Well, I'm not sure who "Thimper" is, but I'll comment!
Did you ever consider wearing a mask when you dive?
Seriously, I grew up being almost permanently waterlogged. You can't walk a straight line for more than a mile without hitting a lake here and when I was growing up, NOBODY ('cept rich people) had "built-in" pools. As kids, we practically lived in the lakes or of course, the ocean if at the beach. Cuts and scrapes were common as a kid and never given a second thought. PLUS, I always thought salt water was a natural antibiotic and the thought of "catching" something from the water never crossed my mind. I always opened my eyes under water also and don't believe I ever owned a mask ... or if I did, I certainly didn't carry it around with me! As kids, our "uniform of the day" was a pair of shorts ... no shirt, no shoes. We got hot, we jumped in the nearest lake, played for a while and moved on to other adventures.
Heck, we even used to drink out of garden hoses when we got thirsty!
I guess it's a different world now ... unfortunately.