Is pool water chemistry safe for swimming if the water is clear?

Not necessarily. If pool water has recently been shocked, the chlorine level may be too high to swim even if the water is clear. Shocking can result in 10 ppm or more of chlorine. The EPA deems up to 4 ppm as safe.

Swimming occasionally in a highly chlorinated pool may not be an issue for adults. But excessive chlorine has been known to trigger Asthma attacks in children. Also, you should rinse or bathe immediately after swimming to avoid irritated skin from the excess chlorine.

A general rule for applying all chemicals to a pool is to wait a minimum of 3 hours before swimming. That gives the chemicals time to dilute and be distributed evenly in the pool. The exception to that rule is high chlorine, which is described above.