When you think of hockey, you probably picture razor-sharp ice skates, padded armour, or perhaps a sun-drenched hockey field back at school in PE lessons. What you likely don't picture is a pool full of snorkels, swim fins, and athletes holding their breath while wrestling for a weighted puck at the bottom of the deep end.
Welcome to the world of Underwater Hockey (originally, and affectionately, known as Octopush). Far from a modern gimmick, this sport has a rich, 70yr+ history born out of necessity, British winters, and a desire to keep divers from getting bored.
The Birth of "Octopush" (1954)
Underwater hockey didn't start in a tropical paradise; it was invented in the chilly coastal town of Southsea, England, in 1954.
Alan Blake, a co-founder of the newly formed Southsea Sub-Aqua Club, faced a problem. During the harsh winter months, training in open water was nearly impossible, and pool training was becoming monotonous. Club members were losing interest. To keep his divers fit and engaged during the off-season, Blake cooked up a competitive game that could be played on the bottom of a public swimming pool.
He called it Octopush. The original rules were a bit different than today's game:
The Teams: It featured eight players per side (hence the "Octo-").
The Sticks: Players used small wooden sticks called "pushers."
The Puck: A lead weight called a "squid."
The Goal: A simple tin tray at either end of the pool.
Going Global and Dropping the "Octo"
The game was an instant hit among British diving clubs. It was fast, incredibly taxing on the lungs, and required a unique blend of swimming agility and team coordination.
By the late 1950s, the sport had leaped across the English Channel into Europe and caught the attention of Commonwealth nations.
1962: The sport arrived in Australia, where it evolved rapidly.
1960s–70s: It spread to South Africa, New Zealand, and North America.
As it travelled, the rules were standardised. The team sizes were reduced from eight to six players in the water at a time (to prevent the pool floor from becoming a chaotic traffic jam), and the name Underwater Hockey was widely adopted to make it more recognisable to the general public—though the UK still proudly uses "Octopush" to this day.
The Evolution of the Kit
In the early days, players wore basic swimsuits and used whatever snorkels they could find. Over the decades, technology transformed the sport into a high-octane discipline.
Equipment, Then
Sticks - Long, thin wooden "pushers"
The Puck - Raw lead weights ("squids")
Protection - None Silicone-armoured gloves to protect knuckles from the pool floor, and water-polo style caps with plastic ear guards.
Swimwear - Whatever was available
Equipment, Now
Sticks - Short, high-impact plastic or silicone sticks shaped for optimal puck control and flicking.
The Puck - A 3-pound plastic-coated lead puck designed to slide smoothly across pool tiles without damaging them.
Protection - Silicone-armoured gloves to protect knuckles from the pool floor, and water-polo style caps with plastic ear guards.
Swimwear - Crafted from a premium blend of polyester fabric the swimsuits worn have exceptional durability and can be fully customised to a clubs colours / branding. The SHOALO brand is a great example of this - SHOALO Swimwear
Achieving World Status
The ultimate validation for the sport came in 1980, when the *Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques* (CMAS) hosted the very first Underwater Hockey World Championship in Vancouver, Canada.
Today, World Championships are held every two years, with nations like New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and France routinely battling for the gold medal. What started as a winter distraction for four British divers has grown into a global phenomenon played in more than 40 countries.
Why It's One of the Toughest Sports on Earth
If you've never seen it in action, it’s easy to underestimate underwater hockey. But consider this: it is a sport played entirely while holding your breath.
Unlike standard hockey, you can’t just yell to a teammate for a pass. Communication happens through practiced synergy, anticipating your teammate's lung capacity, and knowing exactly when to dive down to relieve them. It’s a relentless cycle of sprinting to the bottom, battling for the puck, and surfacing for a desperate gasp of air before diving right back into the fray.
The next time you look at a swimming pool, remember: beneath that calm surface lies the arena for one of the most intense, strategic, and historically fascinating sports in the world.