Subject: RE: Swimming-breathing I used to breathe only on my dominant side ( right side ). About July I decided screw it, I'm going to breath on my left side too. I swallowed some water and felt awkward for about 2 weeks ( swim 3x/ wk ) but then it seemed to click. Since then, I breath bilaterally on all my swims, alternating sides each breath.
I think it's helped a tremendous amount in terms of having a balanced stroke, which has contributed in large part to my swim ability improvements over the last 5 months.
In my open water swims, I've had to sometimes breath more frequently on one side or the other depending on waves/sun as has been pointed out already.
So, definitely, I agree 100%, that learning to bi-lateral breath is an excellent skill to focus on, and will contribute to your overall ease and comfort in the water, which equates to more efficient swimming in both the short and long term.
-Chris |