The (nearly) Comprehensive Guide to Underwater Hockey Kit
So you’ve picked up underwater hockey, and it’s the best thing to ever happen to you, and now you want to buy some kit. But where do you start? This guide should help you get started with what kit to buy and how to maintain it, from head to toe!
If you’re unsure on what’s the best piece of kit for you, do ask other members in the club, and the club captain! Many members have experiences with different pieces of kit and can guide you – and it gives you the chance to try before you buy!
Head
Kit you’ll need for your head includes a diving mask, a mouthguard/gumshield, cap and snorkel. You’ll also need a way to attach your mouthguard, typically electrical tape, and a way to attach your snorkel to your hat or mask, usually a hairband or by tucking it under the mask strap. For safety reasons, make sure that your snorkel doesn’t have any sharp edges which could get caught on other players. Also, ensure that the diving mask has two, separate lenses, and that it covers your nose.
Masks
There are thousands of masks available online – anything which fits your face well and has two lenses will work for underwater hockey. A common first mask is the AquaLung Sphera, for its low volume and wide field of view. If you have trouble with masks fogging up, try rubbing non-abrasive toothpaste on the lenses and leaving them overnight, or applying a drop of shower gel/ dish soap to the lenses before playing. If you have difficulty with the mask getting pulled off, the CanAm mask strap, sold by canamuwhgear.com, can help hold the mask to your face without it getting pulled off.
Snorkels
Snorkels broadly come in two types – those with a purge valve, and those without. Different people have different preferences, so try one of each and see what you prefer before buying. If you want a snorkel with a wider bore (diameter), try the Wide-Bore Snorkel or Canal2 Widebore from Hydrouwh, but remember that wider snorkels can be harder to clear of water – try one from a teammate before you buy. Also be careful when buying snorkels with valves, to ensure that a mouthguard can be fitted around the purge valve.
Snorkels broadly come in two types – those with a purge valve, and those without. Different people have different preferences, so try one of each and see what you prefer before buying. If you want a snorkel with a wider bore (diameter), try the Wide-Bore Snorkel or Canal2 Widebore from Hydrouwh, but remember that wider snorkels can be harder to clear of water – try one from a teammate before you buy. Also be careful when buying snorkels with valves, to ensure that a mouthguard can be fitted around the purge valve.
Mouthguards
Mouthguards are necessary for almost all competitions, to protect your teeth from the puck. There are pretty much only two types, a cage style mouthguard which needs to be cut to fit with scissors or wire cutters, and solid plastic mouthguards. Both are sold by many UWH outlets.
Mouthguards are necessary for almost all competitions, to protect your teeth from the puck. There are pretty much only two types, a cage style mouthguard which needs to be cut to fit with scissors or wire cutters, and solid plastic mouthguards. Both are sold by many UWH outlets.
Hats
Hats used for underwater hockey are standard Water Polo caps – these can be bought from most uwh stores, but are cheapest to purchase in bulk – talk to the captain about buying a set if a large number of people want to buy hats at the same time.
Hand
Two things are needed for your hand – a glove and a stick. Gloves have several colour restrictions (cannot be black, white or a referee glove), and sticks always come in a black/white pair. Additionally, many people use cheap hairbands or sections of bike inner tube to hold the stick to the glove.
Gloves
Gloves are generally made of silicon over a fabric gardening glove – they can be purchased in a variety of sizes and shapes from a number of stores, or you can make your own! Talk to the captain for more detailed instructions, and keep your eyes peeled for glove making sessions with the club. Additionally, broken gloves can also be repaired with extra silicon. If you make your own glove, make sure to concentrate silicon on the front two knuckles and the thumb, as these tend to be the high impact areas, and use less silicon on the palm and insides of the fingers to improve grip.
Sticks
There are a huge variety of sticks, but broadly speaking there are two properties to any stick that a beginner should look for – the length, and the hook.
Longer sticks will provide a greater reach, and often a larger flick as there is more distance with which to accelerate the puck. Additionally, longer sticks will make tackling easier, as there is a larger surface to make contact. Generally used for backs/defenders.
Shorter sticks will give much faster hand speeds, and will take less time and strength to flick, making them better for a ‘chip and chase’. Dummies/jinxing will be easier, and some people find a better sense of control. Generally used by more aggressive players.
Sticks with a sharper, larger hook will hold onto the puck more easily, and help hook tackles and back tackling. Sticks with a very ‘sharp’ hook will often prevent back-flicks, as the hook slows down the roll and prevents a gentle transfer of direction. Additionally, the size of the hook will affect the weight distribution of the stick for flicking – some people find a particularly large hook can make a stick unwieldy for flicking, whereas others may find the added weight helps build momentum.
Below we have four example sticks from hydrouwh.com, all sticks to scale, to illustrate the differences:
The Wombat 300 – this behemoth of a stick is a foot long, and pretty much the largest stick allowed for push. It also has a fairly big hook that isn’t very sharp, allowing hook tackles without sacrificing skills and back-flicks.
Hats used for underwater hockey are standard Water Polo caps – these can be bought from most uwh stores, but are cheapest to purchase in bulk – talk to the captain about buying a set if a large number of people want to buy hats at the same time.
Hand
Two things are needed for your hand – a glove and a stick. Gloves have several colour restrictions (cannot be black, white or a referee glove), and sticks always come in a black/white pair. Additionally, many people use cheap hairbands or sections of bike inner tube to hold the stick to the glove.
Gloves
Gloves are generally made of silicon over a fabric gardening glove – they can be purchased in a variety of sizes and shapes from a number of stores, or you can make your own! Talk to the captain for more detailed instructions, and keep your eyes peeled for glove making sessions with the club. Additionally, broken gloves can also be repaired with extra silicon. If you make your own glove, make sure to concentrate silicon on the front two knuckles and the thumb, as these tend to be the high impact areas, and use less silicon on the palm and insides of the fingers to improve grip.
Sticks
There are a huge variety of sticks, but broadly speaking there are two properties to any stick that a beginner should look for – the length, and the hook.
Longer sticks will provide a greater reach, and often a larger flick as there is more distance with which to accelerate the puck. Additionally, longer sticks will make tackling easier, as there is a larger surface to make contact. Generally used for backs/defenders.
Shorter sticks will give much faster hand speeds, and will take less time and strength to flick, making them better for a ‘chip and chase’. Dummies/jinxing will be easier, and some people find a better sense of control. Generally used by more aggressive players.
Sticks with a sharper, larger hook will hold onto the puck more easily, and help hook tackles and back tackling. Sticks with a very ‘sharp’ hook will often prevent back-flicks, as the hook slows down the roll and prevents a gentle transfer of direction. Additionally, the size of the hook will affect the weight distribution of the stick for flicking – some people find a particularly large hook can make a stick unwieldy for flicking, whereas others may find the added weight helps build momentum.
Below we have four example sticks from hydrouwh.com, all sticks to scale, to illustrate the differences:
The Wombat 300 – this behemoth of a stick is a foot long, and pretty much the largest stick allowed for push. It also has a fairly big hook that isn’t very sharp, allowing hook tackles without sacrificing skills and back-flicks.
The Katana 270 – this stick is a fairly average size and shape. Very small hook.
The pixie (260) – This is one of the smallest sticks you can buy, and also has a steep bevel at the front for shorter, ‘popping’ flicks. Very fast, but you will find it hard to batter up the wall with this.
The Numbat (270) - This stick is a reasonable size, with an unreasonable hook. Hook tackling will be like stealing candy from a baby, but be warned – some find flicking off balance with such a large hook, and bringing the puck from the back of the stick to the front may become more challenging.
Feet
The main thing people purchase for feet is fins – these are generally made of plastic, rubber, fibreglass or carbon fibre. Things to look for in fins include stiffness and size – like gears on a bike, larger, stiffer fins will require more force and a slower kicking cadence, whereas smaller or softer fins will allow you to use a faster, less powerful kicking stroke.
The rules require that fins be made from “non-dangerous, pliable, synthetic material”. This excludes certain types of fins, namely adjustable size diving fins (pictured below) as the buckles at the back of the fin are considered to be dangerous, and some types of sports fins, such as those used for lifesaving tournaments and spearfishing, as these often have a sharp edge (pictured below) which requires rubber edging in order to be permitted for tournaments.
The main thing people purchase for feet is fins – these are generally made of plastic, rubber, fibreglass or carbon fibre. Things to look for in fins include stiffness and size – like gears on a bike, larger, stiffer fins will require more force and a slower kicking cadence, whereas smaller or softer fins will allow you to use a faster, less powerful kicking stroke.
The rules require that fins be made from “non-dangerous, pliable, synthetic material”. This excludes certain types of fins, namely adjustable size diving fins (pictured below) as the buckles at the back of the fin are considered to be dangerous, and some types of sports fins, such as those used for lifesaving tournaments and spearfishing, as these often have a sharp edge (pictured below) which requires rubber edging in order to be permitted for tournaments.
Quattros/ Superchannels (£)
These are plastic fins, easy to get hold of in dive shops and from Amazon, and some of the cheapest fins available. Quattros are probably the largest fins practical for underwater hockey – these are best for heavier, stronger players looking to go fast on a budget. Who needs manoeuvrability when straight lines do the trick? Superchannels are the smaller version, with both smaller blades and smaller foot pockets available.
Murena/Najade (££)
Murena/Najade (££)
These fins are made from rubber and are very small, and can be ordered in a range of stiffnesses. Expect to have a high kicking cadence, with good acceleration and mobility, but some people find it hard to maintain their top speed. Anecdotally, many people find Murenas more comfortable – as these types of fins need to be worn upside down, they often require a long period of breaking in, especially if you have larger feet. These fins often have to be ordered from eastern Europe, and shipping can be expensive, so it’s a good idea to try to find others who are interested to get the cost down.
Carbon/Fibreglass (£££)
Carbon/Fibreglass (£££)
In this section you’ll find fins like Breiers, Nemo’s, Leaders and K8. These are some of the most expensive fins money can buy, as carbon fibre and fibreglass release more stored energy when they flex than plastic or rubber, allowing a more efficient stroke. However, as these rely on sheets of stiff material, they are far more susceptible to snapping.
Foot Care
Regardless of your fin choice, almost everyone will experience discomfort at some point while playing push. To avoid getting blisters or rubbing, try applying Vaseline to your feet, or using Silicon lubricant spray inside the footpocket of your fins. However, this is a preventative measure – it won’t do much to help once you already have blisters. Another technique to avoid blisters is to wear socks. These can either be normal socks, or neoprene diving socks (not boots). Another problem people can find is being in between sizes for fins, particularly murenas/najades which are only available in limited numbers of sizes. Generally, it’s easier to go up a size than to go down. Fins which are too big can be fixed with the use of thick neoprene socks (3-5mm), fin retainers, or fin insoles/inserts.
Foot Care
Regardless of your fin choice, almost everyone will experience discomfort at some point while playing push. To avoid getting blisters or rubbing, try applying Vaseline to your feet, or using Silicon lubricant spray inside the footpocket of your fins. However, this is a preventative measure – it won’t do much to help once you already have blisters. Another technique to avoid blisters is to wear socks. These can either be normal socks, or neoprene diving socks (not boots). Another problem people can find is being in between sizes for fins, particularly murenas/najades which are only available in limited numbers of sizes. Generally, it’s easier to go up a size than to go down. Fins which are too big can be fixed with the use of thick neoprene socks (3-5mm), fin retainers, or fin insoles/inserts.
List of UWH shops
Lots of equipment for push can be purchased from general retailers like Amazon, or from online dive shops like SimplyScuba.com. However, more specialist equipment will require more specialist shops – here are some of the top ones.
gbuwhshop.co.uk - This is the official shop of the British Octopush Association – members get 10% off so ask around the club before making a purchase. Often slow delivery, although pickup can be arranged for national events.
hydrouwh.com – The New Zealand underwater hockey store, this is an easy to use website with loads of great push gear. However, shipping is expensive, so best to club together with other people to reach the $225 free shipping limit. Also, import taxes do need to be paid, so factor this in!
canamuwhgear.com – The Canadian/American underwater hockey store. They sell the CanAm Mask strap, as well as a dazzling array of weird and wacky sticks. Free shipping but like Hydro, import taxes are often applied.
bentfishdesign.com
coreuwhgear.com – small Slovenian retailer
uwhshop.com
scubaland.com – has an underwater hockey section under ‘Aquatic Activities’
murenafin.com, najadefins.org and breier.fr for speciality fins.
Lots of equipment for push can be purchased from general retailers like Amazon, or from online dive shops like SimplyScuba.com. However, more specialist equipment will require more specialist shops – here are some of the top ones.
gbuwhshop.co.uk - This is the official shop of the British Octopush Association – members get 10% off so ask around the club before making a purchase. Often slow delivery, although pickup can be arranged for national events.
hydrouwh.com – The New Zealand underwater hockey store, this is an easy to use website with loads of great push gear. However, shipping is expensive, so best to club together with other people to reach the $225 free shipping limit. Also, import taxes do need to be paid, so factor this in!
canamuwhgear.com – The Canadian/American underwater hockey store. They sell the CanAm Mask strap, as well as a dazzling array of weird and wacky sticks. Free shipping but like Hydro, import taxes are often applied.
bentfishdesign.com
coreuwhgear.com – small Slovenian retailer
uwhshop.com
scubaland.com – has an underwater hockey section under ‘Aquatic Activities’
murenafin.com, najadefins.org and breier.fr for speciality fins.