I've been using the pull buoy for practicing my bi-lateral breathing - it keeps me stable-er, so I'm getting better at it a little at a time.

try it!

Can you slow yourself down and do some drills practicing breathing on your left side? What if you were to lay on your right side right arm extended, right ear on right arm, left arm down by your side and just kick. Stay on your side. You might need to lean either forward or backwards to get your most comfortable center to stay on your side and swim straight (it takes a little time but have patience with yourself). When you need to breathe, turn your head to the side for air. Do this for both sides (one lap left side, next lap right side). Then add your arms for a full stroke. While on your right side, shoot your left arm straight ahead, rolling you onto your left side. Slowly roll back and forth within a lap (do this maybe 5-6 times a lap at first - or whatever is comforatble but slow, not a full timed stroke yet) until you can get up to a comfortable pace.

It's worthwhile learning to breath on both sides if you do any open water swims in wavy conditions, sometimes if you breath to one side into the waves - they'll just pummel you and inevitably you'll swallow a wave.

I practice bilateral breathing mostly during hypoxic (sp?) sets where I'll breath every 5-7-9-5 per 100 or something similar. It also seems to even out my stroke and when I'm getting tired to where my stroke starts falling apart (which seems to happen earlier and earlier as I get older) I purposefully start to do a 2-2-3 breathing pattern that helps me hold the stroke together. It seems the goal is to have a seamless transition from breathing on one side to another so maybe working it into interval training regularly with a 2-2-2-2-3-2-2-2-2-3 pattern may help make it less annoying while working on the naturally getting bilateral breathing into your regular stroke.