You'll get used to them soon. I type all day with no problem and learnt my lesson the first time so have them a little shorter now. I also swim 2 or 3 times a week, I do go for the infills every fortnight. I add my own topcoat every few days to protect them from the water. It's rubbish about gel helping the nails breathe. I asked the owner of my nail bar and he told me gel is no less damaging than acrylic but it's more expensive. I've had gel nails for a couple of years now and when I have my next new set I might try acrylics to see if there's any difference.