Apple Watch Series 2 is Fine for Swimming, but Scuba Diving and Waterskiing Not Recommended

One of the key new features of the Apple Watch Series 2 is an improved water resistance rating of up to 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010, which by definition means the watch can be used for shallow-water activities such as swimming in a pool or ocean, white water rafting, and fishing without risking water damage.

apple-watch-2-water-resistance
These activities are in addition to the previous IPX7 splash resistance that allows for the Apple Watch, including first-generation models, to be worn while washing your hands or jogging in the rain. Many original Apple Watch owners also routinely shower and swim with the device, although Apple never officially recommended such activities.


However, while the Apple Watch Series 2 has improved water and dust resistance, fine print on Apple's website says the device should not be used while scuba diving, waterskiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth, presumably including jet skiing and deep water snorkeling.

Apple Watch Series 2 has a water resistance rating of 50 meters under ISO standard 22810:2010. This means that it may be used for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or ocean. However, Apple Watch Series 2 should not be used for scuba diving, waterskiing, or other activities involving high-velocity water or submersion below shallow depth.

Apple Watch Series 2 models are priced from $369 and will be available starting Friday, September 16 in the U.S. and select other launch countries.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
apple c1

Apple Unveils 'C1' as First Custom Cellular Modem

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:08 am PST by
Apple today announced its first custom cellular modem with the name "C1," debuting in the all-new iPhone 16e. The new modem contributes to the iPhone 16e's power efficiency, giving it the longest battery life of any iPhone with a 6.1-inch display, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most...
Apple Northbrook

Apple Store Permanently Closing at Struggling Mall in Chicago Area

Tuesday February 18, 2025 8:46 pm PST by
Apple is permanently closing its retail store at the Northbrook Court shopping mall in the Chicago area. The company confirmed the upcoming closure today in a statement, but it has yet to provide a closing date for the location. Apple Northbrook opened in 2005, and the store moved to a larger space in the mall in 2017. Apple confirmed that affected employees will continue to work for the...

Top Rated Comments

Debauch Avatar
110 months ago
50 meters = 164 feet. How is that shallow and who is snorkeling deeper than 50 meters?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hortod1 Avatar
110 months ago
Underwater snorkeling? I didn't realize there was more than one way to do it
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
110 months ago
So how does it work?
Meter ratings for water resistance are a simplification (from atmospheres), they mean that the watch (or other device) can withstand pressure equivalent to being/sitting in water that deep. If you gently, gradually lowered it down in water to that depth, it'd probably be fine. But as soon as you start waving your arm around, you're actually increasing the pressure on the watch significantly. So if you swim at 50 meters, the watch dies. Thus, "50M water resistance" doesn't actually mean you should dive to 50 meters with it (thats why they make 100M, 200M, and 300M watches - they don't expect many divers are going nearly 1,000ft down, but they're useful at much shallower depths). This also ties into why they don't recommend water skiing - when you fall off, you don't go very deep, but you can slam into the water pretty hard, generating rather astonishing amounts of water pressure.

In other news, a "2x4" isn't actually 2 inches by 4 inches.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nevaborn Avatar
110 months ago
The Watch is rated to IPX7 I believe that only covers temporary submersion up to max depth of 1M. Scuba diving exceeds that.

Waterskiing... fine in itself but when you go flying across the water like a rag doll it is the equivalent as smashing against the pavement. Why would you do that to your watch ?

This is not so much a shocking revelation as common sense.
[doublepost=1473287485][/doublepost]
But surfing is OK!?

That doesn't really make sense ... I'll pit a double overhead wipeout against falling off a wakeboard any day ...
You come off a board at lower velocity so it is no different than a dive in to a pool really as for as the stresses on the device are concerned.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Loge Avatar
110 months ago
50 meters = 164 feet. How is that shallow and who is snorkeling deeper than 50 meters?
This guy -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Nitsch
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
110 months ago
Waterskied all summer with Watch 1.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)