First Look: Garmin 910XT (Page 2)

As someone here (I think Bryan) once said

With my 310xt  I do swim cap for the swim, onto wrist on the run to T1, onto the bike after I get upto speed, back to my wrist just before I take my feet out of the shoes.  If the run to T1 is short it goes straight to the bike, but if it costs me 10 seconds over the course of the race I did it wrong. 

Of course, I usually do it wrong and it costs me 30 seconds.

I can easily.  I can't keep track of my laps worth crap.  I was already looking at buying a watch for the pool and was about to pull the trigger when Garmin released this.  Then I was going to wait a bit before buying it but my 305 just bit the dust so I pulled the trigger instead of sending it in for repair.  Course now I am limbo with no watch.

The indoor pool training capability on the new 910XT sets it apart from all previous Garmin models and, in my opinion, is something Garmin hasn't talked enough about with the new 910XT.

The accelerometer in the watch that measures indoor swim metrics including stroke frequency, overall stroke count, strokes per lap, distance, etc. is pretty slick. It is a strong indoor swim analysis tool.

Another unique thing about the new 910XT- which has actually grabbed the attention of the military market- is greatly increased accuracy in GPS positional data and accelerometer/inertial measurement of distance and position in water.

In other words- by combining a GPS signal with an accelerometer in the Garmin 910XT you get both more accurate swim performance information from the accelerometer since GPS doesn't work underwater and you get accurate surface track GPS data from the GPS itself- even if the signal becomes intermitent due to submersion. You don't have to pu tthe 910XT in your swim cap during the swim to get accurate swim speed, distance and position data. It uses both inertial navigation (of sorts..., not quite as advanced as the passive inertial navigation in an F-117) with its accelerometer and GPS to provide good swim data. That combination/integration is new.

(Fingers in ears)  Na Na Na Na, I can't hear you.  I don't need this watch, I don't need this watch.  I have a 310xt.  I don't need this watch.  When are they available?  I don't need this watch.  

Tom,

DC Rainmaker had a pre-release version that wasn't completly water proof.

Do you have a final version, or a simmilar pre-release?

Any word on when it will actually be out?

I have a production version with packaging.

They are talking about late November retail availability.

Interesting that they chose a silicon (without the e - big difference ;-) )gauge.  It is a very good thing they are actively temperature compensating, though, as that is a bit of a pain with my PT.   That may be part of the price tag as all gauges are temperature sensitive (silicon ones are a bit more than foil, though they can all be compensated for).  BTW, there is nothing inherently inconsistent about a foil gauge's reading - we use foil gauges all the time in long term conditions that are way, way more severe than what this application is.  That bit is marketing hype.

This watch seems like, WOW WOW WUBZY good. 

For instance: It analyzes your swim stroke.  It has a customer feature to measure the pool you are swimming in.  It automatically counts your laps each time you flip turn! 

It measures elevation and grade with an altimeter!! 

You can pre-upload a bike route to it from map my ride and it gives you the directions on screen!!

For running, say you have an interval workouts - 5' WU and then 10 X 800 meter intervals with 1' CD between each interval, you can pre-load the workout, name it, and then choose it each time and the 910XT will 'nudge' you when the WU is over and let you know when each interval distance is completed.  Does the 310XT do thi, though?? 

You can load 5 different bikes on here and all the characteristics of each bike. 

I'm blown away by the amount of things this watch can do.  I'm also blown away by the price.  I'm starting to save now as this is the end-all be all Garmin that I've been waiting for.

I might actually play swim golf if I did not have to count.  That in it self is the price of admission

It claims 20 hours of battery life which would be the selling point for me because I am sloooooooooow. Even if my 405CX could handle a swim (which it can't) it will die before I even finish a HIM.

Have you tried to push the battery yet to see how accurate the 20 hour mark is?

Looks like a great gadget / tool! Do you know if it is possible to upload routes/ tracks to the device,  like with the edge 500? So that you can plan, plot your route a day in advance and ride it later..

After riding a aero bike for the first time yesterday I see that this kind of setup is really the way to go. I still say my idea would work but having it right there in front of you would be way better.

PVC pipe, a drill and some zip ties, no problem:

Personally, I've been waiting for the solar powered Garmin for just that reason (and because from time to time it I don't quite get it situated in its charger/data loader and it runs out on me).

Fwiw, I now have full waterproofing.

Here's some prelim pool posts:
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/10/friday-tidbits-first-garmin-fr910xt.html

And here's it in openwater:
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/10/urbanathlon-race-in-chicago-and-other.html

The unit performs awesome in the pool, in 3-4 pool workouts since I haven't missed a lap yet.  The screen is the nicest thing in the pool - incredibly readable, and more importantly, very customizable.  I've got one page for last interval, and then also one for current, and then one for total swim workout.

Really nice stuff.  I've been using it with Swimsense at same time, both are spot on. Will be doing a full comparison once Garmin Connect is fully updated to be able to show the swim metrics (not quite there yet).

Some retailers are saying that - but my last word I got from Garmin folks on Friday was a late-November ship-date.  Which matches what I'm seeing on firmware and Garmin Connect updates.

As sorta expected, orders processed on Garmin.com first will be processed first (since no retailers were selling it until at least a day or two later, and before that, then listing without a known date).