A Taster of Octopush

I stepped into the venue for Underwater Hockey with little idea of what to expect. I knew what hockey was, and I knew what underwater was, but I wasn’t really sure I understood how they’d combine. I stepped out at the end still not exactly clear on what had happened, but with great respect for a sport that calls on unbelievable physical exertion.

My disorientation wasn’t helped by the arrival of the players in full gear: snorkels, flippers, waterpolo caps and stubby hockey sticks attached to a singular glove. It also became clear that, because it’s very difficult to hear referee calls under water, it was someone’s job to dip a large metal pole in the water and whack it with a stick to tell people what was happening, in an action I fear can only be described as bing-ing it.

The game itself largely takes place on the floor of the pool, which made following the action occasionally difficult as a spectator. Mostly what we were able to see was a scrum of bodies with players occasionally coming up for air before diving back down, their flippers arcing gracefully like the flicking of a dolphin’s tail.

As a sporting venture Octopush is far from silly however, originally invented as a fitness exercise for sub-aqua divers, it can become highly physical and players must be able to hold their breath for extended periods of time. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking to stay fit while wearing flippers.

Eddie Atkinson