The Powerbreather is an advanced breathing system for swimmers, designed to decrease apprehension in beginners and increase focus and performance among advanced swimmers. Essentially a sealed, watertight snorkel, the device gives swimmers a more natural way of breathing.
The device is quite simple. It has an intake valve located on the back of the head that allows the swimmer to take in fresh air while a second valve pumps exhaled air completely out. The swimmer enjoys more natural breathing without the need to turn his nose and mouth out of the water. The device is designed to keep all water out, so that breathing remains unimpeded. It fits any head size thanks to its adjustable hardware.
The Powerbreather offers a few distinct advantages over the traditional forms of in-water breathing, as explained on its website. By eliminating the need to turn and breathe, it reduces strain on the neck and shoulders. Since you don't have to turn your head, you can focus all your energy on developing proper form and technique. While the company doesn't come out and say it, it seems like the elimination of head movement and extra concentration on your stroke would also help you to swim faster and longer. Powerbreather is also billed as a way of quelling the apprehension of new swimmers, as it allows for more natural breathing without the worry of choking on water.
Despite how hard Powerbreather tries to sell us on the cool and fashionable aspect of the device, it's not-so-arguably pretty strange and geeky, and you're going to get some looks if you strut around the beach with it on your head ... but since when has anything in swimming (read: skintight trunks and swim caps) been about looking natural or stylish? Since never. Assuming it works, it could be a useful tool for the sport.
One aspect of the breather we do question is that it's billed as a useful training tool. We assume that such a device would be universally banned from all but the most casual swim meets and competitions, so it seems like training with a completely different motion (e.g. no head movement) than you're competing with could be harmful as opposed to helpful. Then again, we're not swim coaches, so maybe we're talking completely out of school.
Take an animated look in the video below.
Source: Powerbreather
Who are these marketing consultants and web site designers that just make INSANE animations and BS - I just want a clear coherent picture of the unit so I can see the whole device...
"The Powerbreather has the advantage that swimming can be learned on a methodically simplified basis / Fear free swimming for beginners (no more swallowing water)"
What????? Lots of mixed messages in that one - apprehension in the new swimmers..... Oh christ? where does the hand holding nanny state for the pant wetters end?
Who dreams this neurotic BS up?
If you don't want to inhale water, then don't open your gob under water - it's pretty simple and most people "get it" pretty damed quick - like not standing on nails, leaning on hot stoves or closing the car door on your fingers. Or are we supposed to call in the "Swimming and Water Related Accidental Inhalation Rescue and Trauma Unit?" (or the SWRAIRTU for short)
I call BS on this too: "The Powerbreather eliminates orthopedic muscle imbalances.
The Powerbreather ensures balanced muscle development on the left and right side of the body." Most olympic swimmers inhale on EACH stroke, so they get a balanced development - the stupid swimming coaches that teach only a one sided inhalation are just that.
Fashionable? What? "OH look at me! I am a fashionable trend setter...."
So what ever the technical merits of it actually ARE????? I think it's a better version of a flat water snorkel, but other than that, the stupid marketing helps release my inner cynic.
Need a product tester?
I think I'd enjoy swimming with it.
Yep, I'd gladly give it a try.
The Finis (they sell them on Amazon) has been around for years; it's positioned in the middle of your face (less drag that way) with a valve at the mouthpiece to expel air and the intake tube extending above the back of your head, thus eliminating the need to turn your head (while swimming the crawl or other belly-down positions, obviously). So @Hamish, go to Amazon (or just Google) "Finis snorkel" and try one of those out. This seems like a far more complexificated version of the same thing, with no real value add.
This is a consumer product that you can, if you choose, buy for money. Where does the "nanny state" come into the discussion? And exactly who are "the pants wetters?"
THIS is what the gadget has going for it per thier web page: "With the Powerbreather, air is inhaled through the upper section behind the head which is equipped with a check valve and is fully exhaled through a check valve located in the mouthpiece."
So How good is the check valve at keeping water out while letting air in, could be great , but I'll never know thanks to their absolutely inane web page. ("Global ... Communications" pfft, yeah right, As for where / how you can by one, would have been nice to have THAT on their web page) You want to ask? Here is their contact information from their web page, was pretty hard for me to catch, good luck with talking to them, might help if you can speak German, or maybe not:
CONTACT Global Business & Communications B. V. Amsterdam Contact: Viktor Sless Nesenstr.4 60322 Frankfurt am Main Germany T +49 69 95524190 F +49 69 95524192 M +49 171 2844253 v.sless[at]powerbreather.de