All smartwatches are water resistant these days – but some offer excellent swim tracking features.
Following extensive ongoing testing by the Wareable team, we continue to rank the Apple Watch Ultra 2 as the best waterproof smartwatch. Its diving features, auto-depth tracking, and excellent native and third-party app options make it a formidable choice.
However, the lofty price tag means it’s not necessarily the best fit for every swimmer or diver. So, as part of our ongoing review process, we’ve been swimming with all the top smartwatches to find out which can tell your breaststroke from your front crawl.
- What is SWOLF? Swimming watch metrics explained
Smartwatch water resistance ratings explained:
If you’re looking for a smartwatch for swimming, you need a device with 5ATM and IPX8 ratings (or higher).
A watch with these certifications can offer both ingress protection for continuous immersion in water and the ability to handle a good level of water pressure.
It might sound baffling, but a 3ATM watch is technically water-resistant up to 30 meters, but it won’t provide suitable protection for swimming.
You can read our guide to wearable waterproof ratings for more detailed information.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
The ultimate waterproof smartwatch available today, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is rated 100ATM and suitable for diving (EN13319 certified). This alone puts it a few lengths ahead of its competitors.
When submerged in water, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 automatically turns into a dive computer, showing you live depth in a clear and easy-to-read view. It’s adept for dives up to 40m and can also endure the water pressure of jet-skiing and surfing.
It also integrates with the Oceanic+ app, which offers specialist diving metrics and features. Divers are also well catered for with the Ocean strap (shown above), our favorite of the standard-issue bands.
Regarding swimming, the Ultra 2 shares the excellent tracking performance of the standard Series 10 and Apple Watch SE models. However, it’s an entirely different beast to wear. The 49mm case is chunky on the wrist, and many people (especially women) will find it more uncomfortable.
But the screen and added day(s) of battery life more than make up for that, and the Apple Watch Ultra oozes outdoor vibes when you’re getting on with the mundanities of everyday life.
Just be aware that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to debut in September 2025. We still thoroughly recommend the Ultra 2, but only really consider it if you can find a great deal.
Waterproof rating: 10 ATM (100m) | Pool and open water: Yes | Dive: EN13319
- Check out our full Apple Watch Ultra 2 review
Apple Watch Series 10
If you don’t fancy the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s size or price, the mid-range Series 10 is a fantastic pool/water companion.
Apple’s Workout app features multiple swimming modes (pool swim, open water swim, and multisport for triathlons), with each serving up a host of metrics. Distance covered, lengths, average pace, and stroke detection are all here.
Unlike previous generations, the Series 10 has also gained some of the Ultra’s exclusive features.
Swimming workouts can now be customized so that you can do proper pool intervals, and the depth sensor and water temperature sensor are integrated, too. So, snorkeling, Oceanic+, and the Depth app are all at your disposal with the Series 10. You just can’t go on deep dives like with the Ultra.
The ultra-wide display is inactive during all these swimming activities, but the always-on display ensures you can raise your arm to check real-time progress.
Looking at accuracy, the Apple Watch is up there with the dedicated sports watches, and the swimming experience overall is strong. Core data (distance, lap counts, average pace) were all in line with our control testing, and it’s a comfortable watch to wear in the water.
Data lives in the Apple Activity app, but third-party Apple Watch swimming apps can provide an extra hit of analysis if required. The Series 10 is in line for its annual refresh later this year, but this will remain an excellent option for years to come.
Waterproof rating: 5ATM (50m) | Pool and open water: Yes
- Check out our full Apple Watch Series 10 review
Garmin Forerunner 970 (or alternative models)
We’ve lumped the Forerunner family together here due to their similarities in swimming tracking. Whether it’s the flagship 970, mid-tier 570, or entry-level 165, you’re afforded the same broad insights in a lightweight design.
All are adept at tracking pool or open water workouts, while the 570 and 970 (and their last-gen versions) can chain activities together if you want to train/race the triathlon or record swim-run sessions. There are many different versions here to help you find the right fit and screen size for your wrist.
As you would expect, the performance and accuracy are very similar to what’s offered on other Garmin watches – and that’s no bad thing. Metrics like distance, pace, stroke count, and SWOLF scores are all presented neatly, with the option to customize data fields also present.
As with the Fenix 8, you can also set up auto-resting, pace alerts, and Garmin’s Drill Log feature from the old Swim 2, which is handy for pool workouts. The 165 misses out on the odd feature available on the pricier models, such as Critical Swim Speed, but the broad tracking is identical.
The battery life also varies dramatically between these sports watches. This does depend slightly on which size case you choose, but, generally speaking, the higher-priced Forerunner will last longer (as you would expect).
As we say, though, any of these is a solid companion in the water. The experience is feature-rich and accurate, offering plenty of other smarts and tracking insights when you’re done in the water.
Waterproof rating: 5 ATM (50m) | Pool and open water: Yes
- Reviews: Forerunner 970 | Forerunner 570 | Forerunner 165
Huawei Watch Fit 3
Like the GT series, the Watch Fit 3 can track both open water and pool swimming, offering metrics including laps, calories, distance, speed, SWOLF, swim stroke rate, and frequency.
When you head outdoors, you can expect to see distance, average SWOLF, swimming time, swimming strokes, and swim stroke rate. And we’ve found Huawei wearables to be decent companions in the pool, with accurate data on lengths and strokes.
The Huawei Health app is a good place to review swimming data, and you can have data synced to Strava, which is a big plus for swimmers.
It runs on Huawei’s HarmonyOS operating system, which means you get access to Huawei’s AppGallery store, though it lacks any big-name or swim-centric apps.
It’s also a good budget smartwatch that works well with iOS and Android alike, and it’s one of the cheapest devices on this list. It’s not as slick in places, and you don’t get access to apps and services like Apple/Google watches. But it gets a lot right.
Just keep in mind that it’s potentially in line for a refresh at some point in 2025. Ensure you track the latest rumors before placing this one in your basket.
Waterproof rating: 5 ATM (50m) | Pool and open water: Yes
- Check out our full Huawei Watch Fit 3 review
Huawei Watch 5
The Huawei Watch 5 is one of the most stylish smartwatches you can buy, continuing the brand’s legacy of exceptional hardware design. It pairs a premium, classic watch aesthetic with a deep suite of native health features, which is why this is a far more expensive option than Huawei’s Fit line (detailed above).
Its standout feature is the stunning LTPO AMOLED display, which we found incredibly bright and sharp during our testing. There’s also a new side-mounted ‘X-Tap’ sensor that offers impressively fast health checks.
For workouts, we found GPS performance excellent in testing. At the same time, heart rate tracking is reliable enough for most users (even if it falls short of the precision needed for serious athletes). Its durability is a highlight, with an IP69 rating and support for freediving up to 40 meters, making it a capable companion for swimming in a pool or the sea.
It’s not technically suitable for hot showers or scuba diving, but this is a complete enough waterproof package to consider. We’ve used Huawei wearables extensively in the pool and always find the tracking of laps, calories, distance, speed, SWOLF, swim stroke rate, and frequency reliable.
The primary compromise remains HarmonyOS; the on-watch experience is fluid, but the app ecosystem is severely limited, with patchy payment support and a lack of major third-party apps.
Waterproof rating: 10 ATM (100m) | Pool and open water: Yes | Dive: EN13319
- Check out our Huawei Watch 5 review
Garmin Venu 3
For swimmers, buying a Garmin is a strong choice—and the Venu 3 is the company’s mid-range smartwatch, so you’re getting an excellent all-rounder here.
The Venu 3 is two things. First, it’s a sporty smartwatch with a (fairly basic) sports profile. For a Garmin, it produces pretty low-level data for running and cycling, but it offers an excellent array of swimming metrics.
Garmin watches have led the way here, and you’ll get the detection of strokes (backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle), accurate length tracking, and the all-important SWOLF metric. The Venu 3 will also record heart rate underwater using the optical sensor.
It’s also a strong wellness watch, with in-depth metrics such as the sleep coach, Morning Report, HRV Status, Body Battery, stress tracking, respiration, and heart rate.
It comes in two sizes (45mm and 41mm) with options for varied colors, and battery life ranges between 10 and 14 days (with the AOD disabled) depending on the model size.
Waterproof rating: 5 ATM (50m) | Pool and open water: Yes
- Check out our full Garmin Venu 3 review
Amazfit Active 2
Amazfit offers a decent swimming experience across its range of smartwatches, but it’s the Active 2 we’ve highlighted here. That’s because this watch brings much of what’s good about its recent smartwatches with a budget price tag. It’s easy to recommend.
Pool swimming is automatically detected, and the AMOLED display is well-suited to checking your metrics while in the pool. Whether tracking open water or pool swims, the Active 2 will show the distance covered, swim duration, and calories burned. It will also track average pace, speed, and average strokes per minute.
The Amazfit app also plays nicely with Strava, which is a great place to record and review swimming data.
Away from the pool, the watch is a solid workout companion for runners, and the readiness assessments will suit those who work out regularly and want to keep tabs on fatigue.
It lacks third-party apps, payments, and native streaming music support, but it’s tough to argue against at this price.
Waterproof rating: 5 ATM (50m) | Pool and open water: Yes
- Check out our full Amazfit Active 2 review
Samsung Galaxy Watch 8
After several incremental updates, the Galaxy Watch 8 feels like a significant step forward and is Samsung’s most compelling mid-range smartwatch in years.
The big story is the integration of Google Gemini. Unlike its predecessors, it ensures a genuinely helpful and intelligent AI assistant on the wrist that’s capable of handling complex queries with ease.
Available in 40mm and 44mm sizes, the Watch 8 adopts the new ‘cushion’ case design from the Ultra model for a cleaner, more refined look. The Super AMOLED display is also brighter and sharper than ever before, while subtle UI improvements make the Wear OS software smoother and more intuitive to navigate day-to-day.
While GPS accuracy falls short of dedicated sports watches, heart rate tracking is impressively accurate, even during intense exercise. With a 5 ATM rating, it’s waterproof up to 50 meters and reliably tracks both pool and open water swims. You can view key metrics like distance, strokes, lap time, and SWOLF (for swimming efficiency), and we found the accuracy in the water to be solid for a smartwatch.
Unfortunately, the Galaxy Watch 8 doesn’t solve the series’ biggest weakness: battery life. You can expect around a day and a half of use, meaning daily charging is still a necessity.
Despite the battery limitations, the Watch 8 is a resounding success. The polished design, accurate heart rate sensor, and the game-changing utility of Google Gemini make it the best waterproof Wear OS smartwatch for most people (especially if you own a Samsung phone and can access the extra health features).
Waterproof rating: 5 ATM (50m) | Pool and open water: Yes
- Check out our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 review
