Saltwater wanted but confused about options...

[waterbear]

bottom line, a salt pool is a chlorine pool. The salt systems tend not to have as high a buildup of combined chlorine and the chlorine addition is automatic since it is made in the salt cell by electrolysis of the salt but in the end you have a chlorine pool, no more no less.
A PROPERLY MAINTAINED (and that is the catch) chlorine pool will not irritate the eyes, since there will be no chloramines formed.
Swimming in salt does have a slightly different feel to the water (it will be slightly more 'buoyant' and closer to the salinity of the body so it will be a bit less 'irritating' but in the end it is a chlorine pool.

I have a salt pool and would never go back to manual chlorination since, IMHO, it does make pool maintenance much easier (and I am basically lazy)

Stay away from the N2, It's really just a money maker for your dealer (I used ot sell them so I know a thing or two about this).

[Poolsean]

Not to sound like a sales pitch, but it is a product that answers her question on salt systems.

You may want to consider our newest offering from AutoPilot.
It's a low salt Chlorine Generator, that should set your mind at ease on the salt issue.
www.autopilot.com AG unit. Designed specifically for above ground pools, and to operate at 1000 ppm.

Having said that, Evan and Janet are correct, a properly maintained pool will not have the effects that you're looking to get as a result of adding a chlorine generator. With a salt system, you can still have those effects if you don't maintain your pool properly!

How frequently are you adding chlorine/chemicals? Weekly, as most people do? Perhaps adding smaller dosage, more frequently, will help with the high chlorine swings.

However, it all starts out with making sure your water chemistry is balanced and properly maintained....key word being maintained.