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Spec drill · Water resistance

PACE 3 vs Forerunner 965

A side-by-side readout for water resistance.

Coros · PACE 3
5ATM
Garmin · Forerunner 965
5ATM
Context

Understanding water resistance

Water resistance is a numeric spec measured in ATM. On this metric, higher values are generally better, but returns diminish past category-typical thresholds — going from a low value to a mid value usually matters far more than going from a mid value to a high one. When comparing two products, focus on the percentage gap rather than the raw delta: a 200-unit lead means something very different at the low end of the range than at the high end. Pay attention to the unit, too — manufacturers sometimes quote peak or burst figures that are not sustained in real-world use. Cross-check the published number against independent measurements where possible, especially for performance and battery claims. Finally, remember that a single spec rarely tells the whole story; the Mars Score weighs water resistance together with the rest of the spec sheet so one outlier doesn't distort the verdict.

This matchupIn this spec, PACE 3 and Forerunner 965 are effectively tied at 5ATM — buyers can treat them as equivalent on water resistance alone.

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Other specs on this comparison

See the full Sports Watches category for all products ranked by Mars Score.