should i worry about kick turns?

To answer your question:  No, you don't need to worry about kick turns.  Actually the more commonly used term is FLIP turns.

There was a nice long discussion not too long ago about flip turns in the following link:

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=258786&start=1

They do help with a rhythm, but I don't do them too much.

Most ppl will agree that pool times are generally faster than OWS times. Part of it is the kick off the wall. You can glide, even if it over the course a second or two. This also helps a bit with fatigue. The shorter the pool, the more you kick off the wall. Over the course of 1000s of meters, this can add up.

If you don't kick off the wall, no biggie, methinks.

I didn't worry about doing them when I first started but I learned how for this season at the urging of our coach and I found she was right. Doing them helps with my form. I can feel how I'm supposed to be moving through the water. So I am going to keep doing them.

I am faster in open water though. Always have been.

There is no side wall every 25 metres to get a breather in an ocean swim!!!

Learn to flip turn. Once you get the hang of it, it is actually quite easy. 

I didn't worry about them at all for about 4 years, however I wasn't doing open turns either.  I modified my turn by not taking any breaths at the "T" and I would spin and do a light tap off the wall.  It just worked for me and I wasn't getting the extra breath and little break at the wall.  The biggest complaint about people not doing flip turns is that their open turns allow them an extra breath and a very quick break every 25-50yds.

In the past few weeks I began doing flip turns "just cause"  they're kind of fun and I am still able to do my light tap off the wall.  (I found when I push hard off the wall I get foot cramps.)

So ... aside from the arguing over "to do or not to do" ... is there a good training - video source on how to do these? 

I'd like to add these into my swim workout,but find these really hard to do.  I'm not doing something right, because it's way to hard for me to do a flip turn.