I think it depends on the individual, whats more comfortable to you. I breath out through my mouth and nose and breath in mostly through my mouth. Whatever gets the air out and in quicker, works, even if it means making a weird face when breating and making sure no water goes in mixed in with some air :)

Usually just takes some time to figure out whats more comfortable for you.

Maks

+1 to Maks - Do what it takes.

I breath out through my nose and in through my mouth. I sometimes forget what I am doing and will inhale mid length, never works well. I wind up spitting and sputtering for at least a lap or so.

I would say that you should be able to breathe out of both your mouth and nose, but allow circumstances dictate when you do each. Breathing in through the mouth is really the only efficient way when swimming. By breathing out through the nose you can extend the number of strokes between breaths without feeling like you are holding your breath. Breathing takes practice and like everything else, maybe more so, you will find what works best for you.

What is it with the breathing specifically that is frustrating you?

Part of the problem is that you're thinking about breathing, rather than thinking about rhythm. In the course of a day, you don't breathe exclusively through your mouth, your nose, or both. You do some combination of the three based on what your body naturally requires. Breathing in the swim is no different. Your level of effort, fatigue, and air intake will vary in the course of a workout - so too will your breathing requirements. Focus first on developing a stroke/rotation rhythm. Your breathing will naturally accommodate it.

I try to breathe in when my face is above the water line and out when my face is below. Seems to work out best this way ;-P

This is totally individual. I swim competitively at the varsity level, and I would say that most people I know blow through the nose, but again, you have done all of them, so keep doing which ever works/feels best for you. I personally exhale through the nose (keeps it nice and clear!)

[quote=the staring man]The big frustration is feeling the someone is standing on my chest during the swim. It just feels like its struggle to breath properly. I try to slow down the pace so I can consentrate on the stroke, breathing, and kick so I dont know if i'm not inhaling enough or if I'm exhaling incorrectly.
Your thoughts please....[/quote]

I had a similar problem. For me, I found that I wasn't exhaling enough, so my breaths in were shallow and short. I couldn't do more than a few lengths before stopping gasping for air.

To fix it, I practiced at the side of the pool doing bobs... put head under, blow out ALL the air, then come up and inhale, repeat. That helped get used to deep breathing in water.

jono

[quote=the staring man]3xfast,

The big frustration is feeling the someone is standing on my chest during the swim. It just feels like its struggle to breath properly. I try to slow down the pace so I can consentrate on the stroke, breathing, and kick so I dont know if i'm not inhaling enough or if I'm exhaling incorrectly.
Your thoughts please....[/quote]

Well first lets assume that you have not medical concerns that might limit your breathing that would be exacerbated by swimming (like asthma, hyperventilation syndrome, vocal chord dysfunction). Let back up a bit and discuss how to breathe. Here is an exercise to try out of the pool, 5 min/day min. Budda breaths: place once hand on your stomach, sit or stand upright, breathe in slowly through the nose and let the air distend your belly. Breathe out through your mouth (goal is a count of 6 or more in and 8 or more out). Do not use your upper chest, keep the shoulders relaxed, looking in a mirror your shoulders shouldn't move much if any, only your belly. This exercise strengthens your diaphragm, the primary breathing muscle. Most adults, especially Americans, tend to breathe shallow, this causes the diaphragm to move up into the rib cage. This exercise will help it to drop lower, increase lung capacity (slightly) and allow you to get more air, deeper into the lungs. This will take a fair bit of practice.
During swim practice, try using fins while swimming so you can focus on just the breathing. Alternate breathing is preferred, don't hold your breath, try and have your lungs empty (or close) before taking a breath. I breath out with both my mouth and nose, varying it quite a bit. The secret is to always be exhaling at least a small amount when your face is in the water. We call it motorboat with kids for the mouth, and underwater humming for the nose.

Try not to get too frustrated, breathing is the hardest part of swimming to master. Hope this helps some.

+1 to 3xfast. The breathing 3xfast is describing I have read about also in a running mag. Incidently, it is also a focus in singing. In order to hold a long note singers need to be able to control their breathing. I have been focusing on this type of breathing for that past few months and it does make a difference. If you watch kids breath they breath with their stomachs and not with their sholders. All kids do it.

I exhale out both my nose and mouth but that also depends on what I am doing. If I am doing a flip turn, I exhale totally out of my nose. Right after I take a breath I push some air out of my mouth to make sure I don't have water in there. (I think that is something I developed from swimming as a kid)