Polar products can be worn when swimming. They are not diving instruments. To maintain water resistance, do not press the buttons of the product under water. When measuring heart rate in water, you may experience interference for the following reasons:
Heart rate
measurement in a water environment is technically demanding for the
following reasons:
Pool water with high chlorine content, and seawater are very conductive. The electrodes of the transmitter may short-circuit, preventing ECG signals from being detected by the transmitter.
Jumping into water or strenuous muscle movement during competitive swimming may shift the transmitter to a location on the body where ECG signals cannot be picked up.
The ECG signal strength is individual and may vary depending on the individual’s tissue composition. Problems occur more frequently when measuring heart rate in water.
Those Polar products that use 2.4 GHz (W.I.N.D.) transmission will not measure heart rate under water.
In the watch industry water resistance is generally indicated as meters of water pressure, which means static pressure of water at the level in question. Polar uses this same indication system. Water resistance of Polar products is tested according to International Standard ISO 2281. Every Polar device that has water resistance indication is tested before the delivery to stand water pressure.
When performing any underwater activity, the dynamic pressure generated by moving in water is greater than the static pressure. This means that moving the product under water subjects it to a greater pressure than if the product were stationary.
See the chart below:
Marking on the back case of the receiver
Wash splashes, sweat, raindrops
etc.
Bathing and swimming
Skin diving with snorkel
(no air tanks)
SCUBA diving (with air
tanks)
Water resistant
characteristics
Water resistant
X
Splashes, raindrops etc.
Water resistant 30/50 meters
X
X
Minimum for bathing and swimming*.
Water resistant 100m
X
X
X
For frequent use in water but no
SCUBA diving
*These characteristics also apply to Polar WearLink W.I.N.D. transmitter.
