What is Underwater Hockey?

Underwater Hockey is an aquatic sport where teams of 6 on 6 battle at the bottom of a pool for to push a puck into the opposing team’s goal. Players must hold their breath and dive to the bottom to push the puck. Teamwork is essential for this sport as players must come up for air.

The plays are fast, with points going by in a few minutes. A game is typically 15 to 24 minutes depending on the tournament rules.

The goals are a nine feet long. Players must push the puck so that it is in the trough part of the goal. There are no goalies. Instead defensive players (backs) work together to protect the goal. Opposing offensive players (forwards) similarly are trying to score. Scoring a goal counts as one point toward your team.

The Goals

The Puck

The puck is approximately 3lbs. Its made of a metal surrounded by a a plastic coating. There are various kinds of pucks, but the most popular are Uni2 pucks. Pucks come in various bright colors so that they are easy to see on the pool bottom.

Equipment for Underwater Hockey Players

Underwater Hockey players use the following equipment:

Mask
Snorkel
Water Polo Cap
Stick
Glove
Fins

Team Cincinnati can loan new players equipment. If you need fins please let us know your shoe size so we can find one that fits!

Mask, Snorkel, Mouthguard

Players use a mask to see underwater and a snorkel so that they can breath while still watching the play from the surface. A mouth guard goes over the mouthpiece of the snorkel to protect from accidental impacts. The mouth guard is made of plastic or rubber.

Water Polo Cap

The water polo cap is used to identify which team players are on and player numbers. It also provides ear protection. Colors are typically white or blue/black. Red caps are used to identify the in water referees.

Stick

The stick color is either black of white and identifies which team the player is on. Unlike ice hockey, these sticks are short, typically under 12" in length. Sticks are made of either plastic or wood. There is a lot of variation between stick styles. Some are simple and straight while others have a hook for stealing the puck.

A glove is used to protect the players hand from impacts from the puck and from scraping the pool bottom. They are typically made from a stretchy fabric material covered in a thick silicone for protection. Gloves are not allowed to match the stick color. So they can't be white, black (or a very dark color). They also are not allowed to be red or orange as these colors are used by the in water referees in games. Popular colors are blue, green, and silver.

Gloves can be purchased (blue glove on the left) or homemade (silver glove on the right).

Glove

Fins

There are various styles of Underwater Hockey fins. The most popular types are molded rubber fins fins and carbon fiber fins. Fins can either have a full foot pocket or open heel design.

The most popular fins brands in underwater hockey are Najades which are a rubber fin and Breiers which are a carbon fiber fin. These fins can be expensive for entry level players. Popular beginners fin brands are Mares (Avantti Tres, Avantti HPs), Cressi (Reaction Pro), . In general, players buying their own fins should avoid fins that have adjustable straps and buckles, split fins, freediving/spearfishing long fins that have blades longer than 16 inches.

Socks

Some players use neoprene socks to help the fins fit better. These socks are made of 3mm to 5mm thick neoprene. Normal cotton socks can also be used for this purpose, but they tend not to last as long.