Blueberry, thanks for the links! Much more informative than the wikipedia article I read. And surprising how many of the swimmers were quite experienced and/or strong.

Many of the experiences described sound like precisely what happened to me. OK on the first half, in serious distress on the second. I might have been guilty of over-hydration as well. I wasn't visibly coughing up froth, though there was plenty of liquid in my lungs rattling around when I breathed or coughed. Perhaps I got out of the water "in time" to prevent it from reaching that stage. I'm petrified of drowning, but the idea of an experience so severe that one could essentially drown on dry land after getting out of the water is a horror I can't even contemplate.

Interestingly, I *did* get a bigger wetsuit (2 sizes bigger, actually!) this season, because a) I thought some of my panic issues might have been coming from the suit feeling too tight and b) I've gained (mumble-mumble) pounds in the last 2 years and am no longer in the size range of my old suit anyway. Where I was at the high end of the weight range for my old suit (when it still fit), I'm now at the low weight for my new suit. There's definitely a difference in how my chest feels. It's helped the feeling of panic, but hasn't eliminated it. I imagine this weekend's experience would have been worse in my old suit.