Why do divers have shamis

This unique attribute allows the shammy to replace bulky cotton towels that stay wet after a single use. Using a shammy is one of the main ways a diver will avoid this situation: It effectively dries your legs and hands, and at the same time lets you maintain enough moisture to ensure a solid grip. The shammy was introduced at the Swedish Cup by the European divers. The Norwegian team handed a shammy to two-time Olympic Gold medalist Dr. Sammy Lee. He in turn, passed it to his diver, Greg Louganis.

It became an instant hit. Lee quickly developed this product into a profitable business. In , Dr. The shammy first started making its appearance in diving in the late s and early s. Divers from Norway and other European countries were using the shammy to dry off their bodies.

This unique product — not nearly as bulky as a traditional towel — was a hit in the diving world, and has remained a staple ever since. The original shammy was made from the skin of the chamois: A goat-like animal traditionally found in Europe and western Asia. In the s, Japan produced a chamois made of a poly-synthetic material. The modern shammy or aqua-towel is made of this material. Divers, swimmers, and water athletes of all types use the shammy. However, it is especially important in the diving community.

The Flow Swim Chamois checks all the boxes when it comes to a quality shammy. It comes in five different colors, comes with a plastic carrying case for easy storage, and is made of a durable and fast drying polyvinyl. The Flow Swim ShammIt can be reused quickly between races and practices after being quickly wrung out, and like the smaller Flow Shammy, comes with a plastic carrying tube to easily store it in your swim bag. TYR is one of the leading swim gear manufacturers on the planet, with some of the fastest swimmers on the international stage—including Cody Miller, Ryan Lochte, and Katie Ledecky—in their stable of sponsored athletes.

The TYR Shammy comes with a plastic carrying case. A no-frills swim shammy, the Water Gear Chamois Towel comes in five different colors, comes packed in a plastic carrying case, and soaks up water like it stole its lunch money. Lightning strikes. Searching the internet, I gathered that this was not a thing people did, which meant that it was either a a terrible idea, or b a rare stroke of ingenuity in the age where everyone's done everything.

I tried it and discovered that I was, in fact, a genius of the modern era. Shammy comes from the word chamois , which typically refers to a lambskin cloth used for car detailing. A swim shammy is synthetic PVA material designed to replicate the lint-free and highly absorbent qualities of a traditional chamois. It can absorb 10 times its weight in water and dries quickly after a wringing. Shammies are stiff when completely dry. Or had a set that left little fibers and residue on glassware?

When I wiped my dishes with a shammy, it left them drier than the mussed hair of a diver who just flubbed their flying forward one-and-a-half somersault pike.