first tri in 2 months, haven't swam yet....

Depends how much time you are willing to dedicate. Nobody here can tell you how quickly you can improve your technique, it took me months to get the right technique to swim a few hundred meters non-stop, and that's swimming about 4 times a week. Others get ahold of it much faster, others much slower, so unfortunately your question is near impossible to answer since it's so individualized.

If you are already signed up then I would stop wondering what everyone here thinks and go swim as much as you can, take lessons immediately, and see how it goes. =)

get. in. the. pool.

I grew up in So Cal too.  I got in the pool to swim laps for the first time about 4 weeks ago.  Lap swimming is waaaay different than playing around in the pool or the ocean.  A lot will depend on how fit you are in general, how quickly you pick up on technique, and what your performance expectations are. 

I haven't taken any lessons yet, but in a month...can breath bilaterally but still feel more comfortable alternating sides every 5-10 strokes and can cover about 500-600 meters non-stop or 1800 meters with a few pauses at the wall (all freestyle).   Not fast or pretty but gets the job done.  I was comfortable doing 2 hr runs/3rh rides before getting into the pool so my endurance was decent.  While swimming isn't hard on the legs, it's still tiring, especially with an inefficient stroke. Tried a 5 mile run after a 1000 meter swim the other day and was pretty gassed on the run.

Don't forget that if the swim is in open water that means you not only need to get your stroke down but you will also have the challenge of open water and sighting.  As a new swimmer I don't feel comfortable just being able to cover the race distance in the pool.  Add open water and the chaos of a tri start and I feel like I'm setting myself up for trouble in the swim or at the least a hard bike and run if I use too much energy in the swim.  I'm looking at a sprint in Aug with an 800 meter ocean swim.  The plan is to attempt a few swims in the bay and take a few lessons over the next few weeks and see if I feel ready.

That being said, there are others who do fine in their first tri with little to no time in the water. 

how long is the swim ?

Sigh.......

This ^^^ 3 times a week at a minimum.

X2. swimming in a tri is not a game just look at the other thread this afternoon

I am a newbie and hopefully a triathlete( 1st sprint 7/18).  I am fit, a runner and can do the bike no problem but new at swimming..With 7 months of working on it and 6 lessons & 2 horrible OWS, I still think I am not ready.  I would never be ready in 3 months!  I agree with NC above..get the swimming down ..Still not sure if I am doing it..going back to OW tomorrow..stay tuned!

Wow. As said above, read the other thread for what happened in Philly. An open water swim is nothing to take for granted.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp...

Do not do the tri until you can swim comfortably in OPEN WATER (if it's an open water swim... I think it is)... for MORE than the distance of the race.

If it's 500 yards, make sure you can swim 800 or 1000 yards, in OPEN WATER before the race. If you can't do it, do not race.

Get swim lessons.

No reason to die over not wanting to lose the race entry fee.

Please be safe. Water kills. Keep that in mind and respect the water.

Swimming is one thing.. swimming with 100 or so swimmers from a deep water start is another.. Then mix in the OLY racers you will have a whole lot of company wanting to move forward. Just make sure your comfortable because the other challenge to the swim is others kicking swimming their arms in front of you!

I did my first sprint last month and that was after 7 months of training.  I was always comfortable in the water, but being comfortable splashing around with friends and doing some distance without a break are completely different.  My coach gave me a schedule to gradually build up my endurance because I couldn't just jump in and swim a mile without stopping.  I was lucky if I could do a 100!  Before my race my coach had me out in OW with him and then brought friends with him to grab my ankles, hit my back, hit my arms and cause chaos in the water for me.  That proved to be a huge help to me considering as I came up to sight once I got hit so hard in the forehead that I had to roll over on my back to get my eyes to stop wobbling..lol.  After that kind of training, I still had to resort to the side stroke and occasional backstroke due to just pure adrenaline and the craziness out there.  The swim was one of the main reasons I decided not to try a HIM this year....I knew I had no business biting off more than I could chew and the races aren't going anywhere.  But, you may turn out to be a fish and nothing like me at all.   Just be careful!!