Breathing into or away from waves? Generally the advice is to breathe away from waves. 
Remember its nothing to do with how far you swim, but how well you swim. 
water is 80 times more dense than air, so being stronger in the water will not necessarily help. Being streamlined through the water is the single biggest improvement you can make. Streamlining is the holy grail of all swimmers, skiers, Formula 1 cars and Americas Cup yachts. 
Good swimming is about using the core of the body; your hips, stomach, lower back, and chest. Top swimmers roll the core of the body from one side to the other, while keeping the head fixed, as if rotating the body on a spit. When you rotate like this, you can reach further forward on each stroke and maximise your stroke efficiency. 
The key to a good flip turn is to get a bit closer to the wall than you feel comfortable doing. Put your chin on your chest and curl into as tight a ball as you can as you roll over in one continuous movement. Your feet should start the push just before they touch the wall so you bounce off the wall in that tight, streamlined shape.
The reason people feel frustrated with swimming is because they dont know how to improve. Swimming requires skill and that skill needs to be practised. 
It appears odd, but swimming fewer lengths, with more rest, but at a slightly higher level, will have a far more beneficial impact on both technique and general fitness for the period of time you are in the water, than just swimming up and down non stop. 
Count your strokes. In a 25m pool, if you count every arm stroke, you will see people doing 20 or 30 strokes. Good swimmers will do 10-14 strokes, so you should aim at no more than 20. Count the number of strokes you do in an average length. Now see if you can do two strokes less. Remember, efficiency is the key. 
The key to good backstroke is a still head. You should be able to balance a cup of tea on there. For this exercise, balance your goggles, or a plastic cup with some water in, on your forehead and swim slowly for five minutes
I learned open water swimming in windy New Zealand including doing races in Wellington. I like to breathe towards the waves because I can roll more and get my windward arm over the wave, plus I can time my stroke so that I maintain a better rhythm. 
If youre planning your race strategy during a race or just before stepping up to the blocks, you have missed a major goal of going to practice every day. 
Play catch up. Catch up is the king of swimming drills. Kicking strongly, with arms outstretched in a long streamlined shape, pull with one arm and recover fully. Once you have finished one complete arm cycle, start with the other arm for a complete cycle. Swim the length like this, one arm at a time, then swim a length normal front crawl, then rest and repeat. 
For the breaststrokers, swim two leg kicks for every one arm pull. Try to concentrate on the following pattern: kick pull kick, pause, kick pull kick, pause. Remember to stretch out with the arms during the pause. 
Once in a while, have fun by forgetting about style and getting stuck into some all out sprints. Do four lengths as fast as possible with as much rest as you like after each length until you feel ready to go again. Really go for it! It will make your normal swimming feel so much easier. 
There is no need to embarrass yourself with a fancy flip turn that goes wrong. A touch turn is just as good. As you touch the end, the secret is to keep your eyes fixed on the wall in front of you as you bring your knees up sharply to your chest. When your feet hit the wall, make that tight arrow shape as you push off for the next length. 
Don't just dive in the pool and start swimming. First, take a few minutes to fully stretch your arms and shoulders, chest, lower back and legs. And have a plan for your workout. Just swimming lap and after lap, mile after mile, is not a smart way to build strength or endurance.
Interval Training Makes You Faster, Stronger.
Try interval training to perk up your workouts and boost your fitness. You can choose from many plans and schemes, but basically, break down that mile you usually swim into a series of wind sprints, followed by brief rests. To get started, swim five lengths as fast as you can, then rest 15 seconds, then swim another five lengths ... Keep resting and repeating until you've done 10 sets. Make a game of it. Alternate easy lengths with fast lengths. 
Swim fins, hand mitts, paddles, and kickboards are all ways to make your swim workouts more fun and challenging. You can even swim to music these days, with a specially designed radio that fits into a waterproof bag. The idea is to be creative, keep improving and enjoy your workout. 
Swimming is only one way to get fit in the pool. More and more, people are doing deep-water workouts to build strength, boost endurance and rehabilitate after injury. The secret to success is a buoyancy vest that keeps you suspended in deep water as you run, walk, kick, twist, imitate cross-country skiing, etc. Exercising in water gives you 12 times the resistance of exercising on land, so be careful not to overdo it. But try it! It's a great workout.
Dont use a new set of goggles for an important race. Use a tried and tested pair.
Remember to glide off the wall after those turns - coming up too early can slow you down.
Dont swim in Grimsby Dock! - it can seriously damage your health - trust me.
Men ! make sure those trunks are tied up before you dive in.
If your goggles mist up during your swim try keeping them dry instead of washing them out before you start.
If you're having a bad training session just try and appreciate that you're actually in the pool swimming - and not at work or school.
