the confusing world of GPS tracking

J64TWB · Joined: 24 Dec 2013 Posts: 1685

For windsurfing it needs to be waterproof. I am tempted to put my android phone in a ziplock bag and then in a dry bag or waterproof phone holder and then either in my wetsuit, PFD or backpack, but my android doesn’t record speed beyond 15 MPH?

Do I need to download an android GPS app to get higher speeds? If so, what is a good one?

2. Do all GPS watches need phones nearby? Do apple watches or fitbits do GPS?

3. At what price point do waterproof watches get GPS without a phone nearby?

4. REI sells sweet looking Suunto GPS watches. The range from $200 - $700 Have no idea why the range or what models do. I don’t want any investment over $250.

Any help explaining to confusion would be great. Looking for inexpensive, waterproof, simple to use interface to track windsurfing and running/walks/workouts. Not interested in official speedsailing.

Thanks.

mamero · Joined: 25 Aug 2013 Posts: 380 Location: Vancouver, Canada

My Garmin Vivoactive HR works pretty well for the price. It has a builtin GPS which does not require an active link to a smartphone. I use it to track my speed while on the water as well as for the GPS which I upload when I get back home.

grantmac017 · Joined: 04 Aug 2016 Posts: 946

GW-60 is impossible to beat and around $250.

Brian_S · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Posts: 249 Location: SE Michigan

joethewindsufa · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 1190 Location: Montréal

http://boardsurfr.blogspot.ca/2018/03/the-pi-logger.html

J64TWB · Joined: 24 Dec 2013 Posts: 1685

Does the gw-60 or Garmin download to an imac? Is the interface easy to use?

Brian_S · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Posts: 249 Location: SE Michigan

boardsurfr · Joined: 23 Aug 2001 Posts: 1266

For just recording your sessions and to get an idea of your speeds, your Android phone should be fine. Get the Windsport Tracker app, it's free.

The GW-60 is the watch you currently need to get if you'd want to join a team in the GPS Team Challenge. However, unless you want to join a team or really like the idea of spending $250 on a watch, I'd suggest you wait on that. The GW-60 is great when it works, but it can have problems with the bands breaking, and a host of other issues that turn $250 into a brick. Dealing with Locosys on warranty issues is not fun - for example, they blame all broken wrist bands on the user, and won't replace the watches. Repairs on the watch are also not possible; the cost to fix a broken screen is the same as the cost of a new watch.

brynkaufman2 · Joined: 10 Sep 2002 Posts: 383 Location: Kailua Oahu

I also use the Garmin Vivoactive HR.

It is light weight, easy to see even in bright sun with my polarized lenses on, does not require a phone nearby, fairly easy to setup, etc.

I have tracked many sessions on it and exported some to Google Earth to take measurements.

Today I downloaded the surfing app because I am riding a lot of swells on a foil and want to track that similar to surfing, how many waves I caught, the length, speed, etc.

I also like you can fit just one or more things on a single screen. I normally go with 2 so the readout is larger and easier to read. Sometimes the screen swipe does not work if it has too much water on it but pushing the drops off of it seem to get it working again.

The only thing it is missing is a cell phone. Tried the Samsung Frontier S3 which has the phone but the always on option does not work so you end up with a watch that is always off when windsurfing which is not very helpful.

Once Samsung works out that issue I would like to try a watch with a cell phone built in again.

J64TWB · Joined: 24 Dec 2013 Posts: 1685

When windsurfing do you use it in biking mode?