You are on a holiday or perhaps lapping at your local leisure centre. The water is shimmering in the sunlight; kids laugh and splash. You duck down to retrieve a stray float or kick your legs for a few metres whilst you practice your front crawl. But there’s always this lingering question: Can you open your eyes in a pool? And should you? We are the experts on everything swimming-related, so we are here to help you in this post.
Can You Open Your Eyes In A Pool
Your eyes have evolved for air and not for water. You’ll find that light refracts differently in water, so once you open your eyes below the surface, everything looks a little blurry.
You’ll find that goggles or swim masks will help by recreating an air pocket in front of your eyes, allowing them to focus properly. Without protection, your eyes are literally swimming blindly, and that blurry vision isn’t the worst consequence. Let’s look a little closer at what might be going on when you open your eyes underwater.
What Actually Happens When You Open Your Eyes Underwater
Stinging, Burning & Blurriness
You’ll find that almost everyone experiences an unpleasant sting when opening their eyes in a pool. This is down to chlorine and other chemical irritants disrupting your tear film. This is the protective layer that keeps your eyes moist. Next, you may find that your eyes water, redden, and become slightly more sensitive to light.
Temporary Vision Issues
Those who hit the pool regularly can often suffer from “swimmer’s eye”. This can only be described as blurry or gritty vision with added light sensitivity after a swim. Although you’ll find that it typically fades after a few hours.
Risk of Infection
If you’ve ever read any of our posts about pools, you’ll know that pools not only contain chlorine but also bacteria, viruses, and even parasites.
Pools that haven’t been maintained properly can increase your risk of catching something like conjunctivitis. The risk increases if you wear contact lenses in the pool, so have a look at our post about wearing contacts in the pool before committing to this. If you want to know more, why not have a read of - what makes your eyes burn in a pool, and how clean is your swimming pool?
Are the Risks Worth It?
If you are taking brief glances underwater, you may find your eyes sting briefly, but this rarely leads to any long-term damage, though your eyes could still feel scratchy or sore later. If you are spending a long time underwater with your eyes open, you are risking chemical irritation. Things like dry eye or corneal damage could be an issue.
Wise Moves in the Water
The only reliable way to protect your eyes is to wear a pair of swimming goggles or a swim mask. Why not have a look at the goggles we offer? We’ve even got a fantastic swim mask which gives you a wide field of vision. Wearing goggles will help prevent chemical and microbial exposure, maintain clear vision, and protect contact lenses.
If you must use contact lenses, opt for daily disposables and wear tight-fitting goggles. It’s still much safer to go without lenses and rely on vision-correcting goggles.
Rinse your eyes after your swim using clean, fresh water or sterile saline. You can follow this with lubricating or gel eye drops: they help restore your tear film and ease irritation.
You’ll find that mild redness often fades on its own. But if you experience persistent pain, discharge, or vision changes, speak to your doctor or optician.
Can You Open Your Eyes In A Pool?
Yes, technically—but it’s usually not safe or pleasant without proper protection like goggles or a swim mask.
Should you do it?
No—repeated exposure can lead to chemical irritation, blurry vision, itchy dryness, and even serious infections.
Our suggestions for best practice
Use well‑fitting goggles or a swim mask.
Remove your contacts before swimming or wear daily disposables inside goggles. Remove your daily contacts after your swim.
Rinse your eyes in clean water post-swim.
See your optician or doctor if discomfort lingers or worsens.
How to Still Enjoy Underwater Vision Safely
Buy anti‑fog swim goggles that fit snugly. Hint, hint, we sell amazing goggles which are high-quality and fit beautifully.
Train your eyes for occasional underwater glimpses—but only with goggles.
After each swim, make sure you flush your eyes, apply lubricating drops and stay hydrated.
Contact lens wearers who swim often might consider prescription swim masks or goggles.
It may look like a great idea to open your eyes underwater, but in reality, it's a gamble with your eye health. A brief peek should be harmless, but doing it regularly, especially with contact lenses in your eyes, can injure your tear film and open the door to infection.
We’d suggest buying some goggles and treating your eyes kindly after swimming.