Extending our functionality launched last month allowing SWIMTAG users to import .fit files of their Garmin swims, they can link their account to Garmin Connect. Any swim then uploaded to their Garmin Connect account from their Garmin Watch will automatically be published to SWIMTAG.

These swims will then appear against your pools statistics and be valid in any pool challenge or competition, this giving more visibility of swimmers that may choose not to use a SWIMTAG wristband. This also has the benefit of freeing up wristbands for swimmers that may not have their own device.

Swimmers can now import swims from Apple Watch and Garmin devices. For Garmin, you can import a .fit file from your Garmin account, and for Apple Watch import a swim workout from the last month from your Apple Health account (you must have linked this with SWIMTAG first).

On the desktop site you will see a new ‘Import Swims’ menu on the right hand side and on the mobile app we have added a new Import Swims option to the main side menu

All swim data is calculated outside of SWIMTAG but once imported you can adjust the swim using our Swim Editors if necessary. Imported swims will count towards your Challenges and Goals as well as being included in your account stats. If your device records your heart rate during your swim this will be visible on your swim graph on our desktop site. Importable data also include any open water swim recorded on an Apple or Garmin device, the open water distance will count towards challenge distances and a route map will be visible on the profile page to replace the swim graph.

You can now have more control over who takes part in the challenges you set up with Private Challenges.

Private Challenges run in the same way as normal and can be in the form of an Individual or Team Challenge, or Team Battle. When setting up the challenge tick the Private Challenge option and you will be prompted to create a password for the challenge or for each team.

Once created swimmers at your pool/s will not see the challenge invites as normal, you will be able to give out the challenge link with the password however you like (eg. email or social media posts). The link will take swimmers to the challenge map, from there they can join by entering the password. You can also now send any SWIMTAG challenge link to non-SWIMTAG users, they can view the challenge map and will be prompted to sign up to SWIMTAG.

The end of March and early April continues to be a busy time for the whole team as we install new SWIMTAG kit at 14 sites.

Wakefield Council have rolled out SWIMTAG to their new Minsthorpe Leisure Centre and also to Pontefract Swimming Pool, ensuring that SWIMTAG is now available at all five council run swimming pools in their region, SWIMTAG was already installed at Normanton Pool, Featherstone sports Complex and Sun Lane Leisure Centre who received upgraded kit and additional wristbands to cope with the demand for SWIMTAG from their users.

We are delighted to start working with Parkwood Leisure after they installed new MK3 kit at three sites in the Peak District after winning the contract to run facilities on behalf of High Peak District Council.

Circadian Trust will be the next sites to go live with SWIMTAG when we install kit at all five of their leisure centres on 10th April. Circadian run a number of sites including five with busy swimming pools on behalf of South Gloucestershire Council.

The SWIMTAG Nordic team who distribute SWIMTAG in Scandinavia and Germany recently installed our technology at new sites in Sweden, Germany and Norway.

The SWIMTAG team were once again represented at Active Net, as Business Development Manager Colin Scott took part in the annual gathering. Run by Leisure Net Solutions, the event attracts buyers from across the leisure industry to meet suppliers and to network with other sport and fitness professionals.

After the event Colin said “This is now our 3rd year at Active Net and once again, the event lived up to all expectations. The 20 minute meetings gave us a great opportunity to meet potential new clients and give them a summary of all the new features that we’ve added in the last 12 months. We’re now at the stage where the vast majority of leisure industry professionals have heard of us and indeed every year, more and more of the people attending Active Net are already SWIMTAG clients. So for potential new clients, we can go into more detail about how SWIMTAG can help them to attract more swimmers. We can also point them in the direction of lots of happy clients who are attending the event. And for them, it’s a great chance for us to catch up and find out if there is anything else we can do to support them including setting up challenges and helping them to display SWIMTAG leaderboards in their centres..”

We’d like to thank David and Jo Monkhouse and the entire Active Net team for all their efforts during the event.