GPS-Speedsurfing, GPX and FIT: move your sessions in and out of Waterspeed
Waterspeed imports GPX and FIT files for free, and with Pro it exports GPX, CSV and Excel and sends sessions to GPS-Speedsurfing and Strava. Where each button is, and what GPS-Speedsurfing checks.
By the Waterspeed team
Waterspeed works with the files and sites speed riders already use. You can bring in sessions recorded elsewhere, send your best runs to the GPS-Speedsurfing rankings, and take your data out when you want to look at it in another tool.
Which formats and tools does Waterspeed support?
Importing GPX and FIT files is free on every plan. Everything that sends data out is part of Pro, and Ultra includes Pro.
- Import GPX and FIT files: free.
- Garmin, Suunto and COROS account sync: free.
- Export GPX, CSV and Excel files: Pro.
- Send a session to GPS-Speedsurfing: Pro.
- Send a session to Strava: Pro.
How do I import a GPX file?
Open the Diary, tap the three dots at the top right and choose the import option. Use it for sessions recorded with another app or device.
On iPhone you can import several files at once. Open iCloud Drive, go to the Waterspeed folder, open the Waterspeed-sync folder and save your GPX files there. Waterspeed imports them the next time you open the app, which can take a while for a big batch. This needs app version 6.23 or later.
How do I import a FIT file?
Export it from Garmin Connect on the web: open the activity, click the gear icon on the right and choose the FIT export. Then open the Waterspeed web app and use the import button on the left.
If you connect your Garmin account in Settings, Waterspeed downloads new water sport activities for you, and no file is needed. It only picks up activities that were recorded as a water sport. If you changed the sport afterwards, import the FIT file by hand. Account sync is free. See the Garmin integration for the full steps.
How do I send a session to GPS-Speedsurfing?
Connect your account once, then send sessions from the Share menu.
- In the app, open the Settings tab and log in to your GPS-Speedsurfing account.
- Open a session from the Activity page.
- Open the Share menu and choose to send it to GPS-Speedsurfing.
You can also export a GPX file from Waterspeed and import it on gps-speedsurfing.com yourself. See the GPS-Speedsurfing integration.
What does GPS-Speedsurfing check?
GPS-Speedsurfing keeps its leaderboards honest, so it checks the data you send.
- The GPS interval must be 2 seconds or less.
- Acceleration cannot go above 3 knots per second.
Older devices, such as an Apple Watch 6 or an iPhone X, can fail these checks because of inaccurate data. Sessions that don’t meet them are excluded or removed from the rankings.
What is in an exported file?
Waterspeed exports any session in your Diary as a GPX file. It follows the Topografix standard and adds the Garmin format for speed, accuracy, heart rate and course. You’ll find the export in the sharing button on the session detail page.
For spreadsheets, Waterspeed also exports a CSV file that opens in Excel. For Relive, either use the workout Waterspeed saves in the iPhone Activity app, or import the GPX file. See GPX export and CSV and Excel export.
Can I send sessions to Strava too?
Yes, with Pro. Upload by hand from the activity page, or log in to Strava in Settings and let Waterspeed save every activity automatically. If an automatic upload fails because the activity is large or your connection is unstable, use the Send to Strava button on the activity page, or upload the GPX file on the Strava website. For how it compares with a watersports tracker, read Waterspeed vs Strava.
