At the Cheshire Community Pool in Bartlem Park, Sunday mornings are filled with the sounds of family swim time on the far right of the pool.
Near the center are the morning lap swimmers steadily making their way through their routines. But the left is the reserved section where all of the action takes place beneath the surface: Barnacles Underwater Hockey.
This fast-paced, non-contact sport features two teams of six players competing on the bottom of the pool. Using short sticks, fins, masks, snorkels and protective gloves, players push a three-pound puck across the pool and try to score in the opposing team’s goal.
Because players must swim to the surface to breathe, the game relies on quick substitutions, teamwork and precise passing beneath the water. The sport is governed internationally by the World Underwater Federation, which oversees global competitions and standardizes rules.
