The underwater world of snorkels and strategy

Octopush – or Underwater Hockey – was devised more than 70 years ago as a way to keep diving enthusiasts occupied during the winter. It has now grown to accommodate more than 1,800 players and almost 70 registered clubs across the UK, but just what is it?

“It’s a lot more active, a lot more engaging and a lot more fun than swimming or sitting in a bath, or other forms of being wet,” Richard Allum tells me before he adjusts his snorkel and disappears underwater, with a flick of his flippers.

It’s a Friday evening at Archbishop Holgate School in York, and like many sports teams, York Octopush have met for their weekly training session.

It might be hard to believe there’s any action taking place at first – there’s a few ripples on the surface, but little else to see from the poolside.

Two metres down, however, it’s a different story.

Like a shoal of fish, players surge along the bottom of the pool, brandishing small curved sticks in pursuit of a bright pink puck.

This is Octopush, also known as underwater hockey; a fast-paced game not unlike it’s land-based counterpart, which requires players to hold their breath while they try to score goals against the opposing team.

The unconventional sport can trace its origins back to Portsmouth in 1954.

Alan Blake, founder of the Southsea Sub-Aqua Club, invented the game to keep members active over winter, when conditions made open-water diving an unappealing prospect.

The unusual moniker is derived from the original game set-up; eight players – hence the ‘octo’ – using a small stick or ‘pusher’ to manoeuvre a puck along the bottom of a pool.

“Everyone starts from nothing, because nobody’s played before, so it puts you on an even playing field,” Steven Whitelock, from York Octopush explains.

“It’s a team sport where there’s room to make your own strategies around your team’s strengths and weaknesses, because it’s such a fresh environment [for everybody].”

There are currently 68 underwater hockey clubs registered in the UK and an estimated 1,800 people play every year according to its governing body, the British Octopush Association.

While not yet an Olympic sport, it is recognised by the International Olympic Committee, and made its debut at the Southeast Asian Games in 2019.

Still, people are constantly surprised by how intense and physically demanding it can be, says York Octopush’s chairperson Sam Birt.

“Most people expect it to be quite slow-paced but people are always surprised how fast it is, you can flick the puck a couple of metres along the bottom of the pool,” he says.

“It’s also excellent fitness. It’s a lot more entertaining than swimming lengths if you’re a good swimmer.”

While billed as non-contact, the nature of the game means a certain amount of jostling for position takes place.

Protective gear includes gloves, swimming caps and mouth guards, although any flailing elbows are taken in good grace, according to Steven.

“There’s no hard feelings if it’s an accident, we’re a friendly bunch. But it doesn’t happen very often,” he says.

The modern-day game is played between mixed gender teams of six, in two 15-minute halves with five minutes rest in between.

For many at the training session, this inclusivity is as much part of the appeal as the physical benefits of exercise.

“We’re not just talking about the binary here but absolutely anybody and everybody and that’s really important to me,” member Rebecca says.

“There’s a size diversity in Octopush too. For me, being able to walk into a sport and play with all different body types is fantastic.”

Now newbies have a chance to try it out for themselves, with a free taster session put on by York Octopush taking place later.

The club is eager to recruit new members of all ages and abilities – the only requirements are being a confident swimmer, and owning a costume and a pair of socks.

The taster session is taking place at Yearsley Swimming Pool between 15:00 – 16:00 BST, where all the kit will provided.

“People are always amazed when they see [the sport] for the first time, it’s quite unbelievable,” Sam adds.

“There’s no pressure for you to keep coming, but I’d say come along to a session and find out more.”