Yeah, I like that less faff, and less flappy drag.
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One of the reasons I stoped triathlons was due to an annoying irrational fear of water, so mass starts were not helpful for this, almost all the later mass starts I had to swim off the course and have a break as it was too intense for me.
So for sure wave starts really helped me.
But, being a more front of middle, back of front kind of guy, I get that it is not a race, I want to race and know where I am at, especially as running is my strength and reeling in runners is kind of fun 
When I qualified for the 1/2 worlds at exmoor, they had 2 starts, split at 40AG and up, but they also allowed any people wanting to race to to move up to the first wave. (as an aside, everyone swam wide that year, so I had an easy and relaxed swim on the inside and therefore shortest route).
So maybe they should do both, have a mass start for those that want it as that is part of triathlon? and then the rest. But to be considered for Kona etc you need to be in the mass start.
I have never seen a wave start (other than pens) outside of triathlon, though there is not enough numbers over here I suspect
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As a slightly above average swimmer I rarely had much biff or trouble and loved bigger starts and close contact, but at Hyde Park in 2009 someone decided that AG waves of 200 should start behind the elite pontoon and immediately turn right onto the course, this basically gave <50m until a 90 degree right turn and even the best didn’t have enough time to gap the field. I remember trying to breathe and getting dunked and every time I turned to breathe i was pushed under again. I actually rolled onto back and then got swam over and a kayaker actually see me in trouble but I found air and got back too it eventually but head was gone. Was the closest Ive come to binning a swim and quitting the sport as that was the worst race ever. Coming out of T1 there was a badly designed narrow exit for about 50 odd metres, basically enough for 2 wide. I was exiting with a para athlete with a “blade” of some sort and I was going slow to give him space when some utter cunt decided to shove past both of us (note i swam close to 30mins that day due to my issue so not race winning positions!) I ended up tripping and to avoid the para athlete ended up head first over the barrier in the “crowd” covered in sticky drink and a bike on too of me. I caught the guy on the bike less than a couple k in as he was so slow, and gave him a right mouthful of abuse and laughed at how shit he was whilst trying to get him to stop so I could have a firm exchange of views. That was also the year they routed the run 5 times around some fields with public everywhere. So much for WTS / ITU quality events 
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I was a volunteer that year, manning the crossing point on the barriered bit before the open field section.
I really felt for the poor sods who were told to try to go out and marshal what was essentially a fully open Hyde Park with no barriers or anything to separate the public from the crowd.
Fortunately, they learned lots of lessons for 2010 and 2011 
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yes i did 2011 and it was night and day, far better course going out to the Palace as well. 2009 was when the speed bumps were just left in as well on the bike, dreadful, but they put some ply over them essentially making them far more shallow in 2011
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2011 was basically the test event for the Olympics, so they could get away with far more disruption than in previous years.
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