Why do divers shower after every jump? Olympic diving questions answered

Ever wondered why divers shower when they come out of the pool? Or perhaps you’re confused by the tiny towels they use, or the tape they wear.

The Paris 2024 Olympics are upon us and for those not lucky enough to hold a ticket to an event in the city of love, it’s time to settle in front of the TV and watch Team GB go for gold.

In the diving, our best hopes are pinned on Tom Daley and Jack Laugher to win medals for Great Britain, but while we’ll be crossing our fingers that they come away with the crown, you may also notice that there are a couple of unusual traditions in the sport.

For instance, why do divers shower after every jump, and why do they use those tiny towels? You might also have noticed that many divers wear tape and, for some reason, water is sprayed over the diving pool.

We’ve answered all your diving-related question below…

Why do divers shower after every jump?

Divers shower after each dive in order to keep their muscles warm and loose. This helps to avoid injuries while competing.

In fact, between dives the competitors often keep themselves warm and relaxed in a hot tub.

The air on the pool deck is often cool – and the divers will feel this more keenly when they are wet – so it’s important they keep warm. The shower helps with this.

If they don’t, the cold may cause them to tense up and, even if it’s only slight, this can affect their performance when they dive and potentially lead to injury.

Why is water sprayed on diving pools?

Water is sprayed on diving pools to help athletes see the surface and judge how far they are from the water.

The water disrupts the surface, which would otherwise remain still, so the divers can judge the angle they will be hitting the pool at – something which is crucial for their safety.

Underneath the water, a device known as a ‘bubbler’ is installed on the pool floor to provide a compressed air cushion of bubbles, which protects the divers from injury.

Why do divers wear tape?

Divers wear tape to relieve pain in their muscles and joints, and for added support.

The acrobatic sequences that divers perform put a lot of stress on the body, so, again, the tape helps prevent injury and avoid any muscle movement that might hinder performance.

It’s not just any old tape, however. Called Kinesio (also referred to as ‘K tape’), it was developed in Japan in the 70s by chiropractor Dr Kenso Kase, and is popular with athletes across many other sports – proving especially popular with swimmers too.

While it’s said to reduce swelling and allow fluid to move through the body more smoothly, some scientists have suggested it may have little more than a placebo effect.

Why do divers use little towels?

Simply put, divers use those little towels to keep dry. Known as Chamois towels, they are extremely water absorbent, allowing divers to dry off quickly.

Towelling off before a dive is important, because the athletes don’t want to risk slipping while gripping onto their legs during a tuck or pike. Not only would this hinder their performance, it can also be dangerous.

An added benefit of these towels is that they’re very easy to wring out.

You may sometimes see divers dropping little towels into the pool from the diving platform. This helps them judge the distance they are about to dive from.