West Wickham Underwater Hockey Club was established in 1973 by a passionate group of divers from the West Wickham (BSAC) diving club. Since then, we have grown into an inclusive club, boasting a diverse collection of members of different ages and backgrounds. The club prides itself on hosting both social and competitive players, with several active members being part of the elite international squad.
In our early years, a significant merger with players from Bromley enriched our talent pool, fostering a competitive edge. Our quick establishment in the UK National Ladder set the foundation for decades of success.
Throughout the 1980s, notable players like Steve Baldwin, Paul Cook, Pete Coleman, and Paul Allen propelled the club to new heights, earning national championships and representing Great Britain on the international stage.
Five decades of underwater hockey
The club has always shared the sport beyond the pool. From the days of printed "Octopush News" booklets, we've evolved into modern coverage — local news headlines, regional features (including BBC regional news), and the day-to-day stories, clips, and match moments shared across Instagram and Facebook.
Our identity has changed as the club has grown: from the West Wickham reds, through the Dacor Dive sponsorship era, to the legacy wave mark — and into today's modern WWUWH logo system.
The 1990s and 2000s saw continued excellence with our members securing top positions in national and international tournaments. In 1998, we clinched the National Champions title and consistently maintained a top-three ranking.
Underwater Hockey (UWH), also known as Octopush, is a globally played limited-contact sport where two teams compete to manoeuvre a puck across the bottom of a swimming pool into the opposing team's goal using a hockey stick (pusher).
Invented by Alan Blake in 1954 as a winter activity to keep members engaged in his diving club, UWH blends swimming skills, fitness, and breath-holding in a unique, underwater environment.
Teams consist of up to 10 players, with 6 in the water at any time. The game is fast-paced, utilising a tag system for substitutions, enhancing its excitement and intensity.
The sport takes hockey to a whole new dimension with the playing area being the bottom of a swimming pool. It's a truly unique sport requiring the use of snorkelling gear (mask, fins, and snorkel), combining swimming skills, good fitness, and breath-holding as all the action is underwater.
Underwater hockey is a great way to keep fit — taking swimming (widely recognised as excellent for health and fitness) to the next level through a truly unique team sport. The low-contact nature makes it very safe, giving it broad appeal with men's, women's, and junior teams — with players from 8 years upwards.
The 1970s and 80s saw the sport's first major expansion, fuelled by the rise of scuba diving. Underwater hockey spread globally, becoming popular in Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the USA, and South Africa. Today, it's a well-organised global sport with national and international events, culminating in the World Championship.
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