Garmin Forerunner 310XT loves the water!

Fwd Tech  Thursday 02 April 2009

Garmin introduces a bionic gadget for runners and swimmers alike

“Alright fatty, the summer months aren’t too far off now and you don’t want to put other sun-worshippers off their gelati with your flabby gut, so do something about it!” It’s just such motivational speak that makes us want to ditch conventional shouty personal trainers and pick up a handy wrist watch trainer, like the Garmin Forerunner 310XT.

But what makes the 310XT stand out from the rest of the crowd? Well, for starters it’s waterproof. So you can dive down to as much as 50m and it’ll still work. Ideal if you’re doing a spot of triathlon training.

As you’d expect from something made by Garmin, the Forerunner 310XT has GPS, and will track your speed and location for up to 20 hours. We’re going to be honest, though. If we were out running, it would more likely be for 20 minutes. Still, if you’re super-fit, and a triathlete or a sailor, then this would be ideal.

You can even get a soft-strap waterproof heart-rate monitor, so you can see how fast your heart beats when you accidentally drift too far out in the ocean and encounter a shark.

Of course all the usual functions are also there: tracking speed, distance and location. No word on a release date for this fine piece of fitness tech yet, but it should cost around £240. A snip if you’re trying to shed a little gut flesh…