Polar Heart rate monitors

[LandyMan]

My wife took up swimming as form of exercise, and the bug has bitten her solidly

I want to get her a Polar heart rate monitor for Christmas, but never having used them before, I am not sure if you get waterproof units for swimming, or how does it work?

Thanks

 

[xrapidx]

You do - I used mine for swimming for years. You need to rinse everything thoroughly afterwards - I think the chlorine does damage if you don't.

You still wear the normal chest band in the pool. Mine was a Polar S410.

 

[LandyMan]

You do - I used mine for swimming for years. You need to rinse everything thoroughly afterwards - I think the chlorine does damage if you don't.

You still wear the normal chest band in the pool. Mine was a Polar S410.

I am assuming it uses some sort of wireless connection to the watch unit then?

 

[xrapidx]

Yup - the strap isn't connected to the watch by cable.

 

[LandyMan]

Cool, thanks bud!

 

[adelp]

My wife took up swimming as form of exercise, and the bug has bitten her solidly

I want to get her a Polar heart rate monitor for Christmas, but never having used them before, I am not sure if you get waterproof units for swimming, or how does it work?

Thanks

You can swim with it but it doesn.t work as well with swimming as with running. The water sometimes break the connection between the watch and the monitor.

Please just go read about it or ask the polar sales man. I know there is a problem.

 

[Tassidar]

I've tried it briefly for swimming, but found the heart rate monitor gets pulled away from my chest by the water currents.

For all other exercise, I have found it to be great. The 625X (the watch I have) works very well for running (it has a foot pod to measure speed), as well as cycling (with a speed sensor bought as an extra).

 

[xrapidx]

You can swim with it but it doesn.t work as well with swimming as with running. The water sometimes break the connection between the watch and the monitor.

Please just go read about it or ask the polar sales man. I know there is a problem.

I've tried it briefly for swimming, but found the heart rate monitor gets pulled away from my chest by the water currents.

For all other exercise, I have found it to be great. The 625X (the watch I have) works very well for running (it has a foot pod to measure speed), as well as cycling (with a speed sensor bought as an extra).

I think it depends on the watch - mine used to upload the entire training to my PC - and there was never a break in communication.

@Tassidar - never happened to me? Maybe yours was to loose, were you swimming in a pool?

 

[syntax]

I think it depends on the watch - mine used to upload the entire training to my PC - and there was never a break in communication.

@Tassidar - never happened to me? Maybe yours was to loose, were you swimming in a pool?

agreed, but then again i also have the s410. I think the type of strap u get makes a difference too. I have not looked at monitors in a while, but way back when, there were definitely the cheaper chest straps and the mroe "comfortable" ones....

Perhaps its simply that, i dont see how the water would interrupt the connection between the watch and the strap. Maybe the movement of the strap on the chest.....hence the strap assumption

 

[xrapidx]

agreed, but then again i also have the s410. I think the type of strap u get makes a difference too. I have not looked at monitors in a while, but way back when, there were definitely the cheaper chest straps and the mroe "comfortable" ones....

Perhaps its simply that, i dont see how the water would interrupt the connection between the watch and the strap. Maybe the movement of the strap on the chest.....hence the strap assumption

Maybe - replaced the elastic strap thingy once every three months.

 

[syntax]

Maybe - replaced the elastic strap thingy once every three months.

how come? its supposed to last alot longer than that? i have replaced the battery twice? i do clean it about twice a week though. I find the salt from the sweat tends to screw up the receivers that connect to the chest..(i forget the technical name and will kick myself when someone mentions it)

 

[xrapidx]

how come? its supposed to last alot longer than that? i have replaced the battery twice? i do clean it about twice a week though. I find the salt from the sweat tends to screw up the receivers that connect to the chest..(i forget the technical name and will kick myself when someone mentions it)

I used mine for about 3-hours every day - the elastic thingy became week after 3-months.

 

[LandyMan]

According to Polar's FAQ:

Swimming with your Polar product?

All of our monitors may be used for swimming with the exception of the RS800 and CS600.

The Polar T-Series transmitters (T31, T31C and T61) utilize a one-piece design that encases all of the electrical components inside of the unit. The Polar T-Series transmitters have no battery compartment or O-ring seal to cause leaking or failure and does not have exposed electronics to cause corrosion. This is why a Polar T-Series transmitters are the only 100% waterproof transmitters available on the market today.

The receivers are water resistant to 20, 30, 50 or 100 meters depending on the model. To maintain the water resistance, do not operate the buttons of the Polar wrist receiver under water.

Some models are equipped with a Wearlink Transmitter. The Wearlink Transmitter is a soft transmitter with a changeable battery. The electrodes are encased in a fabric strap which attaches to a small plastic transmitter. Although the Wearlink Transmitter is water-resistant, the T-Series transmitters are 100% waterproof and are always recommended for any water sport activity.

Heart rate measurement in a water environment is technically demanding for the following reasons:

Pool water with a high chlorine content and seawater may be very conductive and the electrodes of a transmitter may get short circuited and ECG signals cannot be detected by the transmitter unit.

Jumping into the water or strenuous muscle movement during competitive swimming may cause water resistance that shifts the transmitter on the body to a location where it is not possible to pick up the ECG signal.

The ECG signal strength varies depending on the individual's tissue composition. The percentage of people who have problems in heart rate measuring is considerably higher in a water environment than in other use.