How wearable technology is changing water sports

It is not so long ago that wearable technology in the world of sports was only the stuff of science fiction. Nowadays, it is commonplace to wear a Fitbit or an Apple Watch or some other gadget whilst out running, doing laps in the pool or sweating it out in the gym. As the industry grows and technology becomes more popular, we are seeing more niche sports getting their own versions of wearables, catering to their unique nuances.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

And let’s not forget GoPro. Although it hasn’t changed specifics of how we partake in sports, the documenting of them has been revolutionized by the popularity of these little devices. They capture high quality videos like never before.

Garmin wearables are a great example of where fitness trackers and smartwatches are heading. They follow us around 24/7 monitoring and checking that everything is in order. But they also allow us to switch to a specific sports mode on demand.

It is of little surprise that the company offers a range of products for water sports. For example, their Vivoactive range is proving very popular amongst swimmers. However for the out and out water sport fanatic, the Fenix or high-end Forerunner models are the ones you want in your arsenal.

These watches offers specialized functions for swimming, open water swimming, SUP boarding and rowing, making it a water sports fanatic’s best friend, even if you take part in multiple sports. Features include GPS, heart rate monitoring, altimeter, thermometer, calories burned and more.

The Fenix  range and Forerunner 935 and 945 are designed to be ‘all-rounders’ and truth be told, you need to niche down to find the most specific features. And lets not forget the Garmin Quatix – a must have for avid mariners of all types — or the Garmin Descent for divers.

Then there are products such as Rip Curl’s Search GPS (view on Amazon). This is a watch specifically designed for surfers. It can count waves, track speeds, distances, local tides and distances travelled.

But realistically, not all of us can afford tailor made products for each sport, or higher end smart devices. This is why the more ‘budget’ end of the market is starting to catch on. Fitbit’s Inspire HR is one such device. It comes with water resistance and can be used when swimming. The Versa 2 is a step up for the company, the second generation of its first fully fledged smartwatch that is water-resistant, too.

This article wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t mention the Apple Watch. Its most recent iteration brings an always-on display, along with a host of new features of the fourth generation. This includes an ECG monitor, watching out for trips and falls, keeping tabs on low/high heart rate and irregular heart rate alerts. Nothing new in terms of water sports but the device does take across all the great H2O features of its predecessor.

Wearables are an exciting prospect for water sports and although still in early stages of use, sports which were previously difficult to learn and participate in can use wearables and even virtual reality. A world where we can practice surfing or paddle-boarding in the comfort of our living room is just around the corner.

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