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I'm doing a triathlon a week from Sunday, and it's going to be my first with a wave swim start (all the others have been time trial starts with people going every 3 - 5 seconds). I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to handle this. I don't know how big the waves will be, but I'm guessing around 100 people. Thanks!!
The question is - what exactly are you concerned about. The washing machine? start to the back and side.
What else?
You want to seed yourself appropriately. If you know you're in the top 25% for finishing times then try to seed yourself with about 25% of the people in front of you. If you're a good strong swimmer that sights well, being on the side of the pack closest to the bouys is a good option. If you warm up slowly into your swim, you'll want to try to find a spot with few people behind you. If you're a weak swimmer, staying to the back and to the outside of the group is a good thing to do and if you're really worried about getting pushed around a bit, there is no reason why you can't wait a few seconds while everyone else in the wave sets off while you start 10 to 15 seconds later. You don't lose much time and you might gain a lot in terms of energy conservation by not being stressed out by the other swimmers.
The larger the waves, the more likely you'll get pushed around a bit. A 20 to 30 person wave spreads out quickly and is usually quite civil.
Thanks Wahine. That helps. The main thing I guess I am concerned about is starting with that many people grouped around me, just how to handle that, and how to minimize it.
If that's your biggest concern and you aren't bothered by having to pass people I would suggest seeding to the outside of the pack at the start and don't start swimming until the people around have already started. Just make sure you sight frequently so you don't end up way off to the side. The pack should thin within the first few 100 m. So you're job is to swim the most direct line to the bouy regardless of where you start out. If you start out at the side, by the time you come back into the main line of the swimmers, they should be all thinned out. Just watch that you stay within the boundries of the start area. If you go outside of the boundries, someone will say something over the PA and you just correct your position.