If you have problems with your software installation we are here to help. Email (support@swimovate.com) your details, PoolMate model, Operating system and your location and we will get back to you sooner than you think. We can offer a secure remote support session to install things for you if needed.
If you have installed the software but are having problems recognising the pod, it is probably that the pod drivers are not installed, here are
instructions.
But if you still need help let us know, we can usually sort out any issues in a couple of minutes. 99% of any issues are software installation issues so please contact us before you think there is a hardware problem.
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 PoolMate 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 and is in use by over 100,000 swimmers worldwide. 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. If you purchase from us directly at www.swimovate.com we will be happy to refund you if you are unhappy with the accuracy within 3 months of purchase. If purchased from another retailer you need to check their Ts and Cs though.
Q How accurate are the watches in open water?
A The open water mode has been tested independently by 220 triathlon magazine. They tested it on multiple measured 600m loops and the watch was within 15m each time.
Q Will the watch work with all pools?
A The watch will work with pools over 18m 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 longer 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 and PoolMatePro battery has an estimated life expectancy of well over 12 months. The PoolMate2 and PoolMatePlus will last around 2 years. The PoolmateLive will usually last from 6 to 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 PoolMate may be returned to Swimovate Ltd for battery replacement. Alternatively it may be replaced by a qualified watch maker or jeweler- just be sure to tell them it’s a waterproof watch so they can check the seal. The battery is a CR2025 (PoolMate, Pro) or CR2032 (PoolMate2, Plus) that should be readily available.
If you have a PoolMateLive you can change the battery (CR2032) yourself by unscrewing the battery compartment on the rear of the case. Make sure grease the outside of the screw thread with a little vaseline before screwing it back up firmly afterwards.
The PoolMateHR has a rechargeable battery and is not user changeable.
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.
THE EFFICIENCY INDEX
This is the average number of strokes per 25 metres plus the average time taken to swim 25 metres. This index decreases as your efficiency increases.
less than 30 Excellent
30-40 Very Good
40-50 Above average
50-70 Average
more than 70 Below average
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE DISPLAY
Total Time (Tot Tm)
Total Lengths (Tot L)
Total Metres (Tot M)
Total Calories (Tot CA)
Average strokes (AV ST)
then for each set
Time- SET1 Tm
Lengths- SET 1 L
Metres- SET1 M
Average strokes- SET1 S
Average speed- SET1SP
Average efficiency- SET1EF
Our web logging platform mypoolmate.com let’s you view all your swim data, anytime and anywhere. It’s easy.
1, Download the mypoolmatelink program to your computer and install it.
2, Sync the swims to mypoolmatelink and they will be transferred to mypoolmate.com
3, Log into mypoolmate.com to view all your data.
View details for each swim, progress charts, take part in virtual challenges, see your swim records, share with facebook, import and export swims and much more….
Full details can be found at https://mypoolmate.com/help
Q What devices will the watches upload to?
A The PoolMatePro, PoolMateLive or PoolMateHR will upload to a PC or MAC, the PoolMatePlus uploads to Android devices too.
Q Where do I find the software, is it free?
A Software is available to download from www.swimovate.com/downloads/. It is free to use.
Q What sort of detail can it show?
A If you have a PoolMateLive or PoolMateHR you will see lap by lap data for your swims, summary of sets and sessions and progress over time, PoolMatePro or PoolmatePlus models show all of this not not individual lap by lap information.
Q Can I export data to other applications?
A Yes, you can export your data as a csv or tcx files. Tcx files can be imported into numerous other training programs such as TrainingPeaks, Garmin Connect, Strava, Raceday and many more. Please note that not all these applications can handle the full swim data and may just show summary information. The data is all in the file but they may choose not to use it all.
You can also link to swim.com directly from our software and automatically export all your swims.
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.
Q How do I upload data on my PC?
A PoolMatePro and PoolMatePlus Plug in your USB pod and place on a flat surface then run the mypoolmatelink application. Wait until the software has recognised the pod, you will see this indicated in the middle of the screen, click UPLOAD, 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.
A PoolMateLive Plug your USB clip into a spare USB slot and put the watch into it so the contact between the Mode and Start buttons is lined up with the connection on the clip. Then run the mypoolmatelink application. Wait until the software has recognised the pod, you will see this indicated in the middle of the screen. It should say Connected and the watch should say LINKED on the display. Click UPLOAD and your data will be transferred.
A PoolMateHR Plug your USB pod into a spare USB slot and put the watch in so the contact between the Mode and Start buttons is lined up with the connection on the clip (vertically down). Then run the mypoolmatelink application. Wait until the software has recognised the pod, you will see this indicated in the middle of the screen. It should say No watch/Charging when first connected which will change to Charging shortly and the watch should say CONNECT on the display. Click UPLOAD and your data will be transferred.
Q The software status message says Plug in Pod or Initializing pod and doesn’t change.
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 a PoolMatePro VERSION A pod, a PoolMatePlus pod, a PoolMateLive or PoolMateHR Here are the instructions
If you have a PoolMatePro pod with NO VERSION number, please contact us as this is no longer supported.
Q Can you upgrade the firmware on the watch?
A Yes, on a PoolMateLive or PoolMateHR, any new firmware updates will be posted at www.swimovate.com/firmwareupdate/ with full instructions.
Q What does Rate mean?
A Rate is the number of strokes per minute (on the arm you wear the watch on).
Q My partner and I have a watch each but want to view on one PC, can we do this?
A Yes, you need to set up your own account at mypoolmate.com. Just make sure you change the account details in the mypoolmatelink application before uploading your swim data and it will be sent to the correct account.
We have apps for the PoolMatePlus watch for Android and iPhone connectivity.
(note they are slightly different in appearance and functionality at present but both allow you to upload your data from your watch to your account at mypoolmate.com via your smartphone)
iPhone
Requires iPhone 7 and above running iOS 11 or above
Check out our information page
Android
Needs Android 4.4+ and supports NFC
For support please email us at support@swimovate.com with details of your phone make and model.
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 The PoolMate2, Plus and Live models will estimate speed and distance etc in open water. They need calibrating for best results, here are instructions.
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.
When the battery is getting low you will notice the display dimming when in swim mode and it may reset to 1st Jan. 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 ship all watches with full batteries however some retailers can keep them on the shelves for some time before sale which will use the battery. Batteries or accidental damage are not covered by the 12 month guarantee.
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 3 months of purchase if purchased direct from Swimovate Ltd, if purchased via a retailer contact them for their returns policy.
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 PoolMate. Packages will not be accepted without a returns number.
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