By
eHow Sports & Fitness Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
- Dive Watches
- Swimmer's Watches
Step1
Consider the type of swimming your recipient does. Does she swim laps in a pool every day, or is she an all-around water person? Is she into diving, or is she more into racing?
Step2
Realize that a watch is a reflection of personality. The style of the watch you choose should be in sync with the recipient's style.
Step3
Understand that many watches are water-resistant, but not really waterproof. This means the watch can handle rain and hand washing but is not meant to be submerged underwater. Make sure the watch you buy for your swimmer is specifically designed to go in the water.
Step4
Look for depth resistance on the watch's list of features. If your recipient is into diving, the watch should be specifically designed to withstand pressures at low depths.
Step5
Look for timers on the watch. Many watches are specially designed to aid swimmers in their workout by timing their lap times. Look for big buttons on the face of the watch. These are the easiest for a swimmer to push at the end of a lap to check her time.
Step6
Buy a digital watch for a swimmer interested in tracking her lap times.
Step7
Look in sporting goods stores for quality sports watches. If the recipient also participates in other water-based sports, such as surfing or waterskiing, look in a store specific to those sports. A surf shop is sure to carry a good selection of surf-style watches that are guaranteed to be water-resistant and ocean-durable.
Comments
Anonymous said
on 1/30/2006 Many watches boast water resistance on the packaging, but upon reading the instructions, they warn against pressing any buttons while the watch is submerged. This is the case for the watch I purchased, a Timex Ironman T5E901 (30 lap w/ FLIX). I use it to time laps, so the water pressure near the surface is not great enough to damage it - yet.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 I am a swimming instructor and a lifeguard. I needed a waterproof watch for work. The best watch I found (and the watch I currently have) is a Baby-G. It was the only waterproof watch that had a guarantee (for 1 year) if it was damaged in any way. I have convinced 2 of the other guards to get watches similar to mine, and they both love them! I hope this tip helps!