Swim Fustration

I started from scratch and really appreciate the lessons I learned from reading the Total Immersion book plus watching a LOT of videos on YouTube.

I also had to work on breathing and spent some time (at the suggestion of a coach) simply standing in the shallow end and sticking my face into and out of the water, breathing.   I started with just putting my face in and out, then I added arm movements, to get used to turning my head, the splash, etc.   You will soon learn the rhythm of breathing out under water, when you can breathe in, and the angle you want your head, etc. You just need to get used to it.   Honestly you could do this in the bathtub at home...  

I also swam with the a pull buoy for a LONG time.     To swim you need to do a lot of things at once (balance, stroke, kick, rotate, breathe).  For me, since learning to breathe was so difficult, I took out the kick and balance by using the buoy.   I first just used the styro dumbbells at the pool used for water aerobic, but eventually bought my own buoy.  With that, I moved forward in leaps and bounds!  It also helped me quiet the urge to panic kick so that I was able to swim when I finally gave up on that "crutch." 

Just a few ideas  -good luck!

Couple things...

I recommend this type of nose clip.   I had a speedo brand which is hard to find, but that style doesn't fall off and also the strap helps you not lose it.  I had trouble with the plastic ones breaking in half, so my nose must be at least as big as yours. 

Avoiding water in the nose requires breathing out and turning your head the right way:

1.  Just as you do in real life, when you're not breathing in you need to be breathing out.  In your mouth, out your nose and mouth.  Do not hold your breath.  this is why I recommend standing in the shallow water to practice.

2.  You want to turn your head so that you're looing at your armpit, basically.   This shields your nose from the flow of water, too.    

Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pesi_zocmrM

Suzanne is right that breathing requires coordinating several things.

One way to start is to break it down into smaller parts like what BikerGrrl said.  The place to do this is on the wall.  You might feel silly but it lets you do ONE thing properly, then add the next, e.g.

1) laying on your stomach, hold the wall with both arms extended and kick lightly.

2) do 1, and put your face in and exhale.

3) do 2, turn your head to the side and inhale.  Focus on not lifting your head upward.

4) same thing but stroke with just one arm on the side you breath on.  practice the timing.

All of this should be *calm*, as relaxed as possible.  You should never feel like you're anxious for the next breath.

If the kick is messing you up, you can do all those things with a pull buoy instead.  Anyhow that will help your timing.  Once you get out in the pool and swim, keep the timing the same and let your body do some of the rotation.

Like someone else said no nose clip but just start exhaling as soon as you put your face back in the water. It is much easier to learn this now than to relearn after you get used to the crutch of a nose clip.

Keep training....and it will click in time.

I took private TI lessons and it took me about 3 months for it to all finally click so I could swim, feel comfortable and keep swimming without stopping all the time.