Sport
9 December, 2024
This sport is no sweat
THE Mossman Manta Rays Underwater Hockey Club are encouraging people to stay fresh and fit this summer by attending their come-and-try sessions and giving an underrated sport like underwater hockey a chance.
As the heat and humidity continue to increase, the Mossman Manta Rays are taking summer as an opportunity to boost club membership and put underwater hockey on the map as a great sport for young and old and one that will get you meeting your cardio goals without breaking a sweat.
The club is currently holding come-and-try sessions at the Mossman Pool from 6pm every Friday.
“We believe that underwater hockey is one of the most awesome sports currently played in the tropics,” said underwater hockey development officer for the Far North region Sean Hartley.
“Underwater hockey is one of the few sports where you can increase lung capacity by an extra litre and that’s a very substantial investment in your future health.
“It’s also an ideal sport for the tropics, you can exercise as hard as you want but you don’t get all hot and sweaty.
“We have started a club in Mossman and it’s doing great but we’re looking to grow our numbers over the summer period to be able to run two games simultaneously and run two nights a week.”
Mr Hartley said joining would also mean becoming a part of a very welcoming community.
“Come to our ‘have-a-go’ sessions on Fridays. We give you a free game and then we start discussing what gear you need and how to join,” he said.
“The Mossman Manta Rays currently have 18 members and we’d like to boost that number.
“Underwater hockey is a non-contact sport, you’re very unlikely to get injured, it’s played on the bottom of the pool, you have six people per team and four subs, the game last 30 minutes and it’s a multigenerational, multigendered sport. This sport requires little in the way of gear and helps improve your snorkelling ability, with many of our current players able to easily dive 30-45 feet down and hold their breath for several minutes.
“It is a very social sport with all the players catching up for a chat over a meal after the game and carpooling to Cairns for a game or two mid-week.
“The weather rarely affects us and summer is the best time to be hopping into a pool, so give us a try.”
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