Last week my pool was closed & since I am under three weeks until my HIM I was needing to swim. Combine that with a wetsuit that had not be tried out yet and you get the first OWS of the season. (My first ever in a wetsuit.)

Meteorologists in this area are saying our weather is about 6wks behind schedule. Getting temps above 70 has been more miss than hit, but there have been a few days.

Anyway, I knew the water would be cold. I'm just unsure if maybe it was too cold.

I did as instructed allowing some water into the suit before zipping it up, doubled up my swim-caps, etc. Upon putting my face in the water my body assumed I was suicidal & decided inhaling was the proper response. I've heard this is an issue w/ cold water so of course kept myself from breathing water, thankfully. I took a few strokes, but realized I would need to stand in the water for a bit and let my body adjust to the cold.

The second attempt to put my face in the water & swim was better. I picked a point to swim out to. Everything was going relatively okay until I realized how dizzy & disoriented I was becoming the further I got out. Had a hard time getting shore to look in-focus, not blurred, and things were kind of swirling.

Once I reached the shore at the point I swam out to I stood up in hopes to shake off some of the dizziness, it helped some. Arriving at the shore I originally set out from I was still feeling off, but not as bad.

I know I wasn't overexerting myself. My breathing was my normal 2-3-2 pattern. The water in the wetsuit warmed up quickly & I wasn't shivering badly when I reached either shore.

The part of the lake I swam wasn't wavy, but there were 20-25mph winds.

Has this happened to any of you before? Any ideas what it could have been?