Is anyone using the new Garmin 'Instinct Solar' surf watch? Pretty keen on buying one but would love to hear any personal reviews before lashing out.

Cheers.

It looks really good but the big downside to Garmin you can't run the IOS apps like Dawn Patrol . The Garmin surf tracker app is pretty average at best but great watch with tons of features better than Apple and kills the Apple with battery life especially with the new solar charging. Garmin is so exercise based with great mapping for touring & orienteering but they've just missed mark on water sports. The other downside is online support is terrible . Good tuff quality watch though. Never had a failure with my Fenix or Garmin cameras.

I have the Garmin 6X and am very tempted to buy a Solar one as an update which has all the same features but potentially can get 40-50 days charge. Biggest prob with my watch is the GPS drift that blows my info out on distance per stroke and speed, sometimes accurate sometimes not which is a bit annoying.
Very very tempting.

Cheers fellas!

Yea I just got the Garmin Instinct solar surf. I have never had a smart or sports watch before so I can't compare it to anything.
The surf tracking activity is a bit **** to be honest, it says, for example, I catch 12 waves, but I know I only caught a couple of small beachys. A lot of it doesnt make sense when you look back at your session activity and info.
I originally bought it for tracking my big paddleboard sessions around the beaches, so I can monitor health and distance etc. This is all great, but my only gripe with this is that it only displays a crappy red line on the google map in the Garmin Connect app as your track. I've seen what my mates applewatch displays when it tracks you and that has a real intuitive track that changes colour as your speed changes. The Garmin track just looks like a child scribbled over it, just doesnt tell you much.

Other than that, the watch is pretty sweet. There are heaps of features. The battery last for ages. But I don't think I'd spend the $800 on it again.

Totally hear you Bentahll great watch but such sh!t apps compared to the apple. Such a shame and Garmin won't do a thing about it.

I have always liked DC Rainmaker reviews for authenticity. Will come from more of a sports approaching than surfing though.

I have always had Garmins from cycling days and happy to try this one when my Forerunner dies.

www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/07/garmin-instinct-solar-review-whats-new-different.html

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Piros said..
Totally hear you Bentahll great watch but such sh!t apps compared to the apple. Such a shame and Garmin won't do a thing about it.

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Benthal said..
Yea I just got the Garmin Instinct solar surf. I have never had a smart or sports watch before so I can't compare it to anything.
The surf tracking activity is a bit **** to be honest, it says, for example, I catch 12 waves, but I know I only caught a couple of small beachys. A lot of it doesnt make sense when you look back at your session activity and info.
I originally bought it for tracking my big paddleboard sessions around the beaches, so I can monitor health and distance etc. This is all great, but my only gripe with this is that it only displays a crappy red line on the google map in the Garmin Connect app as your track. I've seen what my mates applewatch displays when it tracks you and that has a real intuitive track that changes colour as your speed changes. The Garmin track just looks like a child scribbled over it, just doesnt tell you much.

Other than that, the watch is pretty sweet. There are heaps of features. The battery last for ages. But I don't think I'd spend the $800 on it again.

Ahhh yes totally hear you mate! I bought the watch for the exact same reason. I actually thought my watch was faulty but could not get through to Garmin to fix it. I'm relieved in a weird way that I'm not alone ??. As for a fitness watch though nothing compares.

Just don't get it with Garmin such a great watch but no decent water sports apps plus what they do have the speed is really inaccurate. Have an issue with a Garmin good luck . Type in "Garmin Bad Customer Service " into Google , it's just pages of people blowing up. I'm a long time Garmin user and never had an issue fortunately but just so many people have and can't get help.

If only Garmin would allow IOS apps to run on their watches nothing could touch them , add to that some customer service they would dominate the smart watch world. They need to do it because once Apple increases its battery life to near that of Garmin there would be simply no reason to buy a garmin.

Ive got the VIVOactive music, the watch is fantastic. You need to set it up. Watch youtube clips. No its not on IOS get an apple watch if you have IOS. Ive had mine 4 years, no issues, still works great. Don't record waves on it. Rip curl tide is the watch for that!!!

I received the Garmin Solar Surf for wife's present and I'm deeply and completely disappointed. The "surf function" doesn't exist on the watch. The watch doesn't show the number of waves or the longest one. Instead you can know a very useful instant speed or the gps signal... It seems If you don't set some parameters (not shown in istructions) the watch can't measure any wave and the measures are completely wrong. Don't waste your money. I'm waiting an answer by the support center but I think I'll give back this useless object. My friend with apple watch makes fun of me...

From my experience the Apple Watch and the Dawn Patrol app is easy to use and reliable for waves. Great info on wave count, speed of each wave, length, tide etc. I have been using it for a couple of years.

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Linkus said..
I received the Garmin Solar Surf for wife's present and I'm deeply and completely disappointed. The "surf function" doesn't exist on the watch. The watch doesn't show the number of waves or the longest one. Instead you can know a very useful instant speed or the gps signal... It seems If you don't set some parameters (not shown in istructions) the watch can't measure any wave and the measures are completely wrong. Don't waste your money. I'm waiting an answer by the support center but I think I'll give back this useless object. My friend with apple watch makes fun of me...

In the Garmin store you can download Surf Tracker as an app and add it to your watch which will vive you the info?

In the Instinct you can't install any software.

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Piros said..
Just don't get it with Garmin such a great watch but no decent water sports apps plus what they do have the speed is really inaccurate. Have an issue with a Garmin good luck . Type in "Garmin Bad Customer Service " into Google , it's just pages of people blowing up. I'm a long time Garmin user and never had an issue fortunately but just so many people have and can't get help.

If only Garmin would allow IOS apps to run on their watches nothing could touch them , add to that some customer service they would dominate the smart watch world. They need to do it because once Apple increases its battery life to near that of Garmin there would be simply no reason to buy a garmin.

Von piros.... This is the only reason i got a garmin Venu. Battery life 8 days sometimes 10. It does a great job, I have used it for my sup surfs and distance paddles. But i am not that really diving deep into waves counted and distance cause the watches dont do it with the crap garmin apps.If apple do come to market with a watch that has 5 to 7 days battery life or for solar.... Will be first in line for it.

Just had a 3hr surf and got this info from the standard Garmin app not surf tracker, how much more info do you want??

Sorry I must correct myself the data page with all the waves and speed etc is from Surf Tracker, I just checked my app to check the parameters listed and it's all from the app not Garmin app.