swimming in a team tri

Get used to swimming in a crowd.  It's going to be an eye opener.    A triathlon swim is variously referred to as a washing machine, aquatic combat, swim melee,  and other apt descriptions.

Can you cover the distance?  Swimming in a tri relay is fun because, as you say, you can leave it all in the water.

Swim experience?  What is the distance? What kind of workouts are you doing now?  Masters swim?

At the most basic level, just make sure you can make the distance in any applicable time cutoff

My wife did a HIM relay with me a couple years ago at Wildflower.  I was worried that she wouldn't make the cutoff.  Turns out, I mistakenly told her the cutoff was 5 minutes slower thatn it really was, so she was a little stressed.  I was so proud  whan I came off the bike to find that she made it with plenty to spare

In relays that I have done (I usually bike) I have told my swimmer their leg is not over until I get the handoff. Exchange area is usually on the far end of transition area. You can make up time with a good run through the area. My swimmer was also a sprinter in track and passed about 20 people through this zone.

If its going to be an Open Water swim make sure to get some OWS practice.  Very important.  Open water swimming is different animal from pool swimming.

Thanks!  Good to know.

@ChrisM

I don't think the distance will be the problem.  Time and getting kicked in the head I'm a little more concerned with.  As to training, up until now just me doing my thing in a pool, sometimes pacing myself by others who happen to be in the pool at the same time, sometimes using kick board and pull buoy  to work on technique and mixing up distance vs sprint to work on endurance or speed.  Nothing real regimented/formal but at least consistent.

I'm a totally newbie to this organized stuff.  Swimming just has always been something that comes natural so I really have no concept of what I'm in for.