality of them though. I review my summary at the end of the year, and pat myself on the back. 2 years ago I swam 300 miles, and I figured at my pace I spent 13 plus days with my head under water. I will throw in a plug for Shoks headphones while I am here, I have a couple of pairs that have outlived the watches 3 to 1.