Press Release

Swimmers are now able to view real-time GPS performance metrics and Heart Rate in open water through free firmware update

See InDepth’s original coverage of FORM: “Heads Up Swimmers and Divers Who Swim.“

Vancouver, BC, July 29—

FORM, the direct-to-consumer sports technology company behind the FORM Smart Swim Goggles, today announced the launch of a free firmware update which enables swimmers to access open water features by connecting the FORM goggles to their compatible Garmin® smartwatch or Apple Watch. Available immediately, the update gives swimmers the ability to view GPS performance metrics like distance, pace, heart rate, elapsed time, and more, in real-time while swimming outdoors. 

“We’ve always envisioned the FORM goggles to be used in both the pool and open water, so this launch really completes the experience we’ve been looking to provide to swimmers,” said FORM founder and CEO Dan Eisenhardt. “We’re excited to be able to launch this at the peak of summer as more swimmers take advantage of their local lakes and beaches. Now, for the first time ever, swimmers can view their performance metrics throughout their entire open water swim.”

The FORM goggles launched in August of 2019, and have provided the 240 million active pool swimmers across the world with the option to view performance metrics in real-time, as they swim. Now, swimmers can enjoy the same benefits outside through GPS open water features. Open water features can be accessed through a firmware update on the goggles, and by downloading the FORM data field for compatible Garmin smartwatches, or downloading the FORM Swim App for applicable Apple Watches. Users can then connect the FORM goggles with their preferred smartwatch to access real-time metrics while swimming outdoors. 

“The introduction of the FORM goggles has been a game-changer for swimmers, and now with GPS and heart rate tracking available in open water, the goggles will fundamentally change the way we train outdoors,” said professional triathlete and Ironman Champion Lionel Sanders. “Through the new open water features, swimmers are able to see the metrics that matter most, whether understanding their pacing in real-time, utilizing heart rate data to gauge effort and track efficiency and see distance so you can add structure while swimming in lakes and the ocean. This is a huge leap forward for the sport of open water swimming.”

GPS-connected open water metrics are now available on the FORM goggles via compatible smartwatches that include the Garmin Forerunner® 945, fēnix® 6 Pro and fēnix 5 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 5, 4 and 3. Today, FORM has also released “Goggles Only” open water features, independent of connecting to a compatible smartwatch, which enable a swimmer to see elapsed time, stroke rate, and more in real-time while swimming in open water. 

FORM goggles ship globally and are available at formswim.com and on Amazon in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Australia and Japan. The FORM Swim App is available as a free download from the App Store and from Google Play™.

For more information visit: formswim.com/openwater

About FORM

Founded in 2016 in Vancouver, Canada, FORM is a sports technology company with a simple mission: to break down the barriers between what swimming is and what it could be. The company’s founder and CEO, Dan Eisenhardt, swam competitively for 14 years before starting his career as a sports technology entrepreneur. His previous company, Recon Instruments, was founded in 2008, introduced the world’s first smart eyewear for sports in 2010, and was acquired by Intel Corporation in 2015. At FORM, Dan is joined by a team of industry veterans with decades of combined expertise in sports-eyewear design, activity-tracking algorithms, and augmented-reality optics.