Seawater shouldnt hurt your eyes by itself. Sand and other particulate stirred up in the water WILL hurt your eyes, but seawater by itself will generally be close enough to saline solution that it shouldnt cause problems for most people.
Source: certified scuba diver; during training they show us that if you lose your mask, you can open your eyes under water as long as you are careful not to stir up the sand/dirt. I’ve done this in various locations in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and had no trouble.
Latest Answers