In this case, it's all about protecting their muscles. Coming out of the pool after a dive and onto the air-conditioned pool deck can be chilly and cause their muscles to tense up, so divers will typically rinse off with warmer water than they dove into, sometimes taking a dip into a hot tub as well.
Because excess nitrogen remains dissolved in the body tissues for at least 12 hours after each dive, repeated dives within 1 day are more likely to cause decompression sickness than a single dive.
Why do divers have a shower or jump in the spa in between dives? Now when you're cold, it's much harder to do everything. Your muscles tighten up, you move slower and it's way easier to make mistakes. That's why we have showers on pool deck to stay warm and keep your full range of motion.
Short answer: Skipping a shower after swimming raises risks of skin irritation, infections, unpleasant odors, and chlorine- or salt-related damage to hair and swimwear. Severity depends on water type (chlorinated pool, freshwater, or seawater), time exposed, and personal factors (skin sensitivity, immune status).
Apply the 80/20 Rule.
In swimming, we cure 80% of our core problem—energy waste—by solving the problems of sinking and uncontrolled movement. Fortunately the fixes for those—Balance, Stability, and Body Alignment--are also the simplest skills. By applying the 80/20 Rule, we can swim much better within just a few hours.
The 25:10 rule states that if a child is unable to swim 25 meters continuously (no stopping) and unassisted, then a parent needs to remain in the water with them within 10 feet of the child.
The tight fits allow for easy movement and are said to reduce muscle vibration, thus reducing drag. This also reduces the possibility that a high-forward dive will remove a diver's swimwear.
Diving often involves tucks and pikes, where the diver grips their legs. Wet hands and legs can be slippery, so towelling off before a dive is important. Since Olympic divers sit in a hot tub to keep warm between dives, they'll towel off and get wet again several times during a competition.
Why do they have those fancy towels? Those are called “shammys” and divers love them because they're super absorbent. They want their legs and hands to be as dry as possible so they don't slip out of flips in the air. Basically, it helps them maintain a strong grip.
Because Chris was a saturation diver, his body had been pre-loaded with high levels of oxygen over days spent living in a pressurized environment. That oxygen lingered in his blood and tissues longer than normal.
The rule suggests that the depth of the dive (in feet) and the time spent underwater (in minutes) should not exceed a combined total of 120. The goal of this rule is to keep divers within a range where they can avoid serious risks such as nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness.
However, with nitrox, there's a higher amount of oxygen in the tank, and it will become toxic at much shallower depths. The maximum operating depth (MOD) of a dive tank containing 36% oxygen would be a little shallower than 30 metres, which is within recreational depth limits (phew).
Getting into a hot tub or a warm shower can relieve stress on those muscles, and can be a critical component to avoiding cramping or even injury after each dive, especially since divers can wait long stretches between the action.
Olympic divers use the little towels, or shammies, to towel off before a dive. Those little towels retain some moisture, but quickly absorbs excess water that could otherwise cause slippage for the diver. Divers also use the shammy for spot warmth between jumps.
In this case, it's all about protecting their muscles. Coming out of the pool after a dive and onto the air-conditioned pool deck can be chilly and cause their muscles to tense up, so divers will typically rinse off with warmer water than they dove into, sometimes taking a dip into a hot tub as well.
Professional swimmers often use products like tampons or menstrual cups to absorb blood and prevent leaks. Elite swimmers may also use birth control to shift their periods. While water pressure can temporarily slow the flow of menstruation, your period doesn't stop in the water, so some form of protection is necessary.
Women's water polo players wear skimpy swimsuits, often resembling thongs, primarily for performance and practicality—to reduce drag in the water, prevent opponents from grabbing fabric during play, and comply with FINA regulations that mandate minimal, form-fitting suits.
If you're swimming at least a mile a day for several weeks, you'll start seeing the benefits of the whole body workout, including losing weight and building muscle.
According to the NCAA, it's a rule that says a swimmer must break the surface of the water at the 15-meter mark — both after the start of the race and each turn. If this rule is broken, swimmers can be disqualified from the race.