Low-Profile Breathing is nothing more than going from Extended Balance with your face and nose pointed UP…

To Extended Balance with your nose pointed down. 

Practicing Nose Up/Nose Down teaches you to stay long and balanced, even as you rotate your body.

It also introduces rhythmic breathing, which is a key skill in Combat Side Stroke.

Start by getting balanced on your back…

…then balanced on your side…

…then balanced with one arm extended.  Remember that you must feel balanced and relaxed in each position before moving to the next.

Now simply swivel your nose and look at the bottom of the pool.  

Your body should rotate right along with your head, so that when you are nose down, you are exactly on your side, with one shoulder pointed down and the other shoulder pointed directly at the ceiling.  

The shoulders are stacked, one on top of the other.

Exhale slowly, then rotate back to air.  Return all the way to extended balance – so that you’re almost on your back.

Take a couple of easy breaths, then rotate nose down on your side.

If you are on your stomach, as this swimmer is, you’ve rolled too far. 

Roll to your back again, take a few breaths, and try again.

Here’s what you’re aiming for.  Notice how this swimmer stays as long as possible as he rotates from nose up… to nose down.  

As he rotates from one position to the other, there’s no gap between his head and shoulder.

Notice that he’s right on his side when he goes nose down, and that when he goes nose down, he also goes palm down.

On this clip, watch the swimmer’s eyes. Notice that he goes from looking straight up when he’s getting air… to looking straight down at the tiles when he’s nose down.

Notice his low profile -- how little of his body is above the water.

Also notice how relaxed his breathing is.  He takes two or three relaxed breaths in nose up…  and does a steady, relaxed exhale when he’s nose down.

Practice on both sides until you feel like you could do this all day long.  It’s a key move in Combat Side Stroke.

**Biggest Mistake Candidates Make**
When candidates are learning to go Nose Up/Nose Down, they tend to make three mistakes.

First, many candidates roll their head, but not the rest of the body.  This throws you out of alignment. 

You need to roll everything together – head, shoulders, torso, hips, and legs.

Second, many candidates roll too far and end up on their stomach.  This makes you slower.  

You’re much faster if you can be right on your side when you go nose down.  Think of the difference between a flat rowboat and a needle-thin kayak and you’ll get the idea.   

Third, many candidates lift their head to breathe instead of rolling to air.   This is a mistake that could cost you your life in a combat situation.  

The trick is to rotate to air rather than use the arm to push UP to air.  Rotation gives you a cleaner, lower profile.  Don’t turn your head into a target!


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Step #5: Low-Profile Breathing