Underwater Hockey on Nusa Lembongan

Two teams wearing mask, snorkel and fins try to push a small puck along the pool floor and into the opposing goal, using a short stick in one hand. There are no scuba tanks involved. It is a breath-hold sport, so you surface for air between pushes rather than staying down continuously.

Games move in short bursts: a dive down to contest the puck, a push or pass along the floor, then back up for air while a teammate takes over. It looks chaotic from the surface and makes a lot more sense once you are actually in the water watching it from underneath.

We run a free session every Wednesday from 5:30 to 8:00 pm in our own pool. Basic equipment, mask, snorkel, fins, a padded glove and a stick, is provided, and someone always talks new players through the rules before play starts.

Turnout varies week to week between a handful of regulars and a full pool, but there is always room for someone new, and the atmosphere stays relaxed regardless of how competitive any given game gets.

Sober Diving's office manager, Darren, is a divemaster and swimming coach who captains Indonesia's national underwater hockey team. He is usually around on Wednesday evenings, which means genuinely useful coaching for anyone who wants it, alongside a purely social game for anyone who does not.

Having someone playing at that level in the pool does not turn the session into a serious training camp. It just means that if you want to actually improve at the sport rather than just splash around, there is someone there who genuinely knows what they are doing.

It is good cross-training for breath-hold comfort and fin technique, both useful if you are interested in freediving or just want to feel more at home in the water generally. It costs nothing and there is no booking required, just show up.

It is also a genuinely social way to spend a Wednesday evening on the island, whether you play seriously or just want to try something different after a day of diving.

Do not worry about looking awkward for the first session. Most people spend their first game or two just getting used to swimming face down with a stick in hand and judging distance to the puck, which is normal and expected. Nobody is scored on their first Wednesday.