Don't kill me - I have a hrm question

Polar makes good quality, waterproof HRMs, several for under $100 that would perfectly well serve your needs.

http://www.polar-usa.us/google.html?gclid=CNnbzJ7HpJkCFSMSagodX35-pw#cs

Whatever you decide, by all means, stay away from HRMs that take your heart rate by you having to put two fingers on the watch face. You want a continuous heart rate, not just checking it occasionally, and these are notoriously unreliable and really shouldn't be used in the water.

A HRM is just a tool, and not at all critical to training or racing (in my first incarnation as a triathlete I trained and raced for about 5 years without one).  Having said that, they are a great motivator and way to keep honest about your exertion.

If you live near an REI, keep an eye out for the garage sales.  I picked up a basic HRM a couple of years ago for something like $15-20 because I wanted a cheap waterproof watch, and I found one with a HRM, so it was a real bonus.  You usually have to plan to get there a few hours before they open to get the good stuff, but with prices of 50-90% off, it's a great way to stock up cheap.  My last great score was an upgraded bike repair stand for around $30.

Be careful buying some of the Garmins used.  I love the 305, but the biggest downside is that they don't always last very long.  My first one died after one year.  My wife's has lasted a little over a year so far and I'm on my third one.  If you buy a used unit, it may not have much life left on it. 

I have one of the basic Polar units as well, and if all you need is the HR function and not GPS, then I don't think you can go wrong with Polar.

Hi:

Thanks everyone for the advice.  Unfortunately I don't live near a REI. :-( That's too bad because it sounds like they have great deals.

I plan to look up the Polars.  Currently, I am leaning towards the Garmin 50.  Right now Amazon has it with the foot pod for $101.99.  Any reason not to get it?  Thanks sooo much for warning me about the used Garmins so that I do not waste money.

 You guys are great and always full of helpful suggestions!  Thanks so much for your time and energy in helping me - the novice.

Yours truly,

dbw27

Before spending that money in your pocket, draw up a list of must haves for your HRM.  If heart rate is at the top and downloading detailed running/cycling routes is not on the list, skip the Garmin and go to Polar or Suunto.  These companies focus more on the HRM and analyzing the data.  Garmin focuses on the GPS functions and HR is a bonus.  It's fairly well implemented, but you will not get features such as EPOC or Polar's OwnOptimizer.

 This page has some interesting comparisons:

 http://www.pccoach.com/newsletters/Nov05/speedist5.htm