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

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

10 Products Still Coming From Apple in 2025

Friday April 11, 2025 4:14 pm PDT by
Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then. We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025. iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone Resolutions Leak With Under-Screen Camera Tipped

Monday April 14, 2025 3:12 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold") will feature two screens as part of its book-style design, and a Chinese leaker claims to know the resolutions for both of them. According to the Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station, the inner display, which is approximately 7.76 inches, will use a 2,713 x 1,920 resolution and feature "under-screen camera technology." Meanwhile, the...
iPad Pro iPadOS

iPadOS 19 Will Be 'More Like macOS' in Three Ways

Sunday April 13, 2025 6:43 am PDT by
A common complaint about the iPad Pro is that the iPadOS software platform fails to fully take advantage of the device's powerful hardware. That could soon change. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS." Gurman said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like a Mac" in three ways:Improved productivity Improved multitasking Improved app window management...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

Waiting for the Perfect MacBook Pro? 2026 Might Be the Year

Thursday April 10, 2025 4:19 am PDT by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
Apple Vision Pro with battery Feature Blue Magenta

Vision Pro 2 Rumored to Have Two Key Advantages Over Current Model

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:15 am PDT by
Apple is working on a new version of the Vision Pro with two key advantages over the current model, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Specifically, in his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is developing a new headset that is both lighter and less expensive than the current Vision Pro, which starts at $3,499 in the U.S. and weighs up to 1.5 pounds. Gurman said Apple is also...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: New iOS 19, iPhone 17, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 Leaks

Friday April 11, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we catch up on the latest iOS 19 and watchOS 12 rumors, upcoming devices, and more. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Detailed new renders from leaker Jon Prosser claim to provide the best look yet at the complete redesign rumored to arrive in iOS 19, showing more rounded elements, lighting effects, translucency, and...
top stories 2025 04 12

Top Stories: iOS 19 and iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, Siri Revamp Turmoil, and More

Saturday April 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
It was a big week for leaks and rumors in the Apple world, with fresh claims about iOS 19, the iPhone 17 Pro, and even the 20th anniversary iPhone coming a couple of years from now. Sources also spilled the tea on the inner turmoil at Apple around the Apple Intelligence-driven Siri revamp that has seen significant delays, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iOS ...
iPhone 16e Feature

iPhones, Macs, and Other Apple Devices Exempted From Trump Tariffs

Saturday April 12, 2025 9:44 am PDT by
Apple and other electronics manufacturers have received a break from Trump's reciprocal tariffs, with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency sharing a long list of products excluded from the levies last night. iPhones, Macs, iPads, Apple Watch, and other Apple devices will not be subject to the 125 percent tariffs that have been put in place on imported Chinese goods, nor will Apple...

Top Rated Comments

Debauch Avatar
112 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
112 months ago
Underwater snorkeling? I didn't realize there was more than one way to do it
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
112 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
112 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
112 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
112 months ago
Waterskied all summer with Watch 1.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)