1st open water swim

Tonight I went for my 1st open water swim of the season.  With only five weeks to go I need the practice as it is different from swimming in a pool - no blue line to follow!  The water was so cold I had to wear swimming socks and a neoprene swim cap with chin band.  I don't care what it looked like but without that, and the wetsuit of course, I wouldn't have been able to get into the water.
I knew in advance that it wasn't going to be pleasant.  When you face goes under the water the cold literally takes your breath away.  You feel that your wetsuit constricts your chest, your heart races and your breathing is all over the place.  If you don't site every 4 strokes, that is look at an object on the horizon, you go off course and take a much longer route.  And despite knowing your ok there is an element of panic.  So a 600m swim feels a lot harder but I've been here before and know that after a few more outings I will be ready for the UK 70.3 IM 1.9km swim in the cold Wimbleball Lake.
I actually prefer the open water as there is no chlorine and the wetsuit makes up for my poor kicking by keeping me afloat.  Just need to work on the different technique and get over the mental side of the open water swim.  At least Nessie is in Loch Ness and I know Jaws is a rubber shark in Disney!