Sighting issues

I know my first OWS I sighted well, but did have a little bit of that leg sinking feeling. My second one was so much better, I felt like I was in a great rythm, no trouble at all. So from the sound of it, you will feel more comfortable with it after another time or two at it. I know I did.  One question, did your goggles fog at all? My second OWS I used an anti fog wipe on my goggles. Holy crap! I could not believe the difference. Crystal clear the entire swim. So instantly upon lifting my head I could see right where I was. So there was really no lag, I didn't really even have to delay my stroke at all.

More practice, and it sounds like you are lifting your head up to look forward, causing the back of your body to sink.  You need to incorporate your sighting into your breathing pattern.   When i sight, instead of turning my head (along with my body) to the right, I look forward slightly, my head doesn't come much more out of the water than nose level.  Sometimes have to look 2 or 3 times before you see what you need to see.

If you can, it makes it much easier if you can line up something on land, a telephone pole, pier, house, building, mountain, whatever, more or less above the buoy you are aiming for.  Much easier to see

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Yes, my left googles were  foggy and I finally had to stop at one point to wipe them off.  I think I was straining so hard to see that I was looking forward much more than normal.  Thanks for the responses, it sounds like a little more practice and trying not to look straight ahead should be helpful and I will work on that.

After the turnaround, and with clear goggles, I did get some clear water and I breathe on both sides and seemed to be going pretty straight.  I tried closing my eyes in the pool one time and seriously almost had a panic attack...it wasn't pretty.

You also go slower by not having walls to push off from.

I agree, sighting occurs with breathing, and the goal is to NOT lift your head up much. The more you lift the more your legs sink.

I employ an opposite technique from ChrisM, where I sight AFTER I breath as my head is recovering from a breath. I breath normally, then as my head would roll back into the water I roll it slightly forward, just enough that the goggles are cresting on the water surface. I take my sight then go back to a streamline position.

Neither technique is right or wrong, it's a personal preference. Try both and find what's best for you, either way the key is to keep your head low as possible.

Definitely practice in the pool, place a cone or something at each end of the lane and practice sighting it. Move it around so you can practice sighting it when it's to the left or right of your line of sight. During this practice try to make the sighting as natural a part of your stroke as possible.

Also, as you keep working on bilateral breathing you'll hopefully swim straighter and have to sight less often. I only sight every 12 strokes by default now that I am confident that I can swim straight.