That shit fucking sucks for me even when I do it for only a second or two. How the fuck can some people do it for like twenty plus seconds??? Hell its uncomfortable enough doing it in purely fresh water, much less saline or chloronated. Any time I’ve ever gone swimming I’ve either needed goggles or never saw anything underwater.
Edit: Are all of you guys just masochists or something? So many people keep saying to just fight through the pain, wtf? (Joke)
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It doesn’t bother them.
They just thug that shit out.
It doesn’t hurt my eyes, so I don’t know. Maybe it depends on something.
But everything is blurry and I think it’s so for everyone. Naked human eye just doesn’t work properly in a water.
I just got used to it after a while. Using goggles or something is still more comfortable on my eyes, and lets me see better. But I can just open them if I need to.
Have you actually tried it in salt water (the sea or ocean) or are you just guessing? As a diver it hurts like hell when your eyes are above water and get splashed, but opening them underwater doesn’t hurt at all
You get used to it. But tbh I can’t even see without my contacts so idk why I still do it
Try pushing past pain
It doesn’t hurt 🤷🏼♀️
Um … freshwater isn’t painful at all. A bit uncomfortable at first, but your eyes adapt in like 5-10 seconds. No idea how people do it in pools. I forced myself to keep my eyes open underwater in a pool once and my eyes burned for 3 days.
Just close your inner set of eye lids, those are transparent, my fellow reptilian.
Same. My eyes even hurt under water closed. And turn completely red.
Maybe we just have different genetics and weaker barriers.
I was a competitive swimmer for 12 years. Although we wore goggles sometimes they would fall off if they weren’t tight enough and you hit the water wrong on a start. You just get used to it. I swam a 500 yard free with no goggles once; 5:12.03. Not my best time but over 5 minutes of swimming without goggles.
edit: I looked stoned after because my eyes were so red.
It irritates them for a little bit then my eyes kinda "get used" to the water.
It’s pretty easy if no one has pissed in the pool or unwashed bodies have been wading around in them quite a bit. Sweat and urine create chloramines which irritate the eyes. So if you’re swimming with your eyes open in a pool and they start to hurt just tell yourself you’re swimming through the byproduct of classless assholes with no respect for other people in the pool.
Not exactly the same, but.
My German cousin was visiting when he was 12. And one day we went for a trip to the seaside.
Now Berlin doesn’t have a sea near, though they do have lakes, which have sand, and ice cream stands, etc.
he had swam in the sea before.
I know you can see what happened, yes, once he was out far enough, he dived down, and a second later he shot up screaming.
I don’t know if he didn’t know that the sea had salt, or just didn’t know saltwater stung, but he was most discombobulated for the rest of the day
There’s some people who have a rare gene where it doesn’t bother them.
Sounds like you have sensitive eyes. I can’t do it either
You just kind of get used to it I guess. I had a hard time with it when I was little, but I liked diving for the sinking toys and stuff, but my family was poor, so we could either pay to go to the pool, or pay for goggles. Not both. So, over time I just got used to it. Slowly desensitized.
Like this 👁️👄👁️
Maybe the pools you’re in are over chlorinated?
It doesn’t hurt that much as long as people ain’t pissing in the pool. I heard (no clue of it’s true) it’s the ammonia that actually makes it burn, and after swimming in private pools and hotel pools i believe it.
It depends how much cholrine is in the pool.
I have spent several hundred hours swimming underwater, usually with googles for the last few decades.
I don’t swim well on top of the water, but I can stay underwater for one lap across and back in an Olympic length swimming pool.
After a few years of practice, you can get used to swimming without goggles.
You get used to it
I honestly don’t know man i just keep them open😭😭 It’s difficult at first, but you push through and it goes away—for me at least.
Was on the swim team for a long while and frankly, you just get used to it real quick lol. When you’re going fast you’re bound to lose your goggles some times.
(Also I have bad allergies so I’m used to my eyes hurting 🤣)
Swimming in a soup of piss, sweat, dead skin cells, hair, feces and food stuffs, bleached with chlorine, was never my thing. No way I’m opening my eyes in there.
I can do this no problem. I do it all the time with my kids (underwater attacks haha). The first time I went in the ocean back in 87 it stung a LOT opening my eyes. Only that one time though. After that I can open my eyes in any body of water for whatever length of time.
I do it with the knowledge my eyes will be pissed later. It’s barely noticeable at the time, maybe a little discomfort/slight stinging. Later though they’re red, itchy. This goes for chlorine pools for me.
I did it when I was a kid and teenager and my eyes seemed to get used to it after a while.
I’ve been doing it since I was 6yo, I am now 22. I think you just get used to it. I remember it hurting early on, but now I just don’t feel it.
From what I know about pools, one of two things causes the pain:
1) over chlorination
2) the debris in the pool that is too small to see
Either of these could be the problem.
Apparently for some people it can hurt more than average. You might be in that group.
>or never saw anything underwater.
Same. I’ve given up on opening my eyes under water, I can’t even see that freaking line on the bottom of the pool.
When I was a kid I used to swim often enough that the chlorine stopped hurting. Now I hardly ever swim and can’t do it anymore
It doesn’t hurt unless the chemicals are off.
For me it’s mildly irritating, becoming worse with longer exposure, sea water is fine though, as long as it’s clear. If the water is even slightly muddled it’s awful.
I used to do it often when I was younger when I had no concern for my future health. Its much easier in the pool compared to at the beach, maybe because of all the larger solid particles in the beach water or the higher salt levels. It often causes eye irritation hours after which you never notice in the moment which is why when I was younger I didnt mind it.
Some people are allergic to chlorine / chloramine. My mom has this, and she is now also allergic to iodine as well, which is related.
I can do it in the ocean too. We never had goggles.
You just deal with it being uncomfortable
I find it difficult to close them.
No idea. I’ve also wondered this. I just can’t do it.
It doesn’t really bother me, in fact i kinda like the feeling actually lmao, it’s not pain that i feel. It will sound odd but to me it feels refreshing with a bit of an itch afterwards and i think it’s kinda interesting how everything looks wishy washy
Is it really painful? I keep my eyes open in pools and salt water pretty much all the time, the pain is comparable to keeping your eyes open longer than usual. Just a small sensation.
Only problem is that your vision is blurry so you don’t actually see much.
I’ve never had a problem with it in the sea or in fresh water. It feels like there’s a bubble between your eye and the water. Similar to how water doesn’t get into your ear or your nose.
I somewhat recall opening my eyes in a pool to look for something, and I don’t remember it hurting at all.
I didn’t used to be able to, I’d either wear goggles or keep my eyes shut because it hurt like you said. Then one time I was swimming and accidentally opened my eyes underwater without realising until I got to the end of the pool and was like “did I just swim with my eyes open???” And ever since then I’ve been able to open my eyes no problem. I dunno, it’s weird why it was like that for me.
My eyes do eventually hurt if I do it for a long time, but I’m talking like 30+ minutes of swimming.
It doesn’t bother my eyes really, like I guess they feel warm? Made me think I could do the same thing in the ocean but salt water stings…
It doesnt hurt at all. If you mean water with chloride.
Saltwater is another story.
I swim with my eyes open, it is not pleasant but ok. But I think this can damage the surface of the eye because of chemicals in the water, not sure. Anyway eyes are pink after swimming without goggles, this means something damages them.
I’ve wondered this a lot. When I was a kid I could do it no problem, it was barely uncomfortable. Post-puberty though, no can do. Like physically impossible. Bodies are weird, man
When I was a kid I went swimming in my grandma’s HOA pool like every day in the summer, so I got used to it. I didn’t even notice the chlorine. I dgaf. As an adult, I don’t think I could do it.
Truth is when you’re younger you can do it just fine. It’s as you age that it starts to be bothersome. And some people don’t have as much damage to their eyes as others due to the surrounding environment. I suspect they don’t feel as bad under water.
The way I do it is close them, and go under, then open them slowly and carefully, and it’s not as bad even though it still burns a little.
For years I couldn’t do it. It hurt my eyes and I couldn’t see anyways. But I saw my dad doing it so much and I wanted to be like him so I forced myself to deal with it. Now, it doesn’t bother me at all.
Like anything else, you get used it. First time I got contacts, I couldn’t stand to touch my eyeballs.
Now I can grasp them from both sides and pop those things right out.
Same with opening eyes under water, chlorine or salt water, no problem.
It never bothered me when I was young, but now you couldn’t pay me to open my eyes in a swimming pool because it is disgusting in there lol… People getting in unshowered, with dirty feet and crusty asses, releasing pee into the water from sweaty nethers…. no
There is some tribe I saw a documentary about. They live on the water,food is almost all aquatic. Their eyes have evolved to be able to see completely clearly underwater and they almost all have blue eyes. Can’t remember the tribe’s name though.
Been swimming my whole life. Ocean, chlorinated pool, whatever, doesn’t bother me but it’s blurry as hell. Eyesight is fine to this day. I use goggles when I need to, like when I was competing, for visibility, but otherwise I can go without.
That’s so weird… It doesn’t bug me at all. No pain. No discomfort. 🤷🏼♀️
You get used to it unless they go really heavy on the chlorine.
It doesn’t actually hurt. It’s blurry af but if you’re just doing a simple swim or dive, it’s good enough to see the lane markings
I learned to swim at a young age and was taught to keep my eyes open when I swim.
Now, if the water is acrid I don’t do it for long.
I don’t swim in a pool like that because if your eyes burn it has nothing to do with chlorine levels but rather urine mixing with the chlorine.
Ex-competitive swimmer. I was afraid of it feeling really horrible so i never tried. But one day, I tried it and it stung and my eyes felt dry even though they were fully submerged underwater. I "thugged it out" as i really hated goggles lol. When you’re desensitised to the chlorine sting and dry eye feeling using goggles feels like the less comfortable option. Tight band around the back of your head, suction around your eyes- hell no!
Lizard people
Meh some pools are worse than others.
I did this as a kid at my local chlorinated swimming pool and got used to it. Then my eyes got infected. Went back to goggles.
Fun fact. Chlorine does not smell and doesnt not irritate your eyes. It only smells and irritates your eyes if someone peed in the pool. So if you can literally smell the chlorine in the air going to the pool you are basically jumping into a toilet. Your eyes get red and irritated because pee attached to the chlorine in the water so your getting pee in your eyes.
I did it as a kid, and just kept doing it.
How do people have trouble doing this. I wouldn’t even say it’s uncomfortable
It doesn’t bother me at all in salt pools and only a little bit in chlorine pools. I don’t open my eyes in any natural water sources because I don’t want eye infections.
The only thing that happens is that my vision gets a bluish tint for a few hours afterwards
There’s no pain if the chlorine levels are ok. It they are really high, then there’s some discomfort, but no pain.
I’ve been swimming in pools, rivers, lakes and oceans since I was a small child and I don’t think it hurts at all.
I’ve been swimming for nearly 50 years now in pools, rivers, lakes, and the ocean. I always keep my eyes open and I only wear goggles if I’m swimming laps. When I was a kid I’d swim in a pool for hours – literally all day. I remember my eyes would get red and blurry, but the chlorine (or salt) has never really been painful to me. I guess some people are just more sensitive to it. Or maybe I’m used to it, since I’ve been swimming since before I could remember.
I like my eye sight , I’ll use goggles.
Huh, I’ve been doing this as long as I can remember, and I can have my eyes open for as long as I can hold my breath with only minor discomfort. I kind of squint so that I can see but the water only touches my eyes a little bit.
I didn’t realize this was weird.
Lol i was clearly hardcore as a kid while on holiday. Wouldnt wear goggles and in the pool for at least 7 hours, constantly under with my eyes open.
By day 4 they would be raw, swollen and so painful. Even now i can do it easy for at least half hour, i just dont like to because i remember how sore they used to get
I always opened my eyes in chlorinated water. It never hurt to do it in the instance but it would burn alittle afterwards. Nothing to serious though.
People do that shit in the ocean too!
Get a salt pool lol
In a pool? If it’s not chlorinated to hell (and a lot of public pools are, for understandable reasons) it doesn’t hurt at all.
I tried doing this and though I was able to keep my eyes open for a few seconds, I wasn’t able to see a single thing. I have no intention of trying again.
I’m a dive master, we have to demo to students how to deal with a mask flood or removal. It’s no biggie. Just open your eyes.
I don’t know, I’ve always been able to do it.
Grew up swimming in a pool all summer so I’m just used to it. I will say public pools make my eyes sting but if it’s a private pool it’s all good!
I desensitized myself as a kid. I’d come out of the pool with my eyes beet red. I think i fucked up my vision
Literally as soon as my head breaches the water I instantly open my eyes. I just dont feel confortable being blind under water. Even though you cant see clearly, you can see enough to be confortable.
Also I dont experience pain of any kind in my eyes.
For whatever reason, the chemicals don’t burn my eyes until hours later like when I’m trying to fall asleep lol
If it makes you feel any better, I’m like you, it’s intolerable for me
I learned at a young age to open my eyes underwater. I’ve swum in the ocean, pools, lakes, creeks, never bothered my eyes. Your eyes may be sensitive to the chlorine and other substances in the water.
I can do it in a pool but not in the ocean.
No fr, no matter how clean it is it BURNS my eyes, I complain about it to my friends if they’re there and they say “Water doesn’t hurt your eyes” WHAT?!
What color eyes donu have? Blue eyes are esp sensitive. When I was younger I could do it b/c I was in the water 5-6 days a week for months on end so I was just used to it and okay.
I always assumed salt water would sting. But with the salinity of the eyes and salt water being similar, I opened them underwater in the ocean and it was fine.
I used to do it a lot as a SCUBA diving instructor in Asia , both pool and sea.
It’s not really that bad once you’ve done it a few times.
It’s an important skill you need to master in case you lose or break your mask at depth.
What is far worse is vomiting through your breathing equipment at depth, that is proper scary.
Eyes open under water is slightly irritating. If you want to scuba dive, you’ll have to be able to breath from the regulator with no mask and be able to breath and swim underwater with no mask and water in your nose and eyes until you find your mask and put it on. It’s not a big deal.
I have been diving with my eyes open since I was little and I never had a problem. Unless it was salt water and for a long time, they eventually get irritated. In the pool I don’t even notice it. I thought it was normal.
Alligators.
I can do it easily in both a pool and outdoors in lakes etc. It’s so cool. But you have to get use to the feeling. And, if you do it a lot in a chloride pool, you will get red eyes.
I don’t feel any discomfort. As kids we always had our eyes open. Even collecting coins etc from the bottom 9f the pool.
Been doing it since I was a kid. You can go until it starts getting stingy and red, but I’ve done it for hours at a time. Probably developed some kind of immunity. Yet, if you straight up asked me to do it I’d still say no. I guess it’s always something I never thought about as a kid. lol
I used to do it as a child but can’t now
When I was little, I could do it just fine. But after around 11 years old it started burning my eyes. 😭 Idk
Don’t be a baby, tough it out and eventually you’ll get used to it.
I find my eyes sting way more in fresh water, especially chlorinated then in the ocean. I can comfortably open my eyes for a while in the ocean.
You just have to not mind that it hurts.
It just doesn’t bother me, I don’t know how else to explain it. Saltwater on the other hand will fuck me up
Im amazed most people dont have eyes open in water. I have no problem even in salt water
It doesn’t hurt me when I’m under but 20 minutes out of the pool and my eyes are buuuurning lol
I can’t do it in salt water but i can for chlorinated water. It’s uncomfortable at first but if you just leave them open it gets better
Keeping eyes open is not a problem for me, but every thing is blurry. It’s no where close to how they depict in movies swimming under water trying to locate an object or navigate with utmost clarity
Man that shit up, but im like 70% blind and everything is a little distorted.
You get used to it. My grandparents had a pool. I used to stare at the lights on the way home because they all had bright rings around them. I’m probably lucky I didn’t do permanent damage tbh, someone should have slapped some goggles on me before I got to high school swim team.
What’s the point? Everything is blurry and you can’t see anything.
Just always did it as a kid and never stopped. The exception is if I’m posted up against a wall about to kick off while I’m underwater. I learned the first time I tried that to close my eyes first.
Built different
If it’s chlorine it sucks if it’s salt water then we good
Depends on the pool, saltwater ones don’t bother at all. Chlorine it depends on the levels. It doesn’t bother my eyes in the pool, but might later.
I saw that in movies and i thought it was just that. I can’t believe people do it in real life
It helps if it is a private pool with a human-survivsble amount of chlorine instead of a public pool with an amount of poison based on how gross the public is. And it is pretty easy in a freshwater lake.
I don’t usually open my eyes underwater in the pool because I hate that light. It looks like a big eyeball!
I was adult when I learnt some people can’t.
There is no pain, never was. I just keep my eyes open.
Yeh, punk it out. It hurts for a while, then you get used to it. Then your eyes are wrecked for 3 days. And your smell is out for a while if you do a backflip underwater.
TLDR people have a thinner lens on their eyes
essentially your eye is made up of multiple different parts and 3 different lenses; your cornea, iris and seleria. Basically different people have different thicknesses of these. Your eyes hurt and stung when under water because the actual nerves of your eyes which resides behind the seleria. People who can keeo their eyes open underwater, even under sea water usually have a thicker seleria which just means there is less nerves exposed to the water. So no they don’t just "thug it out" they are genetically cheating…
The fuck? It hurts? Except for the fact that everything is blurry, I was never made uncomfortable having my eyes open underwater.
This is the realest question I’ve seen on here.
You just adapt. I can open my eyes in most seas and oceans, except maybe some extremely salty ones. Also you need that skill for diving in case of smth happens to your mask. That’s really not that bad.
Yeah it’s painful, but you just push through it.
I’ve always swam with my eyes open, doesn’t hurt as long as the PH level is good. In pools the PH still matters but the chlorine sting isn’t chlorine it’s chloramines the by product of chlorine and piss, sweat and contaminants.
I swim in pools ocean rivers creeks anywhere I can. Eyes always open for hours at a time.
Skill issue
Idk I just open them and it doesn’t hurt. I usually wear glasses but don’t when I swim, and I find I can see way better underwater than not, if not wearing glasses
It doesn’t hurt my eyes at all so I can keep them open for as long as I can hold my breath.
I dunno man I never had much of a problem with it
I used to do it in swimming pools. It didn’t really bother me. I couldn’t do it in the ocean, though.
Practise . And because they are already in the water a lot( probably training ) and are so accustomed to it , it’s easy.
Unrelated but I always laugh when I see the crypt scene in The Last Crusade. I and clearly a lot of folks have trouble keeping our eyes open underwater, Indy was able to see under GASOLINE.
I learning it out of necessity. The necessity of grabbing my friends feet in the ocean and scaring the fuck out of them