Fancy your breath-hold capabilities? Want to play one of the toughest anaerobic sports there is? Want to improve your breath-hold for spearfishing? Want to maintain your fitness throughout the year? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then underwater hockey is for you.
The game is played by two teams of 10 players. Six players are in the water at any one times. Swap-outs can be made at any time during the game which is usually played for 10 minutes each half. All you need to participate is your costume, a mask, a snorkel, a skull cap, and your short hockey stick. The plastic coated lead puck moves at high speed along the pool bottom, being either pushed along or flicked forward, towards the metal goal at each end of the pool.
Normalair Underwater Club has a long and proud history in this toughest of sports. The Club was established in 1962 by a group of underwater hockey players who wished to establish their own Club outside the Transvaal Underwater Research Group ( TURG ).
Since then Normalair has provided a constant stream of underwater hockey players, both men and women, for the National Springbok Team, at both Elite and Master level, as well as dominating the National Club Championships.
Normalair are the current National Club Champions.
Training takes place at a modern, indoor, heated facility. The Wahoo Aquatic Centre is situated near Megawatt Park, next to St. Peters School.
Training takes place every Monday and Wednesday evening, beginning at 19h30, and finishing about 22h00.
All levels of expertise are catered for, from beginners to National level. If you are not sure if this is a sport for you … come along and give it a go.