I'm afraid to open my eyes under water. How to see underwater

Is it possible to open your eyes underwater?- a question that is asked sooner or later most of humanity, from small children trying to do this while bathing in the bathtub, to novice divers mastering the technique of putting on a mask when diving. It would seem that it is easier to answer this question - since all life is on Earth, and according to Darwin’s theory, man is the top link 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

Generally tap water in our country it corresponds 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 insufficient degree disinfection or due to wear and tear water pipes, especially in older 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. How long can you stay under water? with open eyes(as children especially like to do while taking a bath) is strongly not recommended.

Pool with chlorinated water

The vast majority of swimming pools open to public access contain the same, but with increased content chlorine for neutralization huge amount microorganisms that get there from bathing people. 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 - coli, streptococci, staphylococci. Therefore, even simple bathing in it is associated with high risk get sick with one thing 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 great fun you won't get it. But in our country there is also clean rivers and lakes. 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 observe next 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 human body closer is the indicator of the Black and Baltic seas and when diving with open eyes in these bodies of water there are no discomfort There should be no burning or tingling sensation. 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 tear ducts and will 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 to do this for people wearing contact lenses? 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 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 the water contains impurities harmful to the eyes, for example, high content chlorine, 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 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 contains high concentrations of pathogenic microorganisms. Even ordinary swimming in such conditions is associated with great risk 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.

It’s probably difficult to find something more beautiful than cutting through soft, pliable spaces and admiring the stunning underwater world that normal conditions not available 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 do deep breath, and then dive smoothly. 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 include weather. 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 pain in the ears appears, stop further diving to avoid rupture 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 it. It's better to do this exercise for training more than once.

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 balloon behind his back introduces himself as an instructor and offers to master everything in short time. Self-study at home in any case ends in open water, so a beginner will definitely return to it.

Usually full course Such training ranges from 20 to 25 hours. Of course, when 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. Thus, 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 immersed in vertical position. The diver's head is a kind of rudder. When in a vertical position, a person usually swims only upward. Another one of common mistakes- the suit 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!

People tend to show a lot of curiosity to find out what happens under water. When all the oceans had been explored and mapped, explorers turned their attention to their depths and began to descend deeper and deeper. Any person sometimes wants to open his eyes under water, even in a simple pool, when he knows perfectly well that his eyes will sting because of the chlorine. However, there are some tricks that can be used to get used to the discomfort experienced, but there are also quite reasonable precautions, since trying to see the underwater world with the naked eye can lead to unpleasant consequences for vision. Whether you're in a pool, on the sea or in a lake, to satisfy your natural curiosity and look under the water, it's usually recommended to use special swimming goggles or a mask.

Steps

Naked vision underwater

Underwater vision in the pool. Looking underwater seems simple, but anyone who has done this in a pool with highly chlorinated water knows how it stings the eyes. Fortunately, you can use a number of techniques to adapt your earthly eyes to the water. If these techniques do not work for you, then for safe underwater vision in the pool, it is recommended to use goggles or a swimming mask.

Underwater vision in the ocean. Swimming in a natural pool of water will not cause eye irritation from chlorine, but since the water will be free of chlorine, it will contain a variety of bacteria and contaminants. Up close coastline waves constantly lift sand and small stones from the bottom, which creates the possibility of scratching the cornea of the eye. However, swimming away from shore may be more suitable for taking a look under the water.

Underwater vision in the lake. In a freshwater lake main danger to the eyes they represent bacteria. While you won't necessarily get into trouble coming into contact with the single-celled lake creatures, it's wise to wear eye protection (goggles or a swim mask) if you want to get a glimpse of the underwater world. In addition, in shallow areas of the lake, when swimming, you yourself can raise dirt and sand from the bottom, which can damage your unprotected eyes.

Don't forget to remove your contact lenses. In any of the above situations, you must first remove your contact lenses. While there is some risk of simply losing the lenses (although the water pressure should keep them in place), the greater danger is the possibility of bacterial infection on the lenses.

If you wear glasses or contact lenses to improve your vision, you can have a swimming mask made according to the appropriate prescription. With it you will be noticeably safer to swim than to try to see the underwater world with the naked eye. This option is suitable for all those who already cannot see very well without glasses.

Use of aids

Wear swimming goggles. Goggles will allow you to see clearly under water and protect against eye irritation. The glasses are securely fixed on the head with an elastic band. Putting on glasses is very simple: first, place the lenses on your eyes, and then pull the elastic band from the glasses over your head. The elastic should be pressed firmly against the top of your head, but not too tightly to cause discomfort.

Use a swimming mask. A swimming mask provides the swimmer with additional protection, as it not only protects the eyes, but also pinches the nose. If you feel uncomfortable with air coming out of your nose underwater, then with a mask you no longer have to hold your nose with your hand! Like glasses, the mask is fixed on the head with a rubber strap (only wider). You should be able to swim underwater without having to press the mask further against your face.

Consider scuba diving. Scuba diving is diving under water using oxygen cylinders (or cylinders with a special gas mixture) for breathing. Divers equip themselves with masks, wetsuits, fins and buoyancy compensators to navigate as safely as possible underwater and explore the seabed, reefs, caves and shipwrecks. If you're interested in diving, look for training courses near you! There are some nuances to this activity that need to be learned to minimize the risks associated with moving underwater, as humans are not adapted to this environment.

View of the ocean from above and from within

Ride a glass bottom boat. Such boats are specially designed so that passengers can clearly see the expanses of water under their feet. They are often used on tours to reefs, wrecks and other water attractions. If we compare these tours in cost with other types of exploration of the deep waters, they are relatively affordable. They are organized in many coastal cities and in picturesque water basins.

But the answer is without any justification, simply personal experience: I always dive when I swim, and I always open my eyes to see where I'm swimming. In the pool it is quite painful: the cornea becomes cloudy and red. In salt water, as a rule, it hurts from the salt, although if the sea is not very salty, then it is normal (in Cherny, for example). Most of all I swim in fresh water - I live on the Volga. Every summer many, many times I dive into the Volga and open my eyes. On the contrary, they tingle because the eye is saltier than water, but in my opinion this is the least discomfort. And in all these years nothing bad has happened to my eyes.

In my opinion, in any water this is very unpleasant - open eyes, like dry, rough underwear, discomfort, and besides, you can’t really see anything, where is the top and the concrete block on the way to the ascent (they won’t hit you on the way...)? then it’s probably worth it, but something is already creeping me out from thinking about such underwater unpreparedness, I need a minimum of comfort - glasses for my eyes, and a bag of buffer air to my mouth for breathing... even breathing in a 2L bag for a minute or two is noticeably easier psychologically than hold your breath for the same time (relying on self-control, which is not omnipotent in this mechanism...). Carbon dioxide, accumulating in the lungs, persistently and irritably forces the respiratory center to “report on the current inhalation and exhalation”, if you do not have time to surface while you have enough strength not to breathe, it will inhale by itself - reflexively like a sneeze... barely taking a sip of water, the brain goes into StandBy Mode of resource saving , turning off yourself and your (most significant) “salary”, in favor of other organs that continue to work, the brain turns off (like a coma), the swimmer turns out to be unconscious, breathing is stopped so as not to aggravate the problem - the savings in glucose and oxygen are large, my heart has enough at least. After a few more minutes, the brain makes an attempt to “start up”, in case it was thrown ashore by a wave, and by clearing your throat in the air, you can come to your senses.

during ventilation (inhalation-exhalation) of the lungs, even 50% vol. carbon dioxide (and this is unlikely to be inhaled) saturated in a bag (gas holder), although breathing is uncomfortable (it seems that you are not really breathing, but it’s still easier than not breathing anything), discomfort at the level of “about to vomit”, where rapid breathing is spent air, like chewing gum, distracting from the inevitably growing nausea, in fact, the danger of taking a sip of water at the same time is less than passing out, and usually everyone chokes much earlier than they could remain conscious when floating up...

(Sold for 100 rubles in the FP store:) A 10-liter polyethylene corrugated bucket (folding like a round accordion of clowns) will be just super, especially if you fill it with oxygen and not air before diving,

at a depth of 10 meters the pressure will reach 1 + 1 atmospheres (+1 atm = 2 atm, that is, the pressure will double), 10 liters of gas in the buffer (a corrugated bucket is 10 liters) will be compressed to a 5-liter size, at 20 meters under water the pressure is 1 + 2 atm = 3 atm, the water will compress the chest and a bucket, the bucket will shrink to 3.3 liters of gas mixture, and it will be easy to breathe as on land, while the air hose from the land descending down, with land air, a pressure of 1 atm, will not be possible to inhale chest in which +2 atmospheres of 2 * 10-meter depth of water column, as if in a hose “double vacuum” - you can’t suck anything into your mouth without a pressure recuperator machine, which even the special services do not yet have.

why do we take “oxygen compressed 200 times” in the form of 50% hydrogen peroxide (it costs 150 rubles per liter in a chemical store, be careful!, it leaves unpleasant burns on the skin (if there was nothing to wash it off with immediately) that feel something like “ dry ice", pinching for half a day then "biting" the white spots on the hands..., it seems not deep and not fatal, but you need to take care of your eyes)

you need to pour 10 ml (generally 50 ml per 10 liter of oxygen release, but you can’t do it all at once - it will tear the bucket with water vapor, I poured it in portions through the tap) into the “bag” (buffer corrugated bucket) of 50% concentrated hydrogen peroxide, also 100 ml of water, a teaspoon of baking soda, and a pinch of potassium permanganate, you can put it inside wrapped in film (then shake to unwrap it) or inside a small bottle or capsule. , which (potassium permanganate starting) is better to add through the tap (there is one on the lid) into an already closed lid, equipped with peroxide and soda (soda removes and turns off the vinegar from the peroxide - an inhibitor additive, which stabilizes the peroxide, protecting it from decay, without soda it is slower by an hour - two hisses the mixture releasing all the oxygen...) a “corrugated bucket” (for example, starting potassium permanganate (you can drop a pharmaceutical iodine tincture into the tap) add inside the bucket that has been shrunk for now - through the tap on its lid, dropping iodine into it or water solution potassium permanganate (any amount is enough), and opening it for a moment (a pinch or drops of a solution of potassium permanganate or iodine tincture (iodine crystal will not work, the tincture contains important... - there is potassium iodide) - the splashes fall inside the corrugated bucket into the moment the “samovar” cone tap opens, and immediately the bucket inflates, in a second it becomes hot - like boiling water - you must let it cool before inhaling