Underwater hockey is a fun, fast, three-dimensional game played on the bottom of a pool. Two teams move a puck along the floor and score by putting it in the opponent’s goal with a short stick.
Gear: fins, mask, snorkel, protective glove, water-polo cap. You drop to the bottom of the pool on short breath holds, then surface to recover.
Your first practice
You do not need to be a swimmer. Many people (including myself) did not come from any formal swim background.
Typical session: gear fit, surface warm-up with the snorkel, short dives down and back, first puck contact, then a small drill or beginner game. The water skills that make that session work — snorkel clearing, duck dive, kelp dive, staying flat — are in Basic Water Skills.
Day one: feel safe, repeat short drops, sit briefly on the bottom and surface calmly, move the puck with a stick. Keep the mask and snorkel on between drops. Lifting the mask onto your forehead every width restarts the confidence problem.
Out of breath? Surface early. Short drops beat heroic ones. Start blowing the snorkel clear on the way up so the first breath at the surface is a real one.
What to bring
Clubs usually loan sticks, masks, snorkels, gloves, and caps at first. Bring what you can:
- Your own mask (if you own one)
- Swimsuit
- Sunscreen (if an outdoor pool)
- Towel
Common beginner mistakes
- Frantic breathing before a dive. Slow inhale, calm exhale. A sharp breathe clears the snorkel; panting does not.
- Kicking before the fins are underwater. That kick lifts you. Wait until the fins are in, then kick.
- Staying down too long. Surface early; stack short drops.
- Chasing a puck wildly. Approach under control; stop it with the stick.
- Staring at the puck. Touch, then look up.
- Leaking mask or bad snorkel fit. Fix gear first.
- Hands on the puck. Stick only.
- Two Hands on the Stick. Sticks are one handed, two hands is a foul