How to Buy a Sports Watch for a Swimmer

A watch is more than a way of keeping time. A watch reflects a person's personality and accompanies that person through the day. And for a swimmer, it can be an essential part of the sport. Make sure you buy the right one to give your swimmer as a gift.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Dive Watches
• Swimmer's Watches

1. 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?
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Buy a digital watch for a swimmer interested in tracking her lap times.
7. 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.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider what your swimmer is going to be using the watch for, and make that your main priority when buying a watch. Don't get sidetracked by special features the person may never use.
• Make sure to keep your receipts and ask about return and exchange policies.
• Avoid buying a watch for a person who already has a watch unless she specifically asks for one.
• You probably don't want to buy a high-technology watch for someone who can't operate a VCR. On the same note, someone who loves technology will love a watch with every possible bell and whistle.