Unsolicited swimming critique

Hey was just trying to pick you up?

I hope not.  If he was, he's barking up the wrong tree.  

While it is impossible to know what his true motive was in asking, I would assume that he saw something in your form that he thought was odd and was just trying to be helpful. I generally appreciate any feedback I can get. Whether advice is right or wrong it gives me something to think about.

Sounds like a pretty benign comment to me.

I have no problem with critique and advice.  But I had no idea what he was talking about... he just walked away after that.  WTH is weakside breathing? 

I WISH people would give me unsolicited advice in the pool! I'm always frustrated to be one of the slowest ones there, with tons of experienced masters swimmers blowing by me, yet none of them ever giving me a comment about any glaringly obvious errors in my form. I'm due for swim lessons for that, but I'd always appreciate input from all over - the way I take it, if someone notices something so obvious that they point it out to me on their own, it's definitely something I should seriously investigate for improvement!

My take on weakside breathing would be the breath you take on your non-dominant side. For example, I breathe really well on my right side. The rolling feels nature. My body just seems to flow when I breathe on that side.

But when I breathe on my left side, it's like I have to concentrate on everything in my form. So when you "Breathe Every 3" or "Breathe Every 5", you'd end up breathing on your weakside every other time.

-Joel

Sometimes I want to ask that question of people. There are some interesting styles out there.

I would not let it bother you too much. 

If it had been me, I may have said "hey show me what you mean by this weak side thing".  Nothing like a free lesson.  If it ended up that I did not like his advice, I would have just ignored it.

I may have gone better if the guy would have been more polite and said, "hey my name is Joe, I am a pretty good swimmer and if you don't mind I would like to share a few ideas I have about your weak side stroke?"

unless it sounded like he was making fun of you I would take it as some friendly advice.  Some people are just so willing to help they can wind up in places where they are not welcome.  I'd personally not offer unsolicited advice because you CAN wind up offending someone, but eh - to each their own.