I am an omnipod owner and I have been taking some swimming lesson’s since I really want to compete in a Triathlon, I used my mnipod last night since we were just staying above the water. My omnipod got wet and was under water a few times nothing deep. It’s been in water before so i know for sure the water will not affect it, but I’m wondering if anyone else swims with there omnipod and if they have had any problems swimming with it. Im not sure if it can oly go so deep and or if it can even stay in the water for a certain time period only. I have been suspending it 30 minutes prior to my lessons. Let me know if anyone has any suggestions, ideas or remakrs.
According to the documentation, the pods can be submerged for up to 30 minutes. I’ve definitely had mine on for swims longer than that, though; I think they had to pick a specific recommendation and go with it even if it is very conservative, just to protect themselves (maybe to satisfy the FDA).
When I was trained, the CDE told me that he had one patient who wore his pods during SCUBA diving; I’m not sure I’m ready to try that yet (haven’t been diving since I started 'Podding) but I don’t hesitate to go for long swims or baths with a pod on.
I don’t personally have any adhesion problems, but I imagine that the longer it is submerged the more likely the adhesive is to loosen, so you might want to be aware of that.
This does help I should bring my monitor in order to test myself after and maybe during the swimming to see where I am at I may not need to suspend the pod to get my swimming in.
So far I was in the water about 45 minutes in and out never really submerged the entire time but I did not have a problem with the adhesion. That is definetly something I did forget about. I think when I first was trained I was told the same thing.
I’m gonna see how it works for now, hopefully there is not a problem with the depth, pressure may be a factor but I am not going scuba diving anytime soon anyways.
I switched to the omnipod for the waterproof functionality of it…I was training for an Iron distance triathlon and I would be in the pool for 2 or 2 1/2 hrs sometimes…and my numbers were fine during the swim, but afterwards, because I had missed so much basal, it would wreak havoc on me with keeping my numbers down (I was on a MM paradigm at the time).
I swim w/ the pod on my arm or on my lower back/love handle area. I never have any issues w/ the later areas. On my arms, it creates a lot of drag during my stroke and so besides using skin-tac, I also will wrap 1-2 wraps of coban (stuff you get on your arm after giving blood, for example) around the pod, not so much to keep it on, but to keep the drag down (to keep that free edge from catching water and pulling). As long as I get the pod stuck on well initially, even though I’m swimming 3 times a week it is still fine.
Good luck w/ your triathlon (first one?)!! That’s awesome. It can definitely be done, and I think the omnipod helps a LOT. Feel free to msg me if you have other questions about them (I’m doing 2 halves and a full this year, along w/ some sprint/olys).
Good luck with the lessons and triathlon! I am a new omnipod user, 3 weeks. I am a lifeguard, and am around water a lot, and for that - I was so excited to get the omnipod! I have been in the water for over 30 minutes and have not had any problems with it. When I went through my training, I asked the insulet rep about the waterproof, as I teach lifeguarding classes and was wondering about being in and out of the water all day. She told me that the 30 minutes is at 8 feet below, that it is a water pressure issue. More then 30 minutes at the surface of the water - doesn’t matter. In and out all day, not a problem.
