Bilgola Ocean Swim 1.5ks

Saturday morning conditions were like glass at the beach.

Turned up to Bilgola beach on Sydney's Northern Beaches this sunday morning for the swim. The conditions had changed to a choppy 3ft swell out the back.
I went in the 2nd wave of swimmers the 35-49 year group plus I think the 20 yr and under as well. The main group of 21-34 went off first.

Had my first problem just getting out through the break when my goggles decided they didn't like the waves and came off under the first wave. Unfortunately they are very hard to adjust when floating in surf so they had to stay around my neck or on my head.

So the pace of the swim went out the window and I just mostly breast stroked around the course. They stayed with the swim straight out course, go nth with the swell and then straight out into the southerly past the headland.
The turning buoy was a long way out and then it was a run back south across the beach into the southerly and then another buoy to back towards the beach.

Finally the last buoy enable me to catch a wave in. Much joy was had by the local Bilgola clubbies as they kept asking me if I had needed rescuing.
My answer was that I haven't been swimming much and I have run a marathon so I refuse to be rescued doing a 1.5k swim. Smartass I know.

Finish time was a very disgusting 42:37. The winner of my age group was Graeme Brewer ex Olympian in 19:xx with the winner doing 17:05.

Need more swimming practice but I had fun and that is the main thing. I think suddenly jumping to 1.5ks from only doing 500m in the pool was a dumb idea.

I believe there were about 600 people doing the swim today. Now how do I get this bloody texta off my arm. Any ideas you tri-athletes?