Problems with Front Crawl Side-Breathing

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

I am a beginner swimmer, and I have  done 16 classes.

Problems with Front Crawl Side-Breathing--
 a. As soon as I exhale,I sink 6 inches.
  b. As soon as I turn my face, my body doesnt stay flat on water, instead it sinks.
  c.I run out of breathe within 15 metres.
  d. water goes up my nostrils and mouth.
   e. Withing 10-15 metres I lose momentum and lose the rythm and position.

ANSWER: It can take a while to get the breathing technique. Try these tips and let me know how they work.

1. First, get some swim fins. They will make it easier for you to swim and breathe. You can work on technique without worrying about sinking.

2. Try a nose clip. They take a bit of getting used to but may help with the water going in your nose. Water will occasionally go in your mouth. You have to push it out underwater.

The technique most swimmers use is to use air pressure in the sinus cavity to keep the water out of the nose.

3. Turn your body to breathe, not just your head. This will make it a lot easier. You are probably lifting your head which will make you sink. (The lower you are in the water, the more you float. The higher you try to get, the more you will sink.)

4. If you're running out of breath then you are probably not exchanging enough air when you breathe or breathing enough.

*Breathe every stroke.
*Go slow and relax. Don't go for speed. It should feel more like walking then running.

5. This could be something that you're doing wrong. Most instructors don't teach it...
When you breathe, barely open your mouth. Tilt your jaw to the side to open the lips just barely.

When you exhale underwater, keep the lips lightly together so that as you blow out the air goes "pppfffftttt". If you stop exhaling, the lips should seal. It is not like blowing out a candle.

6. Finally, swim a length, stop practice breathing on the wall (10 to 20) then swim another lap. Always practice the breathing technique on the wall and then swim.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks, couldnt try all of it.

Tried half of them and they worked like miracles, thanks a lot.

Another problem creeped up. I tried sculling, the instructor taught me to scull in and out 45 degrees. Tried it to lift myself but it doesnt lift me. I tried sculling faster, but it only supports my head for 10 seconds before the hands ache.

My Questions are:
1. How do I scull accurately?
2. How do I egg-beater?

Note: I saw some videos on sculling and egg-beater even though it takes long time to download on 100kbps (here in Bangladesh the highest speed is 500kbps and thats for commercial). So if you can give me a link on some diagram,  or written words, it would be helpful.

Thanks

Answer
Sculling is a good skill to develop. If you can get your head up for 10 seconds that's very good. Lift it up, get a breath, then put it back down. Staying above the water is difficult. Floating in the water is easy. So you work a bit to get up and breathe...then you relax and float.

As far as sculling faster...don't. You want to practice being relaxed and doing things easy. Speed becomes exhausting and inefficient. Do it as slow and relaxed as possible. If you want to practice it more, I'd add a pull-buoy or other floatation device to make it easier.

Unless you're playing water polo or synchronized swimming you don't really need an eggbeater kick. Again, staying up is hard (keeping your head up) and takes physical stamina (along with some skill). Also, if you're lean and muscular you might not float well which will make it a little tougher.

This is my favorite video for what a good egg-beater kick should look like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nWgS4CC9R0

Practice on the steps (or even sitting in a chair). Then do it holding on to the wall. Then a floatation device...then moving forward using a kickboard...then without the board. It takes a while to get (like everything). Best of luck!