Review: Sportcount LapCounter

The Sportcount Lap Counter -- a long distance pool swimmer's best friend!

Bottom Line

The Sportcount LapCounter solves the problem of tracking the number of laps you swim in a simple, elegant, and unobtrustive manner. Definitely worth the buy for pool-bound long distance swimmers. Available on Amazon HERE.

Review

I am a former short distance swimmer transitioning to long distance swimming. I competed all through my youth and my job, a Navy Diver, keeps me in the water still today. Previously, due primarily to logistics, I made it to the pool about twice a week. However, now I’m at a new duty station and my access to a pool is greatly improved. It’s not unusual to see me at the pool every day, sometimes twice a day. Soon, in order to get my longer yardage days in, it will be three times a day — which I’m very excited about.

My workouts bounce between short, high intensity interval training and long, moderate distance training. And it’s that distance training that prompted me to seek some help in keeping track of my yardage.

When doing interval workouts, my distance rarely goes past 300 continuous yards and the time intervals are easy to track, so it’s pretty rare that I lose track of where I am in the workout. But, the long distance stuff is another matter entirely. I don’t know about you, but when I go past 500 yards, I really start to lose track of where I am. When the workout is a two mile swim (or more), it just gets ridiculous. So, I figured I would get a little help.

I shopped around a bit and found the Sportcount LapCounter at the college swim shop (SuitUp just outside of GMU) down the road. At first, I balked at it. It looked a little big, to be honest. I thought it would feel weird on my finger and mess with my stroke. So, I kept looking. And looking. And looking. I never found anything better. So, last week I went back to SuitUp and bought one. Now, after swimming with it for the past week, I can’t imagine a workout without it — long or short distance!

What I had thought was bulky when looking at it, proved completely inconsequential in actual use. You don’t even feel it, to be frank. Just slip it on your finger when you get in the water and start swimming. The little thumb button is easy to push, but has enough resistance you won’t hit it accidentally. The numerical display is high contrast and visible. And use is simple: press the button to advance the counter, press and hold to clear the counter. The first day I had to remember to press the button, but by the second use it was pure reflex — go into the flip turn, press the button, push off and keep swimming.

Pics

Looks a little clunky on land, but doesn't feel that way in the water.

Showing your typical swimming hand position.

Advancing the counter is simplicity itself.

Wrap Up

If you have trouble keeping track of which lap you’re on, the Sportcount LapCounter will solve your problem! Available HERE through Amazon, or if you’re near GMU, head over to SuitUp.