It was a personal low point when I realised I was heading to a weekend laser race with an egg timer to use as my only stopwatch. A new timepiece beckoned. As a sailing smartwatch newbie, though, was I really ready to embrace the information overload that comes with them? I was to surprise myself.

I wore the Quatix 7 Pro for a year before upgrading to the Garmin Quatix 8 – both have proven to be a revelation. It was like going from black and white days to full technicolour instantly (illuminating even, as these Garmin sailing smartwatches even have a dimmable LED torch setting). The Quatix 8 brings with it the added and particularly heroic Hoff/Michael Knight-like status of being able to take phone calls (more on that below)!

I’ve come to really appreciate the wealth of information the Quatix range provides, particularly from a watersports, health and fitness side, yet I’ve still barely scratched the surface. Speaking of which, the sapphire-crystal scratch-resistant lens, titanium bezel and silicone strap have also proven seriously rugged.

Garmin has refined and improved its Quatix range so much over the years, especially the battery life, which I always thought would be a big drawback. This is now stated as 16 days in smartphone watch mode.

Getting familiar with the Quatix 8

The Quatix 8 is intuitive. Indeed, I used it for a week before deciding to look up the manual online. However, like getting used to a new smartphone, some aspects take some introductory time, particularly finding where different menus live or returning to the home screen. And I’d still prefer to be able to access the primary digital watch functions most easily – such as time, alarm, stopwatch. The latter I have only just found, nearly a year later.

As an active person, the Quatix 7 Pro and now this Quatix 8 has really helped to educate me, thanks to the wealth of information they provide. Who knew, for example, that my heart rate and calorie count would exceed that of a hill run when surfing or wave sailing? Hence, I can now don a wetsuit guilt-free over running shoes!

Recording your activity can really help you to improve, particularly with fitness. Knowing my pace on runs, heart rate for hill sprints, distance and pace on open water swims has all been a fascinating new source of data. The Quatix comes pre-loaded with TopoActive maps so you can track your progress (or find your way home) and see it all clearly on the Garmin Connect app. It will also support Bluechart marine charts for sailing.

Making memories

Much like a smartphone, you (I) will probably never use most of the watch’s capabilities, but choose to use what suits your lifestyle, and the data feedback is very impressive.

Fitness aside, my favourite features are the sailing and different watersports’ modes offered. Being able to do speed-timed GPS runs with my kids and young nephews on a beach cat, clocking nearly 20 knots and seeing their delighted faces on the wire as they try to record the top speed, was unforgettable.

As was drag racing a friend on his Dart while I was wingfoiling – then being able to show him our tracks on screen (and knowing I’d clocked 26 knots). The Garmin Connect app is very useful/addictive for post-session analysis, too.

A proper sailing smartwatch

Such functions are elementary for the Quatix 8’s capabilities – it’s a GPS watch that can provide remote control access to Garmin plotters, pilots and Fusion audio systems. The Quatix range has now long proven itself with the variety of marine functions and instrument mirroring it offers, including MOB alert.

Sailors can upload Bluechart marine charts, hikers can use Outdoor Maps with satellite overlay and topographic maps, and golfers get preloaded guides for over 43,000 courses worldwide!

And then there are the connected features you choose to set up, such as message notifications, contactless payment and music storage/players.

The sleep monitoring programme, with sleep score and insights, will also be a benefit for some – personally, I know I’m a terrible sleeper, so don’t want to be told that in writing!

Some have experienced hardware issues and problems with the buttons on the Quatix range. Full disclosure, I had a hardware fault during the first month of wearing the Quatix 7 Pro. The start/stop button locked up and stopped working, so the watch constantly thought it was in MOB mode. It was frustrating and made me realise how much I already relied on the watch. Garmin was quick with its support, and the replacement worked faultlessly – as has this Quatix 8.\

Garmin Quatix 7 V Garmin Quatix 8

The new Garmin Quatix 8 range adds the ability to answer calls and talk into your watch. Surely that was every child’s dream who grew up in the 1980’s watching Knight Rider (and perhaps use it to remote control a black Pontiac Firebird Trans Am)?
As well as the party trick ability this provides though, the Quatix 8 allows you to use the microphone for voice commands of its plotters or hands-free messaging, which can be useful when afloat and not wanting to expose your phone.

Further upgrades of the Quatix 8 over its predecessor Quatix 7 also include it being dive-rated to 40m, and providing remote control ability for Fusion speakers and Garmin trolling motors. This latter function could be particularly useful for kayakers seeking hands-free propulsion for fishing.

Is the Garmin Quatix worth it?

So yes, I went from zero to hero on the beach of assembled laser sailors at the pre-start (in tech terms if not in performance). And I still manage to overcomplicate things and accidentally ‘go back’ to home on my watch in those critical final seconds. But I can’t see myself ever returning to my bare wristed days or egg timer starts – the Quatix is with me to stay.

It’s really a quality design that befits its price – so readable, with so many features, yet comfortable with a great, durable strap. I’m sold!