Snorkelling and safety equipment, and a stick are required for each player. Extra
equipment is usually available for loan, but if
you have it, please bring good snorkelling equipment.
Snorkelling Equipment
MASK
Get a low-volume mask (to maximize your field of view) with safety glass, not a $10
cheapie. You might expect to pay
$40-60 for a good mask.
FINS
Full foot fins are worn by most, but open heel fins can work too. Most people wear
socks with their fins to avoid
abrasion. Any kind of fin is fine for starting, but long, fairly stiff fins seem to be
popular. Good fins are expensive, expect
to pay around $75 (or more).
SNORKEL
A simple wide-bore snorkel works best. Most people remove the top few inches to
reduce drag, so anti-splash gadgets
are pointless. And there seems little use for a purge valve either. So an underwater
hockey snorkel is cheap, perhaps $10
or maybe $20.
Protective Equipment
GLOVE
Without a padded glove, you'll probably end up with broken fingers (after all, the puck
is metal). A glove is fairly easy to
make (and generally can't be purchased). A thin glove and lots of silicone rubber from
the local hardware store is all
that's required (and a little time). Glove-making parties happen occasionally, and there
are usually gloves available for
loan as well.
MOUTH GUARD
Although it doesn't happen much at all, it is possible for a well shot puck to hit
someone in the mouth. Without a
mouthguard the effect on teeth can be disastrous. A mouthguard can be purchased at
most sports stores (including the
Pro shop). They are small, and moulded once to fit inside the mouth by heating them in
hot water. The price should be
somewhere around $3.00.
HEAD GEAR
Although a rare occurrence, it's possible for a fin kick just by an ear to cause enough
pressure to burst an ear drum. The
result is reported to be rather unpleasant (extreme vertigo is one possibility). So it's
recommended that ear protection be
worn. The caps used for waterpolo work well. They can be hard to find in quantities of
one, but the Pro shop can
help. It will probably cost around $25.
Playing Equipment
STICK
The stick is made of wood (or any homogenous material that floats) and is about 25-34
cm long.
Here is the CMAS outline of a regulation stick. There are lots of (often mediocre)
sticks available for loan, or you can
make your own from .5" pine or maple and a pattern (i.e. someone else's stick). Steve
has been known to make sticks
at a good price, so feel free to ask him.
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