Getting water up your nose while swimming won't kill you, but it can make you cough, sputter, choke and take the fun out of being in the lake or pool. While donning a pair of nose clips may seem to be the easy and obvious solution, you'll be better off working on your swimming form and exhalation to correct the problem.
Exhalation
Water up your nose will not be a problem if you exhale through your nose while you're in the water. Rather than holding your breath while your face is submerged, try slowly blowing the air from your lungs out through your nose. If you're doing it properly, you'll see bubbles emerge and surround your face. Use the underwater exhalation for all your swimming strokes, even when you are swimming under water. Exhaling while swimming makes you more relaxed. It also expels carbon dioxide from your body.
Sinking
Practice exhaling while you're in the water by sinking to the bottom of the pool. You won't be able to sink unless you expel the air from your lungs, so you will know if you're holding in the air. Start standing in the shallow area or treading water in the deep end of the pool and prepare to lower yourself straight down to the bottom of the pool. Begin to exhale the moment your head drops beneath the water. Continue to exhale as you sink all the way to the bottom. Resurface only after all the air is out of your lungs.
Bilateral Breathing
Once you've mastered exhaling while swimming, you can work on bilateral breathing while swimming. This type of breathing, used in the freestyle or forward crawl, consists of moving your head to each side to take a breath. You might be a swimmer who tends to favor one side over the other to take a breath while swimming freestyle, a move that can slow you down and make your strokes lopsided and sloppy. Instead, practice moving your head to both sides during the freestyle, taking a breath from your left and your right every third stroke, while exhaling through your nose while your face is in the water.
Considerations
The position of your head can also contribute to water getting up your nose. Proper swimming posture dictates your nose be pointed at the bottom of the pool when your face is in the water. When you turn your head to breathe, keep your neck in a straight line. Refrain from arching your neck back, which will take your face out of the water and result in water rushing up your nose. A nose clip remains your last resort, although it will not correct the real issue behind the problem.
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