Best Garmin apps for water sports: kitesurfing, windsurfing, surfing, sailing, SUP, wakeboarding and more
If you're searching smartwatch for kitesurfing, windsurfing, surfing, canoeing,, sailing & other water sports, you have several options on the market to choose from.
The smartwatch brand, Garminis one of the most recognised for its quality and durability. They have established themselves as a leading brand of sports smartwatches and have been diversifying by embracing other sports beyond those like running.
Currently, Garmin has several specific ranges for water sportsThe Garmin sports watches: Vívoactive, Quatix, Epix, Instinct Series and Fénix. Its quality, history, technology, reliability, durability and innovation are the qualities that make Garmin, and its sports watches, a top brand for sailors and water athletes.
Moreover, with a Garmin device you get access to Garmin ConnectIQ, a shop of smartwatches, Garmin apps and other add-ons to get the most out of your device.
Applications, widgets, watch faces, music streams and more can be downloaded from within the platform.
For kitesurfers, windsurfers, sailors and other water sports enthusiasts, Garmin Connect IQ makes it easy to find sport-specific apps, such as the four mentioned in this post, which are Garmin water sports apps that help you during your activity on the water. Garmin apps compatible with Garmin devices allow you to get the most out of the sessions you record. You can get more accurate and relevant metrics when performing in-water activities.
Today, we'll highlight 4 Garmin apps for water and water sports athletes (in no particular order) that are compatible with Garmin Connect apps. In addition, these four are available through the ConnectIQ platform so you can get the most out of your device.
For clarity: we are not sponsored by any companies or individuals that develop these applications, but we want to help make it easier to find the app that best suits your needs.
Review Garmin App SAIL RACER: the Garmin app for kitesurfing, windsurfing and sailing
This application was created with the desire to program the most complete app for athletes who practice watersports. sailing, kitesurfing and windsurfing with Garmin. Developed by a user for users, knowing in detail the needs of these athletes. The application includes seven screens (3 x Waypoint/Focused wind navigation, 3 x Focused speed, and the main multipurpose screen), sound and vibration alerts, statistics for different metrics, etc.
In addition, a 5-hour test mode is included so that you can evaluate the available functions and the performance of the app on your smartwatch. Like KANARA Sport, the app's developer wants to improve the app based on the feedback it receives from its users.
Advantages:
- Comprehensive metrics
- Easy to use thanks to the intuitive design & user manual
- Compatible with various Garmin models
- Continuous updates
- Low price, $5 (USD)
- 5 hours free trial
- One of best app for kitesurfing, sailing, windsurfing, surfing, canoeing, canoeing... and all water sports.
Disadvantages:
- It is only in English. Spanish and French will be implemented but are currently under development.
Review Garmin App YAYT: Garmin app for Sailors
This is a yacht timer for sailing. It has a simple interface, allowing you to track a session at sea of average duration, plus measure various metrics to monitor performance. It has a stopwatch, a race compass view, a race timer, SOG, COG, VMG, VMC and a course assistant. In addition, there's a measurement of the bearing line bias of the marks, so you can quickly follow the course during the session when saving the activity in a navigation FIT file (nautical units).
Advantages:
- Free app
- It is easy to use and comes with a very detailed digital explanatory manual.
- Sailing-specific metrics
- Constant updates with new and improved versions
- Compatible with most Garmin models
- 5 star user reviews
- One of best app for kitesurfing, sailing, windsurfing, surfing, canoeing, canoeing... and all water sports.
Disadvantages
- Only available in English
- There are still a few glitches in the system, but you can find a solution if you contact them through the website.
Review Garmin JMG-APP
This developer has several versions of Garmin applications depending on your water sport. As a user you can choose between: JMG-APP Wind-Kite Surfing, JMG-APP Surfing-Paddling, JMG-APP Wakeboarding and more. But, if you are a KANARA Sport user using Garmin, you may be interested in the Wind-Kite Surfing version. In case you practice SUPa sport ever more en vogue, you should buy the Surfing-Paddling version. The good thing is that each pack has specific metrics developed for those particular sports.
Advantages
- Tailor-made for each sport
- Intuitive displays
- Comprehensive metrics
- Manual and simulator on Youtube, more on their website
- Available in English and French, but not in Spanish.
- The most downloads among the community
- Collaboration with KANARA Sport, TheSport2be, Windsurf club Leucate
- One of best app for kitesurfing, sailing, windsurfing, surfing, canoeing, canoeing... and all water sports.
Disadvantages
- Price; it is the most expensive (Kite-Wind is 15 EUR)
- It updates at a slightly slower pace than the other applications, but there is only one person behind the application, and it is already quite complete at the beginning.
Review Garmin KITE GPS App for kitesurfers developed by WOO Sports
A project in which WOO Sports has invested considerable time in bringing to the public an application that allows riders to record their sessions without purchasing WOO 3.0. The new application Kite GPS de WOO Sports allows you to record your kite session thanks to the GPS of your Garmin watch. Kite GPS shows you speed metrics such as live speed, top speed and a top speed in 30 seconds, with the advantage that the information will be displayed on the smartwatch as it is recorded. It includes a live GPS map, distance travelled, and your health status and calorie usage information.
Advantages
- Free for the time being
- Compatible with the WOO 3.0
- User-friendly interface
- Detailed explanatory manual on their website
- Compatible with the WOO app so that you can share your sessions with your friends and other riders
- Compatible with different Garmin models
- One of best app for kitesurfing, sailing, windsurfing, surfing, canoeing, canoeing... and all water sports.
Disadvantages
- Only available in English
- Starting the session right away is a disadvantage for some riders who prefer to begin recording the session once on the water.
The GARMIN Connect app for all your sports
As a special mention, we must highlight Garmin Connect. The Garmin application allows you to track each session and compare progress to see if you are improving your times or not. It also provides metrics on your health status during the activity. Plus, you can share and compare your activities with other Garmin users.
Garmin Connect has some limitations for sailors and water sportsmen when it comes to customizing which metrics they want to see and which they do not. The disadvantages can be solved by synchronising your Garmin with our free KANARA Sport application (for Android & iOS), because then you can:
- Share your sessions with other users, including users of other devices.
- Filter your activities, classifying which water sport it is
- Obtain relevant and accurate information about your sessions
- Easily view your Garmin data on your cell phone
And much more!
Garmin applications compatible with KANARA Sport
Lastly, the Garmin apps mentioned previously, available as Garmin apps in the Garmin ConnectIQ platform, are compatible with KANARA Sport (Android or iOS).
Together, the user will be able to get the most out of their sessions, obtaining a complete performance analysis, but also being able to enjoy the other social and competitive features offered by the KANARA app, which is available for free at the App Store or Play Store.
All of the applications mentioned above work with the KANARA analytics system. In addition, the watch brand's app, Garmin Connect, is enhanced by compatibility with our app. Garmin Connect has some limitations for boaters and water athletes when it comes to customizing metrics they want to see and which they do not. The disadvantages can be solved by syncing the Garmin smartwatch with our app.
As a user, you can synchronize your Garmin device, and you will be able to share your sessions with other users, even those with different devices. Filter your activities, classifying which water sport it is. Obtain relevant and accurate information about your sessions. Easily view your Garmin data on your smartphone and much more.
Get the KANARA Sport water sport compatible Garmin application today
Get the free KANARA Sport app for Android or iOS to track, analyze and share your sessions today!
If you need help using the KANARA Sport app to analyze and share your activities, check out the tutorials via our Blog, Youtube or the featured stories under "Tutorial" on our Instagram profile.
If you have any questions or want to give us your feedback, please do not hesitate to contact us by email [email protected].
