Most Underrated Aquatic Sports: Have You Heard Some of Them?

Aquatic sports, especially those in an underwater environment, are the hardest form of sports to play. On land, you only need strength, intelligence, and balance, but in water, you need to be adept at going with the tide.

By this time, you're probably curious about what makes these underrated aquatic sports "underrated." Chances are, this is your first time to hear about them and how they are properly played.

Underwater Photography: A Dive into Art

Most Underrated Aquatic Sports: Have You Heard Some of Them?

Initially, it was a film-based event, but now underwater photography is a competitive sport regulated by the CMAS (Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques).

• Team Structure: Five members including one captain, two photographers, and two assistants.
• Objective: To take the best underwater shots, and that will be limited to the first 100 images on a memory card.
• Themes: Categories include fish, wide-angle shots with or without a diver, and close-ups with or without a theme.
• Venue: Open-water diving sites.
• Duration: Four days, with practice sessions and judging.

Underwater Target Shooting: Accuracy at Depth

Underwater target shooting was developed in France in the 1980s. It challenges the marksmanship under water.

• Participants: Individual and team events with specific rules.
• Equipment: A weight belt and a speargun.
• Venue: Swimming pools measuring at least 25 x 10 meters.
• Duration: Events last from 2.5 to 5 minutes, including "Precision," "Biathlon," and "Team Relay."

Underwater Ice Hockey: Extreme Sport, Upside Down

Underwater ice hockey turns the conventional hockey game on its head literally.

• Players: Two teams of two, with four teams in total, play one-on-one.
• Gear: Wetsuits, fins, masks, ice hockey sticks, and a floating puck.
• Goal: Score by shooting the puck into the opposing team's goal.
• Venue: Under frozen ponds or pools on a 3x6 meter upside-down rink.
• Duration: 10 minutes with players surfacing for air every 30 seconds.

Underwater Wrestling (Aquathlon): A Submerged Showdown

This sport, different from the multisport race that is also known as aquathlon, focuses on grappling underwater.

• Players: Competitors play in pairs, one in each round.
• Equipment: Swimsuits, masks, fins, water polo caps, and ankle bands.
• Objective: Grasp the ribbon tied around the opponent's ankle.
• Venue: A swimming pool with a 5-meter square ring.
• Duration: Three rounds of 30 seconds each, with a fourth round for ties.

Underwater Orienteering: Navigation Meets Adventure

Underwater orienteering is perfect for underwater explorers because it integrates the use of direction-finding skills with a competitive strategy.

• Individual and team events
• Equipment

1. A marked map
2. Compass
3. Counter meter
4. Diving cylinder

To explore a predetermined route in an efficient manner in the water.

• Venue: Freshwater lakes, whose depth should be at least 3 meters.
• Courses: There are M-Course, 5-Point Course, Star Competition, and Parallel Race.

Aquatic sports are simply amazing and while swimming is the most common, discovering some of the never-heard ones is truly fascinating. It's for thrill-seekers who are not afraid of what's beneath the water. It's also for those who appreciate the beauty of underwater for an irreplaceable experience they would never find elsewhere.