I'm used to close my eyes, but wonder if in open water I should open my eyes to watch for anything harmful or interesting (jellyfish etc). Of course I wear goggles/mask.
Thanks for taking the poll :)
I swim with my eyes open, mostly because I swim in pools and it helps me to swim straight (by watching the line along the pool bottom. If you train in a pool and have learned to swim straight with your eyes closed that's probably a significant advantage in OW swims where you can't sight off the bottom any way. On the other hand, it must put you at a distinct disadvantage in the pool if you have to sight by lifting your head out of the water...
I swim with my eyes open, mostly because I swim in pools and it helps me to swim straight (by watching the line along the pool bottom. If you train in a pool and have learned to swim straight with your eyes closed that's probably a significant advantage in OW swims where you can't sight off the bottom any way. On the other hand, it must put you at a distinct disadvantage in the pool if you have to sight by lifting your head out of the water...
