Scuba Do
Contributor
Ditto
Do you keep your eyes open when your mask is off under water?
- Thread starter piikki
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Ditto
Rainer
Contributor
That's exceedingly odd that your eyes would burn for any noticeable period of time. Blinking a few times would reduce the salt content back to that of your tears. If you're burning for hours, that is not normal at all. I hardly notice any difference.
Blackwood
Contributor
Since having lasik, my eyes are prone to drying out.
I notice the same stinging sensation as others when I get salt water in my eyes, but only after I replace my mask and/or surface (in other words, it doesn't bother my while my eyes are open in the water, and afterward the discomfort rarely lasts more than a few minutes).
My eyes burn for most of the dive if my mask floods, then they are bloodshot the rest of the day. I'm so sensitive! 
ligersandtions
Contributor
Mine burn too....I end up blinking and keeping my eyes shut until I can produce tears to wash it away. Oddly enough, even keeping my eyes closed when I do it, and then opening them ends up giving the same feeling, but not as bad. If I don't have to open my eyes, I don't. I'm curious, however, if the stinging would disappear if I left my eyes open in the salt water for long enough.
all4scuba05
Contributor
Ahhhh. So I'm NOT the only sensitive guy in the room.
kykajun
Guest
I had been opening my eyes underwater ever since I was a kid. When I did my OW checkouts, my instructor told me that was not a good thing in open water -- too much risk of debris, infection etc.
He made me re-do my mask removal skill check...It made sense - no sense risking the eyes more than I did when I was younger; we're only given one set....
He made me re-do my mask removal skill check...It made sense - no sense risking the eyes more than I did when I was younger; we're only given one set....
working...eyes stay open.
salt (or sub 65 degree F)...eyes are closed unless looking for mask. Yes, it (salt) burns my eyes for 15 minutes or so.
otherwise...60:40:pen:closed. Not much difference but more likely to be open.
salt (or sub 65 degree F)...eyes are closed unless looking for mask. Yes, it (salt) burns my eyes for 15 minutes or so.
otherwise...60:40:
pen:closed. Not much difference but more likely to be open.
OP
piikki
Contributor
Your instructor’s worry sounds a teeeensy bit overblown to me. Even here on Scubaboard we do not have members frequently posting about eye infections/irritations, and for sure quite a large proportion of people keep their eyes open while clearing/removing masks, even in stinky pools. Some in this thread tell they do it even with contact lenses on which at least for me was always a bigger risk of irritation.
I do not dive contaminated waters per se, but for 4 years I have dived in all kinds of gunky lakes, rivers and quarries, less so in messy oceans but I have never had “eye incidents’. My eyes do get irritated from salt water more than fresh water (even gunkier fresh water). Some salt water is more irritating than some other, and some days my eyes are more irritated (dry/tired whatever) than others regardless of where I dive. Pool water is most irritating as it dries eyes like crazy but I do keep eyes open when I swim too. Like someone said wrong sun screens/lotions are way more of an irritant than water has ever been – to me at least.
I just do not buy the statement that one has to be very scared of opening eyes in “common” waters due to huge risk of eye infection or injury. If you have extremely delicate eyes, of course you need to protect them more than others but if they are so delicate you might have to consider further steps to protect yourself, like full-face mask. For normal exposure, I can’t see reason for hysteria, there isn't after all even any known diver’s eye syndrome recognized.
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