Q How does the PoolMate work?
A  The PoolMate contains state of the art motion sensors that detect the motion of your arm. Our unique software algorithms and digital signal processing techniques analyse the data and extract lap, stroke, distance, speed and calorie information automatically.

Q Do I need to press a button at the end of each lap like other lap counters?
A  No, The PoolMate is fully automatic and will sense when you start a new lap without you having to do anything. Just press the start button and begin your swim.

Q Why do I need to enter my weight?
A The Pool-Mate uses this to work out the calories you expend, this is based on your weight and speed.

Q I want to swim sets, can the PoolMate record each set?
A Yes, you can playback all the details from individual sets as well as the details of the total swim session. Press the Start button at the beginning and end of each set if you want to record them. You can even time your rest periods.

Q Can I wear the PoolMate on my right arm?
A Yes, the PoolMate will work on either wrist, just change the setting in the SETUP menu.

Q What does the efficiency index measure?
A The efficiency index is based on the recognized Swim Golf method that you may be familiar with. It is the number of strokes (on the arm you are wearing the watch on) taken over 25 metres plus the time taken to swim 25 metres. Concentrate on reducing this number to increase your efficiency and improve your swimming.

Q What do you mean by a lap?
A We use the European nomenclature for laps which means from one end of the pool to the other (shallow end to deep end for example).

Q What units is the Speed measured in?
A We have found that the time to swim 100m is more of a meaningful measure of swimming speed than metres per second or miles an hour as swimmers are used to watching the pool clock and judging speed from it. The Speed shown is the average time in seconds per 100 metres.

Q Will the PoolMate work with tumble turns?
A Yes, the PoolMate will work with both tumble turns and when pushing off the wall. It detects the gap you get between regular strokes when you turn.

Q How accurate is the PoolMate?
A The watch has been tested on a wide variety of swimmers over an 18 month period prior to launch. We have a 99.75% accuracy rate with our database of hundreds of kms from many swimmers with 1500m times ranging between 22 and 40 minutes. No guarantee is given for accuracy with individual swimmers and rates may differ with users whose strokes or abilities differ from the norm. Accuracy may be slightly less when swimming breaststroke for some swimmers but if you have problems let us know as we would like to help.

Q Will the watch work with all pools?
A The watch will work with pools over 15m in length. However in order to recognise swimming the watch needs to detect several regular swim strokes (6 or 7 on the arm you wear the watch on), if using a very small pool you may reach the end before this occurs and the watch will not know you are swimming. If this occurs we recommend you try a larger pool. Similarly swimmers who take less than 7 strokes per lap (on the arm they wear the watch on) may also experience the same problem and have inaccurate results.

Q How long will the battery last?
A The PoolMate battery has an estimated life expectancy of well over 12 months. The higher your average hours swimming a week, the shorter the battery life will be. To maintain water resistance and ensure the warranty remains valid, the Pool-Mate may be returned to Swimovate Ltd for battery replacement. Alternatively it may be replaced by a qualified watch maker or jeweller- just be sure to tell them it’s a waterproof watch so they can check the seal. The battery is a standard CR2025 that should be readily available.

Q My pool is measured in yards- Will the PoolMate work?
A Yes, you can swap between yards or metres at any time by changing the setup of the watch.

 Q What computers will the PoolMatePro upload to?
A It will upload to a PC or MAC.

Q What does the package consist off?
A The PoolMatePro consists of the Pro watch, USB Pod and cable. Software is available to download from www.swimovate/downloads/.

Q Do you support 3rd party developers?
A We would like other developers to add PoolMate support to their applications. Please email us for more details. The data uploaded from the PoolMate is a simple .csv file, we can provide details of the file format and sample Log file if requested.

Note, we have just released V2.3 software, here are some things you may need to know

Version 2 software
Q How do I upload data on my PC?
A Plug in your USB pod and place on a flat surface then run the PoolMatePro application. Wait until the software has recognised the pod, you will see this indicated at the top of the application below the menu bar and click UPLOAD in the file menu, wait until it says it is ready to upload.
Select UPLOAD on your watch by pressing Mode 3 times and position in Pod so the logos are lined up on the watch and the pod and away you go

Q The UPLOAD message shows COM port not found?
A If you have tried to install it automatically and have had problems, you may need to do a manual install. To check the pod is installed correctly- Make sure the Pod is plugged into a spare USB port. Go to Control Panel/Device manager and expand the Ports tab. If the USB driver program is installed properly it will show Pool-Mate USB Pod (COMx) or Swimovate Pool-Mate Download Pod (COMx) where x is a number. If it shows anything else or has a yellow exclamation mark next to it then it isn’t installed correctly and you will need to do a manual install.

If you have VERSION A pod Here are the instructions

If you have a pod with NO VERSION number. Here are instructions

Q I want to upgrade from V1 on my PC, what do I need to do?
A If you have been running the old V1 software there are a couple of things to note.
1, Please close any version of the old PoolMate Link application already running in the system tray. This will prevent uploading to the new version. There is no need to run the PoolMate Link anymore, the link program is now built into the V2 software.
2, The Installer will firstly install the new software, then will automatically begin another installer to install the USB drivers. As you have already got these running you should press Cancel when this happens.
3, You can export all your data from the old application and import into the new one. To do this open the version 1 software and click on the magnifier icon in the centre of the page. Click on the red arrow at the right of the page, this will save your data to a location of your choice.
Open the new V2 software and from File select Import, locate the file you have just exported and it will be imported into the new application.

Q I want to upgrade from V1 on my MAC, what do I need to do?
A Make sure the old software is not open before running the new one.
You can export your data from the old V1 software. From the File menu at the top of the screen select Save Log and choose an appropriate name and location. Open the new V2 software and select File and Import, locate the file you have just exported and it will be imported into the new application.

 

Software questions

Q What does Rate mean?
A Rate is the number of strokes per minute (on the arm you wear the watch on).

Q How do I delete a set?
A From the main PoolMatePro PC screen click on the edit/manual add icon nearest the botton left. Select the session you wish to delete by double clicking it and click the red cross that appears and the set will disappear. Note that the current software will not change the total values of the session to cope with the deleted set so you will need to manually edit the totals at the present time. We will be changing this in the next version.

Multiple Swimmers

Q How do I set up 2 swimmers using one watch?
A You need to assign each swimmer a User number on the watch and in the software.
The watch is set by default to User1, the second swimmer should change the watch setting to User2 each time they swim.
In the software, select the swimmer icon (bottom right button) and set up the first swimmer as User1 and the second as User2.
Next time you run the software and import data you can select the swimmer at the top left of the screen and the imported data will be matched to the swimmer so only those sessions for that swimmer will be shown.

Q My husband and I have a watch each but want to view on one PC, can we do this?
A Yes, you need to assign each swimmer a User number on their watch and in the software. The watch is set by default to User1, the second swimmer should change their watch setting to User2.
In the software, select the swimmer icon (bottom right button) and set up the first swimmer as User1 and the second as User2.
Next time you run the software and import data you can select the swimmer at the top left of the screen and the imported data will be matched to the swimmer so only those sessions for that swimmer will be shown. 

 Q The PoolMateHR is not sensing my heart rate
A Firstly check heartrate is enabled in the SETUP menu. Ensure the heartrate belt contacts are moist and the belt is snugly attached to your torso. If you are close to electrical equipment or other items with a magnetic field try moving a few feet away from them. This may include computers, some treadmills or other heartrate monitors. Press start again and allow the watch to seek your heartrate once more. Finally check the battery in the heart rate belt, if you still have problems contact support 

Q The PoolMateHR is not charging

• Has the protective sticker been removed from the back of the watch case. The watch will not charge if this is in place.
• Is the watch the correct way round in the pod so the mode and start buttons are fitted into the pod.
• Are the pod drivers are installed correctly, here are instructions for a manual installation.

Q My PoolMateHR belt slips sometimes when swimming
A Try wearing the belt underneath a trisuit that covers your upper body or wear the belt a little tighter.

Q Can you upgrade the firmware on the watch?
A Yes, any new firmware updates will be posted at www.swimovate.com/firmware/ with full instructions.

Q Why do most heart rate monitors not work in the water?
A The majority of modern heart rate monitors operate at 2.4GHz which does not penetrate water so they will not show heart rate in the pool. The PoolMateHR works at 122KHz which will transmit in water.

Q How do I set heart rate zones?
A In the PoolMatePro software you can set up heart rate zones that will show as banded shaded areas on the laps graph. You can set zones 3 different ways. Open the PoolMatePro software and select “setup” from the menu bar.

1, Enter your age and click Calculate Zones based on Age and they will be worked out for you.
2, If you know your maximum heartrate you can input this in the Max HR/Zone5 Upper HR limit box and click Calculate Zones based on Max HR.
3, If you are familiar with heartrate zone training and know what zone levels you want to train at, you can enter these individually in the Zones fields below.
Click OK to save.

Q The PoolMate doesn’t count all my laps

A If you have inaccurate lap results make sure the watch is securely attached to your wrist and can’t move around. Also try gliding for a longer period at the start of each lap. This saves you energy, improves your efficiency and gives the PoolMate a little longer to register the change of laps. Some users also find that wearing the watch on the other wrist may help improve accuracy, remember to change the arm in the SETUP menu of the watch too first. When swimming crawl some users find that the watch works best on the arm OPPOSITE  to that which takes the first pull.

Q The PoolMate doesn’t update my laps when I’m doing kick sets or one arm drills.
A The PoolMate must be put into Pause mode when kicking or drilling.

Q Will it work in open water?
A This version of the PoolMate has been designed for lap swimming in a pool only. In open water it will count average strokes per lap and time your swim but will not measure correct distance, speed, calories or efficiency and may detect rogue laps if your stroke pattern is disturbed. We are working on something for Open Water but no dates yet I’m afraid.

 Q The PoolMate gives strange results when I change strokes mid lap.
A The PoolMate has not been designed to recognise changes of stroke part way through a lap. If you are going to change strokes you must do it  when you change laps. If a hesitation or interruption in the stroke pattern occurs mid lap this may also cause inaccurate lap counts. 

The PoolMate Battery should last around 12 months with normal use but this will vary depending on how often you swim. When it is getting low you will notice the display dimming when in swim mode. We can replace the battery for you or you can take to a local jeweler but do tell them it’s a waterproof watch so they can take precautions. We recommend

UK- please return to head office address (at the bottom of the page) with a cheque for £18.49 and your return address.

USA- please contact www.swimovateUSA.com for information on how to return your watch, the charge for battery replacement is $25

REST OF THE WORLD- please contact head office for further information or take to a local jeweler but make sure to tell them it’s a waterproof watch. 

No guarantee is given as to the accuracy of the watch or it’s lap and stroke counting ability with particular swimmers or strokes. However it has been tested over hundreds of thousands of metres of swimming with many swimmers with an accuracy rate of over 99.75%. If you have any major problems with accuracy please let us know and we will do all we can to work with you to resolve them. We are committed to developing first class products and strive to improve them all the time. A full refund will be given if you are unhappy in anyway with the performance of the watch within 30 days of purchase.

If this product should fail due to defects in materials or workmanship, Swimovate Ltd will repair or replace it free of charge for a period of  twelve months from the date of purchase (proof of purchase required). This warranty is only extended to the original purchaser and covers failures due to defects in materials or workmanship that occur during normal use. It does not cover battery, battery replacement, damage or failures resulting from neglect, accident, misuse, mishandling, alteration or modifications of the product or any failure caused by the operation of the product outside the scope of its published specifications. Swimovate Ltd shall in no event be liable for any incidental or consequential damages arising from the use or inability to use the product. Swimovate Ltd do not assume any responsibility for losses or claims by third parties that may arise through the use of this product. If a claim under warranty appears to be necessary email support@swimovate.com (or telephone            +44 (0)1784 481562      ) to obtain a returns number before returning your Pool-Mate. Packages will not be accepted without a returns number.

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