Is it possible to open your eyes underwater? is a question that most of humanity asks sooner or later, from small children trying to do this while bathing in the bathtub, to novice divers mastering the technique of putting on a mask while diving. It would seem that it would be easier to answer this question - since all life is The Earth, and according to Darwin’s theory, man is the top link of the entire evolutionary chain, came out of the water, then plunging into the water means only returning to the origins.
But not everything is so simple; to answer this question, which is so pressing for many, we first need to decide in what kind of water we will open our eyes.
Opening your eyes in fresh water
Tap water
In general, tap water in our country meets sanitary standards, but it is disinfected by chlorination, and the residual products of this process remaining in the water can cause mild irritation, and even cause reactive conjunctivitis in people sensitive to chlorine. Again, in case of insufficient disinfection or due to worn-out water pipes, especially in old areas, tap water may contain pathogenic microorganisms that, if they come into contact with the mucous membrane of the eyes, can cause the development of inflammatory diseases.
Therefore, advice on opening your eyes in tap water is best formulated this way: When opened briefly and for small amounts of water, such as when washing, tap water is quite acceptable to the eyes. It is strongly not recommended to stay under water with your eyes open for a long time (as children especially like to do while taking a bath)..
Pool with chlorinated water
The vast majority of swimming pools open to public access contain the same water, but with a higher content of chlorine to neutralize the huge number of microorganisms that get there from people swimming. High concentrations of chlorine are clearly dangerous for the mucous membrane of the eyes, since they very often lead to the development of reactive conjunctivitis. And given that many bacteria are insensitive to chlorine and remain functional in pool water, the risk of developing conjunctivitis if pool water gets into the eyes becomes even higher. It should be borne in mind that it is not at all necessary to dive in the pool to cause inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes; often it is enough just to get splashed while swimming.
So there can only be one piece of advice regarding swimming pools - Be sure to wear swimming goggles when swimming in the pool and never dive with your eyes open unless they are protected by goggles or a mask.
Eye opening in freshwater bodies
As a rule, water in rivers and lakes located near large cities contains high concentrations of pathogenic bacteria - E. coli, streptococci, staphylococci. Therefore, even simply swimming in it carries a high risk of contracting one or another infectious disease. And the water in such reservoirs is usually cloudy, even with a mask or diving goggles (which significantly improve visibility under water) you can’t see much in it and you won’t get much pleasure. But there are also clean rivers and lakes in our country. True, to get to them, you will have to spend quite a lot of time.
Therefore, when swimming in fresh water, it is better to follow the following rule: Do not open your eyes under water under any circumstances. This can only be done if you are 100% sure that the water of this reservoir is clean and safe for human health.
Is it possible to open your eyes in sea water?
Often in popular scientific literature and in doctors’ recommendations for the population, you can find the thesis that the concentration of salt is equal to its content in the human body. But if you think about this phrase, then questions immediately arise - after all, the concentration of sodium chloride varies greatly in different reservoirs of our planet - from 15-17 g/l or ppm, as you like, in the inland Baltic and Black Sea, to 35-39 in seas that are closely connected to oceans, such as the Caribbean, North and Mediterranean. In the Red Sea and especially the Dead Sea, this figure exceeds 41 ppm.
So, for the human body, the indicator of the Black and Baltic Seas is closer, and when diving with open eyes in these bodies of water, there should not be any unpleasant sensations in the form of burning or tingling. The water of the Mediterranean and Red Seas causes irritation of the mucous membranes and lacrimation from the eyes. Another aspect is that due to the closeness of the refractive index of water and the lens of the eye, the image visible to the naked eye during diving will be blurry and indistinct (I think most people know this from personal experience and there is no point in talking much about this topic), so diving with a mask or glasses for swimming is much more comfortable.
Experts advise that if it is still necessary open your eyes in sea water, do this gradually and, even if you feel an unpleasant sensation in the form of pain, try not to blink, since this action will drive sea water into the tear ducts and cause severe lacrimation. If you endure the first moments, the sensations will dull and you will be able to swim further with your eyes open.
Let's summarize - in the clean sea water of the Black and Baltic Seas you can open your eyes; in saltier waters it is better not to do this unless absolutely necessary, but if you have to, then open them very slowly, gradually and without blinking.
Water and contact lenses
It remains to consider only one more case of opening the eyes under water, which is quite relevant in our time - is it possible for people wearing contact lenses to do this? Specialists from the well-known Voronezh online store of eye products “Point of View t-zr.ru” are categorical: “Under no circumstances! The lenses will simply be washed away by the flow of water and you will have to buy new ones!” I think further comments are unnecessary here.
Moreover, when diving, it is also recommended not to use contact lenses, especially at great depths (deeper than 10-15 m). For this purpose, special diopter masks for scuba diving have been developed, which are very convenient for myopic people.
Many people, while swimming at home in the bathtub, in the pool or plunging into various bodies of water, have repeatedly tried to open their eyes under water. If this happens in clean fresh water, then there will be no harm to the visual organs. Diving into the sea can cause a burning sensation in the eyes as it contains salt. If the substance content is low, then there is no health hazard. But, for example, in the Dead Sea it is strictly advised not to open your eyes. This can result in damage to the cornea. It is unsafe to dive in polluted waters, where the mucous membranes are exposed to pathogenic organisms.
How does this or that water affect the eyes?
Bathing in the tap
Such water is subjected to chlorination for the purpose of disinfection, which can cause slight irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes, and for those who are sensitive to chlorine, the residual products of this procedure can cause reactive conjunctivitis. If the water is not well disinfected or due to severe wear and tear of the plumbing system, harmful bacteria can enter the organs of vision and cause an inflammatory process. Therefore, prolonged stay with open eyes in such water is not recommended. It can only be used for washing when there is short-term contact with the eyes.
Diving in freshwater bodies
Diving with your eyes open on city beaches is dangerous to your health. Even ordinary swimming in rivers and lakes that are located near large cities can be a risky adventure, since such sources are saturated with pathogenic bacteria such as streptococci, E. coli and staphylococci. It is impossible to open your eyes under water under such conditions - in these reservoirs the environment is usually turbid, sewage with various chemicals often gets into it, and it is difficult to see anything there. And for the organs of vision, which are much more sensitive than the skin, immersion in water is dangerous for the development of infectious diseases.
Only if you have absolute confidence in the purity and safety of the water of the river or lake where you are diving, you can open your eyes for a while.
Swimming in the pool
Swimming in chlorinated pool water is dangerous even for sensitive skin, not to mention the mucous membranes. Since such public places are visited by a huge number of people, high concentration chlorine is used to disinfect them from microorganisms, which can negatively affect the eyes and even provoke reactive conjunctivitis. Both bleach and those microorganisms that remain insensitive to its effects are an explosive mixture, which can cause infection and inflammatory processes in the organs of vision. And you don’t even need to dive to do this, just get the splashes into your eyes. One thing is clear: you should always protect them with goggles or a mask when swimming in pools.
Diving in sea water
In the Black Sea it is safe and comfortable to open your eyes underwater. The concentration of salt in the various seas of our planet is not uniform. Thus, in the Black and Baltic Seas, the parameter is almost equal to the content of sodium chloride in the human body. Therefore, diving in sea water should not cause any discomfort to a person. It is only advisable to follow the recommendations of experienced divers.
What could be more beautiful than cutting through expanses of water and admiring the marine flora and fauna. However, to do this you need to be able to swim. And not just swim, but swim underwater - confidently and gracefully. Some people face such a problem as the inability to sink to the bottom. They just float to the surface. Others cannot open their eyes under water. Still others generally hold their breath for only 10 seconds, after which the smell of their oxygen comes to an end. How to overcome all these difficulties and learn to swim underwater?
How to feel the water
In order to learn to swim underwater, you need to be able to feel the water. These simple exercises will help you feel more confident in the water. It is best to perform them in a pool or shallow water. In any situation you should feel the bottom. You should not train in a river with a strong current - it can be dangerous.
- The first exercise is aimed at making you feel how the water pushes the human body to the surface. To do this, go waist-deep into the water, take in more air into your chest and sit down, hugging your knees. In a moment, your body will begin to rise and soon your shoulders will be on the surface. If you feel like you're running out of air, just stand up.
- The following exercise is aimed at getting rid of the fear of your face touching water. Simply lie face down on the surface of the water. If you are afraid that water may get into your ears, use special silicone earplugs for swimming. You can attach a special clothespin to your nose, although with a fixed air retention, water will not be able to get into your nose. While performing the exercise, you should lie on the surface of the water, like a jellyfish.
- The next exercise is called “asterisk”. It is similar to the previous one, but you need to lie face up, not down. You should feel the water, how perfectly it holds a person on the surface. In this position you can even breathe calmly.
- The next exercise is most convenient to do in the pool. You just need to start pushing off the side with your feet and moving. This will teach you to change your position in the water space.
These exercises are aimed at making you feel more confident. Most athletes who dive to depths of tens of meters say that they need to fight fear in shallow water. Gradual immersion will make you feel like a fish in water, in the literal sense of the word.
How to learn to dive
Most of those who dream of learning to swim underwater do not take into account the fact that they first need to learn to dive. After all, if you just lie on the surface of the water, you will not be able to dive to the depths. So how do you learn to dive?
The best way to learn to dive is in the pool. You need to start from the edge of the pool itself, and then, if desired, move on to towers of different heights. Stand right next to the side, bend over. Your arms should be down along your legs. Then point your hands into the water and, as it were, push your body to jump. You should enter the water with your hands first. Remember to take a deep breath before doing this. To go as deep as possible, you need to push off well with your feet.
Diving in a natural body of water is not very convenient because there is no ledge. You will have to jump and learn to dive into shallow water. You should not dive in little-known places, especially from a cliff, rock ledge, or steep bank. There may be hidden rocks at the bottom that you can hit your head on. In such cases, you can lose consciousness and choke - this is very dangerous.
Diving into the water is not difficult, the main thing is to overcome fear. Several intense training sessions, after which diving will be easy and even fun. However, this alone is not enough to be able to swim underwater.
Holding your breath is one of the main conditions of scuba diving. The amount of time you can stay underwater without breathing depends on the supply of oxygen your body can make. And the supply of oxygen, in turn, depends on the volume of the lungs and the rate of consumption of this oxygen. Lung capacity can be increased through constant training - this has been proven. Draw as much air into your chest as possible, trying to increase this volume each time. You can train with a balloon. Fill it in a few breaths, and then inhale as much air as possible from the balloon into your lungs. This way you can clearly see the volume of oxygen inhaled.
It is very important to reduce vigorous activity under water, which requires a lot of oxygen. You need to move very smoothly, all movements should be relaxed and soft. Professional swimmers say that while scuba diving they try to think less, be nervous, and worry less. Because active brain activity also requires a lot of oxygen.
So, you have learned to dive and hold your breath too. How to learn to swim in order to feel part of the aquatic world?
First, prepare to dive into the water. After the dive is over, try to swim not up, as usual, but to the side, along the bottom. To do this you need to move your arms like a frog. Rake the water in front of you with your hands to move forward. The legs will help speed up the movement - they need to be moved gently, like fins. If the water pushes your body, you need to work with your hands to deepen, that is, strive to swim to the bottom.
I would also like to say something about the eyes being open under water. While diving, try to open your eyes - it doesn't hurt at all. Sea water can cause slight discomfort, although many people hardly feel it. If you can’t overcome yourself and force yourself to open your eyes under water, use a mask or underwater goggles. They should first be adjusted on the shore so that the rubber part fits snugly to the face.
Scuba diving
Diving is underwater swimming that uses special equipment that allows you to stay at depth for a long time. The most important thing in the equipment is a cylinder with a gas mixture, which is used by the diver for breathing. With this tank, divers can stay underwater for several hours. A wetsuit is also important, protecting a person from the low temperatures that await him at great depths.
Diving can be simple, for pleasure - to enjoy the unusualness, beauty and originality of the underwater world. But often this is not only a hobby, but also a profession. Search work on the seabed is a very popular service. In addition to this, there is also sports diving, when athletes set various records.
Scuba diving is an interesting and exciting world that can surprise many people. After all, seeing pink reefs and a shell with a pearl with your own eyes is priceless. Learn something new, comprehend the unknown, strive to the bottom of the ocean to get to know our world from an unknown side.
Video: how to learn to feel water
It is probably difficult to find something more beautiful than cutting through soft, pliable spaces and admiring the stunning underwater world, which under normal conditions is inaccessible to the human eye. But to do this, you need to learn to swim and do it underwater with fantastic confidence and grace. Some people may have trouble sinking to the bottom. Newbies just float to the surface. There are also those who cannot open their eyes there. And others will not be able to hold their breath for more than ten seconds. How can all these difficulties be overcome?
Theory and practice
Before diving, you need to study the theory of diving and learn how to do it correctly. Usually, classes begin only with an experienced partner. They do this alternately. One person goes down, and the second one insures him at this time. After this, partners change. Diving without oxygen is prohibited. First you need to take a deep breath and then slowly dive in. Those beginners who neglect this rule may choke. The brain can simply give a reflex command to inhale involuntarily.
Diving for a long time is very dangerous. It is best to make a plan before starting a dive that will take into account weather conditions. Any swimmer should know what to do if danger arises. Do not use excessively heavy ballast. This may delay the equalization of pressure differences. Before diving, it is better to remove the tube from your mouth.
If ear pain appears, stop further diving to avoid rupture of the eardrums. It is forbidden to quickly release all the air. This may interfere with alignment. You should not look down while diving. Ascent is always done gradually. Between dives take breaks of at least twelve hours. For beginners, shallow water training is required.
How to learn to dive into the depths?
To learn how to dive, you need to go into the pool approximately up to your chest. Any sinking object can be placed at the bottom. The main thing is that this thing is visible under water and easy to get. Now you need to try to get it from the bottom. There is nothing complicated about this. It is better to do this exercise more than once for training.
After this, you should try to dive for the thing upside down. To do this, lie on the surface, make strokes with your hands towards the bottom and forward. The head drops below the level of the legs. At first, some difficulties may arise during training. This is explained by the fact that the liquid tries to push the body back.
It will take some effort to get to the bottom. Every experienced diver knows that it is most practical to swim breaststroke. In addition to the fact that it is easier to make strokes with your hands, your body will swim in the right direction on its own. When the object from the bottom is in your hands, you need to make a stroke in the direction of the surface. This way you can emerge quickly. Now you can complicate the task - you should put the object on the bottom again and move some distance away. You need to dive into the water and try to get to it.
How to learn to hold your breath for a long time?
The first training should be done on land. You need to take a deep breath and try not to breathe for a long time. When you feel like you're running out of air, you need to slowly let it out through your mouth.
If everything is done correctly, then a whistling sound should appear during this. After training on land, you can try to do the same in water.
There is no need to dive at first, just lower your face below the surface. We must remember that exhalation is done gradually. This feature will increase the time spent under water. At the same time, breathing does not stop. You need to try to hold the air not in your mouth, but in your lungs. Otherwise, you won’t be able to dive for more than a few moments.
How to learn to swim quickly underwater?
To learn how to swim underwater, you need to read one simple instruction:
- The first thing you need to know is that any body movements should be minimal. It is a mistake to believe that if you flounder quickly and a lot, you will be able to swim faster. This way you can either float or go to the bottom.
- When swimming underwater, it is better to make smooth movements. Your hands should seem to cut through the water. The legs should move relatively slowly.
- In swimming, body condition plays a big role. For this reason, it is better to relax him.
- For initial lessons, it is best to visit the pool. Any swimmer feels safe there.
- Before you can start learning to swim underwater, you need to master the skill of diving. Without this nothing will work.
Secrets of scuba diving
Usually the idea of learning to scuba dive comes to people near the water while on vacation. Some guy with a tank on his back introduces himself as an instructor and offers to master everything in a short time. Self-training at home in any case ends in open water, so a beginner will definitely return to it.
Typically, a full course of such training ranges from 20 to 25 hours. Of course, with self-study, this time increases several times. After training, many questions may arise (what type of equipment is best to buy and where, with whom and when to go diving, how to continue your training). The instructor remains one of the main assistants, and most often the only adviser. For this reason, home workouts may not be effective.
But at the very least you can learn to snorkel. To do this, it is not necessary to take ammunition and scuba gear.
How to snorkel underwater?
Everyone has seen on TV how fearless scuba divers like Jacques-Yves Cousteau dive into the water column, but not everyone knows what difficulties can arise during a dive.
The first difficulty is how to put on a mask?
The mask must be pulled over the head so that it fits tightly enough to the face, otherwise air will penetrate. But you shouldn’t pull the elastic too hard, since the elastic should only support the mask. The main thing that keeps the mask on the face is the vacuum. You just need to press down on the mask and release excess air, then it will stick to your face and won’t go anywhere.
The second difficulty is how to hold the phone?
The tube must be held with your teeth. To start, attach the middle of the tube to the mask so that you have another anchor point besides the jaw. Bite down on the tube and blow out the air.
There should be no water in the tube, otherwise when you inhale it will get into your mouth and lungs. To prevent this from happening, always keep your tongue on the border with the tube so that the passing air first hits the tongue and then goes around it into the lungs. This way you will always feel droplets or streams of water with your tongue and will not swallow water.
Hold your head so that the top of the tube is always exposed to air. If you suddenly get water in your snorkel, spit out the snorkel, float up, pour the water out of it and continue your swim.
The third difficulty is how to prevent the mask from sweating?
The mask fogs up due to the temperature difference between your body and the water. Since the water temperature is lower, condensation accumulates inside, right before your eyes. Some people advise rinsing the inside of the glass with salt water or even spitting on it. None of these methods will work, as it is a myth. If you are annoyed by glass fogging, then do not buy a mask with your nose inside, as steam still comes out of it when you breathe. Buy only with the nose separately and use special anti-fog agents. They are usually enough for 1-3 dives.
The fourth difficulty is what to do if water gets into the mask?
We are all living people and our face moves, and sometimes due to facial movements a little water gets inside. To get rid of it, you need to roll over on your back, turn the glass of the mask horizontally to the ground and blow air into the mask with your nose. This way the air will create pressure and squeeze out excess water. It will only work for those whose noses are inside.
The fifth difficulty is how to prevent your ears from getting stuffy?
When diving to a depth of even 2-3 meters, the ears begin to stuff up. You need to release the air from your ears that is creating excess pressure. Pinch your nose with your hand and create air pressure in your nose and ears so that excess bubbles leave you and dive further without pain.
How to swim underwater with your eyes open?
There are several ways to swim and see what's going on around you. Firstly, you can look here with your eyes slightly open. It is necessary to open your eyes slightly, and not widen them. Don't be afraid. It is completely harmless to human health. But you should immediately warn that a chlorinated pool or salty sea will have a detrimental effect on the mucous membrane and irritate it. You may notice itching in the eyes and slight redness after such swimming. And finally, the picture itself is not very clear here, so it is better to arm yourself with a mask or special glasses. They are selected purely individually in specialized stores.
Games for developing scuba diving
There are a number of games for developing scuba diving. To quickly learn to swim underwater, it is very good to use games, they help to turn off attention to the game itself and at this time the body begins to automatically learn to swim at the level of reflexes. One of them is called “Who can hide faster.” At the instructor’s signal, you need to quickly sit down and dive into the water. Several people participate in the game. Another game is called “little frogs”. The players are located in a circle. At the word “Pike!” The “little frogs” must jump up, and at the command “Duck!” - sit down. If someone makes a mistake, then he stands in the center and continues the game there. There is a game called “find the treasure,” in which players learn to find an object and dive for it.
What mistakes should you not make?
Safety precautions should not be neglected. All equipment, yours and your partner's, must be checked. Blowing away strands of hair that are in your eyes, for example, looks quite cute and erotic. However, it is unlikely that it will be possible to do this under water. It is necessary to immediately remove hair from under the mask to avoid flooding and discomfort due to this.
You should not be in a vertical position when diving. The diver's head is a kind of rudder. When in a vertical position, a person usually swims only upward. Another common mistake is a suit that is too thin. It must be remembered that you have to dive into cold, wet liquid, even if this action is performed in tropical latitudes.
In conclusion, it must be said that during the first training a person will probably be shy and may feel insecure. It is not right. The most important thing is to free yourself from complexes and constraint, and follow the goal you set for yourself!
Many swimming enthusiasts often wonder, is it possible to be underwater without goggles? In order to answer this difficult question, it is necessary to consider what kind of water it is: sea water or from a tap? Of course, if there are impurities in the water that are harmful to the eyes, for example, a high chlorine content, then it is better to use special goggles for swimming.
Is it possible to open your eyes in tap water?
Tap water is disinfected by chlorination, so chlorine is present in small quantities. If you swim in such water without glasses, then if it gets into the eyes, some people sensitive to chlorine may experience reactive conjunctivitis or irritation.
If, due to worn water pipes and insufficient disinfection, pathogenic bacteria enter the water, they can cause inflammatory eye diseases. That is why it is not recommended to be under water with your eyes open, but tap water is quite suitable for washing.
Chlorinated pool water
As a rule, swimming pools use the same tap water, but with a higher chlorine content. Due to the high concentration of this substance, you cannot open your eyes under water.
There may also be bacteria that are not sensitive to chlorine. Contact of such water on the mucous membrane of the eyes can lead to the development of reactive conjunctivitis and other inflammatory diseases. That is why, when going to the pool, do not forget to take your glasses with you.
Sea water
The seas have different concentrations of salt. For example, in the Black and Baltic Seas, this indicator is suitable for diving with open eyes. The person will not experience any unpleasant sensations. If there is a high concentration of salt in the sea, it is better to use special swimming goggles. Otherwise, burning and tingling in the eyes may occur.
The human eye is not designed for prolonged contact with an aquatic environment, be it tap water or river water. From prolonged contact with water, the eye loses its protective layer of tear film, after which the process of inflammation of the cornea can begin. In general, it is not dangerous if contact with water is not too long.
Rivers and freshwater bodies
As a rule, freshwater water contains a high concentration of pathogenic microorganisms. Even ordinary swimming in such conditions is associated with a high risk of infection. In addition, the water in freshwater bodies is usually cloudy, so few people have the desire to open their eyes when diving. Of course, there are clean rivers and reservoirs, but they, as a rule, are not within the city limits and it takes a very long time to get to them.
Contact lenses
People who have to wear contact lenses must take them off when swimming. If a person dives with his eyes open, they will simply be washed away with water and then he will have to buy new lenses. It’s better to wear special swimming goggles and then you can dive to your heart’s content and admire the underwater landscape.
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