Is it just me?

My first couple tri's were TT starts. I was actually disappointed as I wanted to try the mass start. I'm not sure if I actually look forward to it now that I've done a few, but I definitely don't mind it.

I don't liket much and try to avoid it as I don't swim well....BUT.....the kids I'm around who swim at the Jr. level just love it.  At AG nationals this year my kid said that when his AG lined up he was looking around and quite a few of them knew each other from the Jr. Elite series, etc.  He said there was quite a bit of jockeying for position and that every time he caught one of those kid's eyes they shared a big smile with each other, knowing what was coming. Some of the races he does are wars on the swim, and those kids are truly battle tested. ......and I've watched him and his sister practice for hours in our small backyard pool learning to roll over other swimmers, etc. You are not alone.

nationals was a rough swim.

I would not say I love it, but I also do not fear it. Bumping in the water doesn't bother me, and I am lucky enough to have never been kicked hard or hit across the face yet. As long as it is done in competition and not as a deliberate act, then I am good.

Swim!  It's not a pool swimming laps....in fact, I've never heard of someone thinking they can tap the foot in front of them, in an open water swim race, and that person will give way.  If someone wants to pass you they can swim faster, or over you, or whatever....it's a race.  You are under no obligtation, or etiquette, to stop swimming so they can pass.

Etiquette varies depending on your position in the race.

If you are a FOP swimmer there aren't much for rules. As LB said, it is a race, swim as fast as you can as hard as you can and expect to get knocked around and do some knocking back.

For those of us in the MOP or BOP on the swim it is more of getting it done in a decent time or just surviving. There are still no "rules" but the following works well for me. If I touch feet in front of my that is my que to alter course and go around them. I will go to the side a bit and pass them. Once I am front of them I will go easy on the kicking for a bit until there is some space.

If I feel someone brush my feet with their hands I will reduce my kick or stop kicking to give them a chance to go to the side before they get kicked in the face. I do not alter course, if they want to go around me it is up to them to get it done. I do stop the kicking or slow it down just as a courtesy as I know I don't like getting kicked in the face, but I don't slow down or change course to "get out of the way". Worked well for me and the people around me in my IM swim and many seemed to do the same.

The one thing that does pi$$ me off in OWS is when some d-bag decides to breast stroke. Some "large" individual in my IM swim thought it would be cool to breast stroke/frog kick as he couldn't hack it. Caught my square in the chest as I come up beside him, never wanted to drown someone so much in my life. As I went by he kicked 3-4 other people as well. Total d1ck move. 

I kinda like it too, but then again I haven't come out of the water with a broken jaw like some people have.

Sometimes breast stroke the only stroke people know how to do.  I give them credit for even tackling a tri when they can't swim freestyle.  Now, if they were FOP, that might be one thing, but as you said, for MOP/BOP folks, it's mostly just a matter of finishing.  If they have to breast stroke to do it, then so be it.  It's not like they're doing it just to intentionally kick people. 

Or maybe they could properly prepare for the sport they are attempting rather than putting the safety of others at risk?

I really don't enjoy it. 

Mark

Sometimes the faster you get the worse it is.  At some of the races we go to 50% of the racers can swim a 5:00 500......it's ALWAYS brutal at the first buoy. A few might make it through clean, but the rest are in for a fight.   Even at AG nationals 2 years ago they necked the swim down in both directions under a bridge.  It gave you maybe 15 yards to get through in both directtions, with 3 or 4 swim waves overlapping......it was a MESS for the folks who don't like to deal with contact.  The bottom line, even as much as I don't enjoy the contact but understand it's part of the deal, is that you should be well prepared for contact in any open water triathlon swim.  if you aren't, do pool swim races until you are.  That may include, as dmiller said, sitting out until you can freestlye the length of your race.

I don't mind it at all anymore.  Mainly because I have the confidence in the water to handle the situation.  I think I've also developed an extra gear so I can accelerate to take advantage of an opportunity or avoid trouble and then fall back into my race pace.

I to strongly dislike the threat of being kicked by a breaststroker.  When visibility is limited it can be hard to see to avoid and getting kicked in the face is a serious hazard.

If I feel a tap on my foot, I don't intepret it as a signal to let someone through.  More times than not it's someone drafting off me and that's fine unless it's every other stroke they are hitting me and than I'll try to lose them.

I always seize the opportunity to re-post this classic swim start video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3S0wu4Zbfk