nathank

Fatbomber,

snorkel and fins no, but if it's an outdoor swim you can probably use a wetsuit!

i think the rule is something like less than 20C or something... anyway, wearing a wetsuit makes a HUGE difference especially if you have a typical cyclist physique - thin, muscular with low low body fat - w/o the suit my legs and body sink and i must pull so much drag from my lower body through the water - put on a wetsuit and it's like i go from 4% to 15 or 20% body fat and i float and glide on top like a feather - it's a huge benefit and i can swim almost twice as fast with the reduced drag from improved body position with the wetsuit. kicking is almost unnecessary with the wetsuit (no kick w/o the wetsuit is a disaster)

anyway, i'm a horrible swimmer (started swimming b/c of knee problems from running and cycling too much and then decided to do a triathlon since i had to swim so much i needed some kind of goal) but if you can do it in training, you can do it in the race - yes, it's more difficult with all the kicking and pushing, but don't start at the front if it's your first race - start in the middle or back. do expect to get kicked anyway - at least be prepared.

although if it is open-water, practice following a bearing BEFORE the race - for my first tri, i trained almost exclusively in the pool following the black line and then in the race had a hard time doing the 'head-glance' to find my bearing and kept going right and then right (my non-breath side) and then would have to break my stroke to find out where to go.

but relax and you can do it. for my 1st tri i was one of the last out of the water, but it's still a good experience (and i kicked a** on the bike so i did OK overall)