I don't want to freak you out before your race, but you need to be aware that swimming with LOTS of people around you is going to be very different than swimming with just one other person. There is a lot of chaos at the start swim - bumping, splashing - and it can very difficult to get into a rhythm. Add to that the adrenaline of being in the race, and it is not uncommon for your heartrate to skyrocket and to have a mini panic attack. Recognize that this is normal, and have a plan - doing a little breaststroke while you get your breathing under control is a good plan. As for tips...
-If you have the opportunity to warm up in the water, do so. Swim out to the first buoy so that you have a general idea of where you will be going and how long it will take you to get there.
-Watch the earlier swim waves to get an idea for what is coming. You'll want to know if the start is from on land or in the water.
-Line up at the back of your group. You might want to even wait a few seconds after your wave starts just to give you a little space from the chaos.
-Have a plan or strategy to keep your mind occupied. Personally I find that counting strokes in between sighting both keeps me relaxed, and also reminds me to look up and sight.
-There will be plenty of lifeguards. Keep reminding yourself that you are safe and that you can do this. If you need to stop and tread water, or do a little breaststroke to help you relax, than do so.

Good luck! You'll be fine!

Try your best to stay calm and relax. Try your hardest not to race in the swim. That might sound silly, but if you race and start loosing your breath then start to panic it can equal disaster. My first OWS, I stayed relaxed as much as possible and had an awesome swim.... like 5th overall out of the water awesome. My last OWS, I raced, I did panic, I got lost, I got sea sick, I almost quit, and it was terrible.

Spot the people out there on kayaks before you start.... they are there to save your life if needed.

You are going to do great!

Even if there are a ton of people at the start, it's still possible to avoid the worst of the body contact if that will freak you out. I tend to stay off to one side. You won't be the first one out of the water, but you'll be relaxed enough to play catch up on the bike and run. Doing a little breast stroke is helpful if sighting during freestyle is challenging. Shifting your perspective also helps reduce frustration- being part of a mob of people who miss having their own lane and a clear black line to follow can be quite entertaining.

Based on your question I have to assume this upcoming sprint Tri will be your first race. If so, here are a few tips and perspectives that should help you with the swim as well as the event:

1. Approach this race with a goal to COMPLETE rather than COMPETE. Once you a get a few races under your belt than start focusing on your winning division. It is more important to gain experience in the various challenges of triathlon (i.e. OWS) rather than standing on the podium.

2. With that said, take your time, relax, laugh at yourself and enjoy the day. No need to aggressively plunge into the water at the swim start. Let everyone else dolphin dive to the front while you begin with a relaxed even stroke in open uncongested water. This way you won't have to endure the first buoy logjam.

3. The hardest part is behind you. Training is usually much more difficult than participating. You've already logged countless miles/meters so what's another 500m swim. Think of it as just another workout segment. A piece of cake!

4. OWS is a point to point task. No matter if you freestyle, side stroke, butterfly, backstroke or doggy paddle, just get in and get out! As mentioned previously, please no breast stroke. A foot flying out of the darkness and smashing a nose is not pleasant.

5. This is important - have you practiced navigating or sighting in the pool? Unlike a pool lane, the lake won't have a thick black line to follow. You must be aware of where you are heading on the swim course. That will require you to occasionally lift your eyes out of the water to look forward to find the buoy. Don’t assume the swimmer in front of you is heading in a straight line. Not having a sense of direction during the OWS may result in zig-zagging which will add distance. Try swimming in the pool a la Tarzan...head up sighting to the end of your lane. Try to sight about every ten strokes. This may feel awkward at first but sighting is an essential skill in OWS.

6. As others have suggested, get to the race early and warm up in the water beforehand. I've done more races than I can count and I've never seen a race that won't allow you in the water provided you are there early enough.

7. Finally, speaking of early, arrive at the race site as early as possible. This last thing you need is being stressed looking for a parking spot or being rushed setting up transition. Get set up, take a few selfies, make new friends in the porta potty lines, yap it up with people in your wave, etc. The more relaxed you are, the better you'll do - that's a guarantee.

I won’t say good luck – luck has little to do with triathlons. It’s all about training and enjoying yourself. So have fun! We expect a full report next week.