No need to make things more complicated as they are

It's 2.4 miles/3.8 km.

It doesn't matter what people measure it on the day or in previous year's events, come race day you still have to swim it whether it be measured slightly long or short.

Don't quibble over a few yards. If you can't swim 3 miles comfortably, there's every chance you can't swim 2.4 miles comfortably either.

And your day has only just begun.

You get in the water. You follow the people in front of you. You swim until you are finished. That's it, very simple.

I'd put it out of your mind. The IMFL swim is pretty tame... it's in a gulf and the water is reasonably clear so visibility is good. Navigation is easy.

No sweat, you've got this.

E

All of the following have me seriously nervous about the IM Florida swim:

1. I don't have access to the ocean
2. There seems to be unclear distance terminology among swimmers
3. I'm training without a wetsuit because the water may be too warm on race day
4. My Swim Buoy is a pain to lug around but I keep it so I don't get run over by a boat or jet ski and so I can keep my personals with me

I feel like I'm getting my rear end kicked while training for the IM Florida swim... Anyway, I'm sorry to whine or state so many "problems", but the main thing I want to know in this question is how long the IM Swim is. I just feel like whining today I guess...

How many yards long is the Ironman swim for real? There is the swimming mile (which isn't a full mile); the walking mile; and then, there is the nautical mile which is longer than a walking mile. Wikipedia shows the Ironman swim to be 2.4 miles long but how do I translate that to the yards that come back when I upload my eTrex 30x swims to Strava? I think Ironman swim is 2.4 walking miles but for all I know it could be 2.4 nautical miles... I don't know why swimmers think it is okay to "cheat" and call a swim mile (1650 yards), when I'm pretty sure an Ironman swim mile is longer than that...

NOTE: Because my eTrex 30x isn't waterproof, I tote it along in a Swim Buoy. Unfortunately, I sometimes wind up "fighting" with my Swim Buoy when the local "lake/river" gets a little rambunctious. Even so, the local lake or river (whatever it is) can't be anywhere near as wild as Panama City for IM Florida. I'm really sorry if this question has already been asked, but I'm training my rear end off for the IM Florida swim and I'm starting to have serious doubts about my ability to complete it within the required 2 hours and 20 minutes.

I don't know why swimmers think it is okay to "cheat" and call a swim mile (1650 yards), when I'm pretty sure an Ironman swim mile is longer than that...

And 1650 is meters per mile not yards,

No. 1609 metres to a mile.

I'm guessing you've never raced a mile on a standard athletics track? Take a look at where the startline is located.

I agree with most folks here....the swim leg is doable. Keep training and you should be fine.

But let me give you a bit of more details about the swim. You start on the beach and run into the water. Can't remember how far you can run in, but it's a fair distance, so that is some you don't have to swim. Then, depending on the tides, you may face some waves coming in against you as you start swimming. There will be some waves regardless as you swim out. The tides really only affect the swim for a short area, then you're past them. On the way out, you will go up and down a bit as the current of the water is towards shore and you're swimming the opposite way. Just focus on form, keep your technique solid and you'll be fine. Salt water and wetsuit really help with buoyancy, so if you're legs sink some in the pool, your form will be much better in the ocean on race day => this will be very helpful.

Once you get to the turnaround bouy, you have the tides and current helping you on the way back to the beach. It's a great feeling - almost feels like you're swimming 2x as fast as normal.

Once you hit the beach, you run/walk 20ish meters to your left to swim start and start over. I think there is a table with cups of water in case you need some.

Try to get to Panama City a few days ahead of the race and get some practice swims in. Those will help you settle your nerves and prepare you for the race. I think they put out the turnaround buoy the day before the race, so it's probably a good idea to stand on the beach, check out the buoy and visualize your race. As some others have said, a lot of IM racing (or participating if you're a MOP or BOP like me) is mental. If you've done your training, it's all about execution on race day - race day is really just a long training day. Don't over complicate it.

Good luck.