Swimming with a pool vacuum running is usually fine.

Yes, for most modern pool cleaners. But it depends on which kind you have, and the risk is not the vacuuming itself—it’s the cord.

If you have a robotic cleaner (the kind with its own power supply sitting on the pool deck), those are low-voltage and perfectly safe to swim around. The robot doesn’t care if you’re in the water. Just make sure the power cord isn’t frayed or sitting in a puddle near the power unit. That’s basic electricity safety, not really about the vacuum.

If you have a suction-side or pressure-side cleaner (hooked up to your skimmer with a hose and a booster pump), you’re still fine as long as your pool has compliant anti‑entrapment drain covers (which it should, if it’s built after 2007). The actual danger is not the vacuum—it’s getting tangled in the hose. Annoying