Open Water Breathing Strategies: Choosing Between Unilateral and Bilateral Breathing

Introduction

“Do you breathe to the left or the right?” This question doesn’t matter much in a swimming pool, but in open water, your breathing pattern can determine whether you stay on course, avoid oncoming waves, or even affect how you distribute your energy over long distances.

Taiwanese triathletes often lose ground in the swim leg, largely because they fail to adjust their breathing strategy to the characteristics of open water. This article draws on exercise physiology and practical racing experience to help you build a flexible breathing decision-making ability.

Basic Comparison of the Two Breathing Patterns

The fundamental skill most open-water experts recommend is: use 3-beat bilateral breathing as your primary training rhythm in the pool, and adjust flexibly based on conditions during open-water races.

Analysis of Four Open-Water Breathing Scenarios

Scenario 1: Calm Water (Lakes, Windless Days)

Taiwan’s Chengcing Lake and Sun Moon Lake are quite calm when the wind is light—the closest open-water conditions to a swimming pool.

Recommended strategy: Use 3-beat bilateral breathing as the primary pattern, and with each breath, take a quick glance to sight your direction, combining breathing efficiency with navigation.

Scenario 2: Crosswind and Side Waves

When waves hit you from one side, every breath risks inhaling spray—the most common cause of choking for beginners.

Recommended strategy: Switch to breathing on the side away from the waves (the opposite side of the oncoming wind and waves). For example, if waves come from the left, breathe only to the right, even if you’re used to breathing left. Practicing “non-dominant side breathing” deliberately in the pool is very important.

Scenario 3: Head-On Waves (Waves Coming Straight at You)

The most common situation in open-water swimming—there’s a wave in front of you every time you breathe.

Recommended strategy:

• Reduce breathing frequency, switching to breathing once every 2–3 stroke cycles
• Breathe quickly in the gap between wave crest and trough
• Briefly switch to a dolphin wave motion to get through the wave zone

Scenario 4: Sprinting and the Final 100 Meters

Before the swim finish in a triathlon, or during the final sprint of a long-distance swim, your body is fatigued and needs more oxygen.

Recommended strategy: Switch to 2-beat unilateral breathing, sacrificing a bit of directional stability for more ample air intake, preparing yourself for the T1 transition.

Advanced Breathing Control Techniques

Explosive Exhalation

Many swimmers inhale well but exhale incompletely—they don’t fully exhale while their face is in the water, so when they turn to breathe, they gasp for air before their mouth even clears the surface, which easily leads to choking.

Practice method: In the pool, practice “exhaling through both nose and mouth while submerged,” ensuring your mouth is empty when your face breaks the surface so you can take a full breath immediately.

Stabilizing Breathing Rhythm

Open-water beginners often hyperventilate due to nervousness, entering a state of over-breathing that ironically causes dizziness and panic.

Practice method: Before every swim, take 3–5 deep breaths to relax, and deliberately slow down your breathing rhythm for the first 30 seconds of swimming to let your body settle.

Training Plan for Building Bilateral Breathing Ability

For swimmers accustomed to unilateral breathing, building bilateral breathing ability takes about 4–6 weeks of systematic training:

• Weeks 1–2: Force yourself to use non-dominant side breathing for the final 500 meters of every session
• Weeks 3–4: Complete all training distances using 3-beat breathing (even if your pace slows down, that’s fine)
• Weeks 5–6: Start swimming with a mixed pattern: 3-beat on straight sections, switching when approaching buoys or waves

Practical Recommendations

• Deliberately practice breathing on both sides during training: Even in the pool, have at least one session per week where you breathe exclusively on your non-dominant side
• Understand the wind and wave characteristics of your race venue: The Sun Moon Lake swim is usually calm with a morning breeze, so 3-beat breathing works well; sea races require preparation for side waves
• Observe the water the day before the race: Confirm the dominant wave direction and decide in advance which side to breathe on
• Accept a temporary drop in speed: Your pace will decrease when you first start practicing bilateral breathing—this is normal. Stick with it, and your overall swimming quality will improve significantly

Conclusion

Breathing strategy is not about “picking one and sticking with it forever”—it’s a skill that requires dynamic adjustment based on water conditions, distance, and energy levels. For Taiwan’s open-water swimmers, the most practical goal is: build a foundation of bilateral breathing ability, then learn to “read the water” in open water—choosing the best breathing direction based on the waves. This skill will make every swim safer and more efficient.

Related Reading

• Advanced Open-Water Breathing Rhythm: The Tactical Value of Bilateral Breathing
• Freestyle Breathing Technique: Bilateral Breathing Training Methods and Race Applications
• Open-Water Breathing Rhythm: Maintaining Technique Over Long Distances
• How to Learn Bilateral Breathing in Freestyle: Methods, Pros, and Cons