Hi all
Looking for a fitness watch for kiting that is:
1. Waterproof (obviously)
2. Has GPS tracking.
3. Monitors heart rate/fitness
4. Tells the time.
Any other features a bonus.
Not intrested in how high I jump or any of that other garbage.
And nothing that doesn't require a loan to buy.
I'v had Garmin products for cycling and found them good.
Any suggestions.
Cheers
" unplug " and just go kiteing. 
The inbuilt Kiters internal watch works well as a heart rate monitor/GPS/time teller.
If chest is ponding hard = heart beating really fast.
If legs feel tired = many meters covered.
If sun is low in sky = gunna be home late for dinner and be in trouble, have to sleep on the couch again.
I love my Garmin 645 Music.
Does all the usual GPS, heart rate, fitness stuff plus syncs to my spotify account so I can download and store my favourite playlists, album etc.
Also stores my credit card info so I can pay for stuff with my watch.
So I can go for a ride, kite, surf, go out for a few beers, whatever with out having to take my wallet.
With my waterproof Bluetooth earphones I can also listen to music without having to have a phone with me.
Great for things like the flatwater SUP Marathon I did the other week, a workout playlist to keep me going and was able to purchase food and drinks at the end without my wallet.
You can download various apps so you can change the watch face, or add things like a surf tracker that shows you how many waves you have caught distance and top speed of ride etc.
Also things like find my phone, just push a button and if you phone is in range it will emit a sound.
Lots of other stuff to, hell it even tells the time.
I use an Apple Watch series 3 and love it. I just checked and with the Series 5 now available, the Series 3 (wifi) is now $319 and the Cellular version is $469. I paid closer to $600 when they were released.
the cellular service works great - I've made and received phone calls many times on the water (this may or may not be a good thing depending on your perspective. I like to be able to let my missus know when I'm leaving the beach basically. There is also a perceived safety benefit.)
The only criticism I have is that Spotify won't stream stand alone (without its iPhone being paired). This is probably to protect its native Apple Music streaming service.
You also have to charge it every day. For $319 it's a killer smart watch if you use iOS.
Select to expand quotejamesperth said..
I use an Apple Watch series 3 and love it. I just checked and with the Series 5 now available, the Series 3 (wifi) is now $319 and the Cellular version is $469. I paid closer to $600 when they were released.
the cellular service works great - I've made and received phone calls many times on the water (this may or may not be a good thing depending on your perspective. I like to be able to let my missus know when I'm leaving the beach basically. There is also a perceived safety benefit.)
The only criticism I have is that Spotify won't stream stand alone (without its iPhone being paired). This is probably to protect its native Apple Music streaming service.
You also have to charge it every day. For $319 it's a killer smart watch if you use iOS.
They are touch screen aren't they?
How do you go with that, I have heard that they are hard to operate when wet?
A friend that I SUP downwind with has one (not sure what model) and I know he has has trouble switching the GPS off at the end of the run.
Careful with Apple watches in the surf, I lost 2 due to bands failing. 
Sandwich maker not happy. Back with Garmin now. Apple watch is a better smart watch, Garmins are more robust GPS watch with a few clunky "smart" features.
I wear an Apple Watch for safety. I can use the SOS function to call 000, and the missus can see where I am on Find My whatever. I can also make calls and use Apple pay to pay for snacks when doing coast runs.
You need an additional app to record sessions properly and the battery life sucks.
The touch screen also sucks when there is water around. You have to lock the screen to prevent water drops making calls or doing other stuff while you're out. Even after a session you need to dry the watch and your hands before you can use the screen.
I use a Garmin Fenix to record my sessions. Fantastic watch and does everything you need straight out of the box. Battery life is excellent. If it had an e-sim I would not bother with the Apple watch at all.
I've got a Fenix 3 and it's good.
Three observations 1) the straps are ****. 2) they scratch easily (my bro has the 5 and it's also scratched). 3) I barely use it now the novelty has worn off.
I'm on my 3rd Garmin and can't see myself getting anything else but I must admit that being able to make/receive a call like the Apples do could be good (and bad)
I do a lot of activities/training (I have training plans, intervals etc loaded on them), cycling, racing, surfing, SUPing, kiting, foiling, winging etc.
I have records of about 6 or 7 L2L's, about 4 or 5 Lancelin Ocean Classics and a heap of SUP races, Doctors, KOTC's etc.
It's always great to compare times speed etc.
I would have logged over 1000 activities over the years and never had an issue with any of them, just for fun I just went back and checked what was the first activity logged and it was the Lancelin Ocean Classic in 2013.
I have bad memories of that race, I was first around the first mark closely followed by Johno Keys and thought I was on a winner but got lost thanks to tiny little marker floats and cranking conditions.
Here is what was logged on the first Garmin I had a 910XT.
There is so much more info on the current ones.
connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/260698929
I do have a perfectly good Garmin 920XT that isn't getting used anymore, since I bought the 645 Music, that I should move on.
I use my Garmin Fenix 3, does all that but you need a HR band. You could probably get one pretty cheap now, they've been out for a few years now.
I have a garmin fenix 5x sapphire it's great for tracking speed, distance and over laying your track on a map.
Waterproof to 100 meters so can take hard water impacts, heaps of kite/water sport apps to use aswel.
Select to expand quotelofty_wa said..
I have a garmin fenix 5x sapphire it's great for tracking speed, distance and over laying your track on a map.
Waterproof to 100 meters so can take hard water impacts, heaps of kite/water sport apps to use aswel.
I have the garmin fenix 5x as well great watch and you should be able to pick one up much cheaper now as the garmin 6 is out now.
Garmin 910xt still going after 6.5 years, bought it for across bay crossing (~80kms) have recorded just about every session since on the kite or bike, runs (surfing not so useful).
Cannot sell it for $50 but won't upgrade unless battery dies or is killed by water, it still hasn't failed.
Only issue (other than some water getting in) is it now takes ages to GPS sync with satellites, especially in the city (I put that down to interference from so many cars now having GPS).
65 sessions so far in 2019, nearly 1000km covered
Bullshidt' c'mon fess up the missus has put restrictions on your water time' nice try trying to make it look legitimate though
Select to expand quotecauncy said..
Bullshidt' c'mon fess up the missus has put restrictions on your water time' nice try trying to make it look legitimate though
might explain why I'm getting into a lot of trouble lately...
I have used Garmin 310 and 910XT in the past and theyre ok. I have purchased a Garmin Fenix 5 and it's excellent. I use an app called VMG which is seriously good for racing. Literally hundreds of apps for everything you can think of.
Best feature of the Fenix 5 is the battery life. I can get up to 10 days from a charge. Awesome!
DM
Anyone tried the Ripcurl Search GPS 2 watch. Looks fairly basic, but really all I would want.
Select to expand quoteshi thouse said..
Anyone tried the Ripcurl Search GPS 2 watch. Looks fairly basic, but really all I would want.
Available at all Kathmandu stores...
Select to expand quotePeahi said..shi thouse said..
Anyone tried the Ripcurl Search GPS 2 watch. Looks fairly basic, but really all I would want.
Available at all Kathmandu stores...
You mean like it retails for $4599 unless you are a member when it is $400. Or on sale at $400.
DM
Select to expand quoteActionSportsWA said..Peahi said..shi thouse said..
Anyone tried the Ripcurl Search GPS 2 watch. Looks fairly basic, but really all I would want.
Available at all Kathmandu stores...
You mean like it retails for $4599 unless you are a member when it is $400. Or on sale at $400.
DM
Rip-mandu or Kath-Curl your choice.
Select to expand quotetightlines said..
I love my Garmin 645 Music.
Does all the usual GPS, heart rate, fitness stuff plus syncs to my spotify account so I can download and store my favourite playlists, album etc.
Also stores my credit card info so I can pay for stuff with my watch.
So I can go for a ride, kite, surf, go out for a few beers, whatever with out having to take my wallet.
With my waterproof Bluetooth earphones I can also listen to music without having to have a phone with me.
Great for things like the flatwater SUP Marathon I did the other week, a workout playlist to keep me going and was able to purchase food and drinks at the end without my wallet.
You can download various apps so you can change the watch face, or add things like a surf tracker that shows you how many waves you have caught distance and top speed of ride etc.
Also things like find my phone, just push a button and if you phone is in range it will emit a sound.
Lots of other stuff to, hell it even tells the time.
I hate all this tech stuff ,but hey that's impressive and it doesn't look too bulky,Im not interested in how far, fast or high I don't jump, but music and paying for beers plus telling the time is a game changer for me
Select to expand quoteRicardo1709 said..tightlines said..
I love my Garmin 645 Music.
Does all the usual GPS, heart rate, fitness stuff plus syncs to my spotify account so I can download and store my favourite playlists, album etc.
Also stores my credit card info so I can pay for stuff with my watch.
So I can go for a ride, kite, surf, go out for a few beers, whatever with out having to take my wallet.
With my waterproof Bluetooth earphones I can also listen to music without having to have a phone with me.
Great for things like the flatwater SUP Marathon I did the other week, a workout playlist to keep me going and was able to purchase food and drinks at the end without my wallet.
You can download various apps so you can change the watch face, or add things like a surf tracker that shows you how many waves you have caught distance and top speed of ride etc.
Also things like find my phone, just push a button and if you phone is in range it will emit a sound.
Lots of other stuff to, hell it even tells the time.
I hate all this tech stuff ,but hey that's impressive and it doesn't look too bulky,Im not interested in how far, fast or high I don't jump, but music and paying for beers plus telling the time is a game changer for me
Just seen the price PASS !!!!!
Yep not exactly cheap but if as the original poster asked, you are
Looking for a fitness watch for kiting that is:
1. Waterproof (obviously)
2. Has GPS tracking.
3. Monitors heart rate/fitness
4. Tells the time.
Any other features a bonus.
then that is the sort of money you pay for a quality one, cheaper ones have issues with the touchscreen when wet or don't have as many features.
If that price scared you don't look at the price of the Fenix 5 Sapphire, I think they are around double the price.
I had a touch screen garmin and it was S###t for any water activites. Everything else it was really great. Fenix 5x is is a great allround watch. I am upgrading to the 6x for the music and up to 21 days in smart watch mode battery life. Fenix 5+ is now half price at a lot of places. I use my watch for running , swimming , ridding , kayak , sup, and have used the tracking functions overseas to get back to my hotel. There are cheaper watches out there but the garmin does deliver on fitness tracking.
Got an Ambit3 Run from a recommendation here in the windsurfer section that linked to an Aussie website that had them for $130. Not really interested in the heart rate monitor and I doubt that separate component is waterproof, but ticks the other boxes.
Hi all
Thanks for your input.
Ended up going with the Garmin Fenix 5 in the sapphire.
Got it half price from Ryda.com.au as the Fenix 6 has taken over.
cheers 
Select to expand quoteLorgra said..
Hi all
Thanks for your input.
Ended up going with the Garmin Fenix 5 in the sapphire.
Got it half price from Ryda.com.au as the Fenix 6 has taken over.
cheers
Yeah that was the site
Select to expand quoteLorgra said..
Hi all
Thanks for your input.
Ended up going with the Garmin Fenix 5 in the sapphire.
Got it half price from Ryda.com.au as the Fenix 6 has taken over.
cheers
You will love it, I said the 645 Music but the Fenix 5 sapphire is pretty much the same bit bigger but better.
Select to expand quoteRedgy said..
, and have used the tracking functions overseas to get back to my hotel. There are cheaper watches out there but the garmin does deliver on fitness tracking.
I've just gotta take this thread off on a tangent.
I was in Bangkok, and got a tuktuk to the river tb100 au$4. Then we get to the river and my taxi driver speaks to the boatman and tells me it's au$100 to get a boat to the market. At that price I asked him to just take me back to the hotel. He refused and kicked me out of his tuktuk. In my urgency to pay and get out I accidentally dropped my hotel card in his tuktuk. I tried to get another taxi back but the driver couldn't understand the hotel name with my accent, so he took me to ask a policeman, who also couldn't understand, so then I was taken to the post office, but those staff also didn't understand, and they put me on the phone to the operator. Rescued! I probably could have used one of those smart watches.
Sorry for going off topic.
Feel free to post some hate for wasting a minute of your life.
Cheers.
