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I can swim but I would like to be better at it. My main difficulty is mastering the breathing technique. My question is are there any tips, tricks, exercises I can do that will help?

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Are you for scuba?

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swim more, and when you don't choke on water you'll be fine.  

In reallity you should have a swimmer, or coach take a look at how you swim and then they could tell you want you're doing wrong.

For free style, keep your hips up and you look down towards the bottom of the pool.  When you breath just turn your head to the side, do not lift it.  Enter the water w/ your finger tips not the thumb(puts extra stress on your shoulder). Reach with every stroke, It should take you at most 20 strokes to swim 25yds.  15-17 is good. Inhale w/ mouth exhale completely before you take another breath.

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I'm a swim instructor.

Practice regulating your breathing while just standing in the water.

Blow bubbles at a normal exhaling pace while submerged, and only surface to take a breath, then back underwater.

For freestyle, Learn to pace your stroke, and try to regulate your breathing so you turn your head every third stroke. while keeping your ear in the water, Turn your head and slightly rotate your body to the side where your arm is at your side.

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The thing that helped me was to imagine that my body was a barrell and to roll my entire body with each stroke. When you roll your high side out
of the water take a breath. It's that simple. Think efficiency always efficiency.

I went from swimming 2 laps in a pool to swimming 1.2 miles in open water in about 4 months.

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Thats my problem is just getting the breathing down. I want to lift up and out of the water everytime.

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Learn to rotate your body, and keep your ear in the water. You barely even need to move your head to do it right.

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I'm a swim instructor.

Practice regulating your breathing while just standing in the water.

Blow bubbles at a normal exhaling pace while submerged, and only surface to take a breath, then back underwater.

For freestyle, Learn to pace your stroke, and try to regulate your breathing so you turn your head every third stroke. while keeping your ear in the water, Turn your head and slightly rotate your body to the side where your arm is at your side.

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4 Time All-America for Alfred University so this comes with a little credibility.

Swimming is all about balance in the water.

Its tough to say what you are doing correctly and what you need to work on without actually "seeing" you swim.

Are you swimming to stay in shape? A race? Or just some lessons? I swam the 50 and the 100 so breathing wasn't much a concern for me. No breaths in a 50 and only a handful for the 100.

Think of a pole going down from your head, through your neck and torso and spine. Think of this as an axis on which you will rotate. Many people often make the mistake of staying flat in the water and only rotating their hips...you want to be constantly rotating on that imaginary axis with your strokes. Don't look down at the bottom of the pool. You want to be riding high enough in the water and also having your head up so the water level is at your eyebrows. The first part of your stroke you want to "feel" the water. Then you want and downward out sweeping stroke. You don't want to pull straight through...think of a boat's propeller...the prop is twisted for a reason...and so should your stroke. At the furthest outward part of your stroke you will now do an inward sweep by turning the palm of your hand in. Think of a big ? (sort of) for the path of your stroke. Then you do a strong finish by using your tricep to "flick" out your hand and to prepare it for the recovery part. By the time you are finishing this part of the stroke you should be/have started your other stroke and rotating on that axis. On the recovery stroke you want to keep a HIGH elbow, which will help with the rotating. The more you rotate (to a point) the easier it is.

Let's say left hand first. And all this is going to be done at the same time. Left hand all the way out for the first part of the stroke. At the same time you will be rolled to your left side. Your head will now want to turn to the right. Take your breath now. Also, your right hand will be in the recovery stage from its stroke and with keeping your elbow high, and rotating in that imaginary axis your head should be in perfect position to take a quick breath with a SLIGHT turn of the head.

In through your mouth, out through your nose. Try to get the breathing down so you only need to beathe every three to five strokes. Alternative breathing is best. You can practice this by standing on land or in the shallow end, bend at the waist and watch your strokes.

Like I said, its tough without actually seeing what it is that you need to work on...

Hope this helps.

Carl

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Most important, only take breaths with your head above water. Otherwise, take lessons. Swimming is about proper technique.

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4 Time All-America for Alfred University so this comes with a little credibility.
........

Then you want and downward out sweeping stroke. You don't want to pull straight through...think of a boat's propeller...the prop is twisted for a reason...and so should your stroke. At the furthest outward part of your stroke you will now do an inward sweep by turning the palm of your hand in What do you mean by this? Like doing the "key hole" when you're doing fly?. Think of a big ? (sort of) for the path of your stroke. Then you do a strong finish by using your tricep to "flick" out your hand I am curious to when you swam because all of my coachs have told me that "flicking" was no longer done as well as this sweep of the hand. I swam in high school (2003-2007) and to prepare it for the recovery part. By the time you are finishing this part of the stroke you should be/have started your other stroke and rotating on that axis. On the recovery stroke you want to keep a HIGH elbow, which will help with the rotating. The more you rotate (to a point) the easier it is.