Emerging Activities

Photo : Alex.C.Oz

Freediving allows you to explore the underwater world with minimal equipment while offering a unique sensation of weightlessness and freedom of movement.

Both relaxing and invigorating, this activity combines the benefits of swimming and meditation. It requires self-control, body awareness and consistency, while allowing you to progress at your own pace and better understand your limits.

Accessible to everyone, freediving does not require you to be an experienced athlete to get started. With regular practice, it helps improve flexibility, endurance, fluidity of movement and cardiovascular fitness.

Freediving Safety Regulations (in French only)

Safety practive and supervision guide (SPSG) – Freediving (in French only)

Here is a brief overview of the three most popular and widely practised freediving disciplines.

Underwater hockey is a dynamic activity that remains relatively unknown, yet it is played by clubs across Canada and in more than 30 countries. Played entirely underwater, it offers a unique experience where all the action takes place beneath the surface.

Invented in England in 1954 by Alan Blake, the sport was created as a way to stay fit during the winter months. Initially played informally, it gradually evolved into a structured and modern activity. In Québec, it was introduced several decades ago through local initiatives.

Played in a swimming pool (2 to 3 metres deep), two teams of six players compete to push a puck along the bottom of the pool into the opposing team’s goal. Equipped with fins, a mask, a snorkel and a stick, players compete while holding their breath, alternating between periods of play and surfacing to breathe. Matches consist of two 15-minute halves.

Accessible to everyone, underwater hockey can be played from a young age and helps develop cardiovascular fitness. You do not need to stay underwater for long periods to enjoy the game and improve your skills.

Contact Information

Phone: 418 956-5392
Email: hockeysub@quebecsubaquatique.ca

For details about practice schedules and beginner groups, we invite you to contact the organizers directly to confirm session dates and get all the information you need.

Québec Subaquatique is proud to launch the first underwater hockey instructor training program in Canada — a unique opportunity to develop exceptional skills!

• Teach the fundamentals of underwater hockey: A short and accessible training program that quickly equips you to put your new skills into action.
• Get practical tools: Includes training plans and drill ideas to help you independently lead a successful introduction to underwater hockey.
• Online training: Complete it at your own pace, from home, on a user-friendly platform. Each module includes interactive quizzes to help you consolidate your knowledge along the way.
• Pool practicum: Apply what you’ve learned, build your skills, and gain hands-on experience as an underwater hockey instructor.
• Certification recognized by Québec Subaquatique: Upon successful completion, instructors will receive an official recreational underwater hockey instructor certification.

• Be 16 years of age or older

• Open to underwater hockey players, physical education teachers, lifeguard-instructors, freedivers, swimmers, coaches, and anyone looking for a new challenge.

• Hold a valid CPR/AED first aid certification, or complete it before applying for certification.

• Provide a criminal background check when submitting your certification request.

• Have or create a Gmail address to log into and use the Google Classroom platform for your training.

• The training program, including quizzes, instructional videos, and the final exam
• Coordination of the pool practicum
• Training plans to guide your first sessions

Following the training, the future instructor must submit proof of completion to Québec Subaquatique and validate their membership in order to receive their instructor certification and be officially recognized as an underwater hockey instructor.

To remain active and recognized by their national federation, Québec Subaquatique, instructors must keep their Québec Subaquatique membership and CPR/AED certification up to date.

Underwater rugby combines swimming, freediving and teamwork in a dynamic activity played entirely underwater, where the action unfolds continuously in all directions.

Created in Germany in 1961 to make scuba training sessions more engaging, underwater rugby has since grown internationally, with a World Championship held every four years. In Canada, the sport first appeared in Toronto in 2008, followed by Montréal in 2011.

Played in a swimming pool 3.8 to 5 metres deep, two teams of six players compete to place a saltwater-filled ball into the opposing team’s basket. Matches consist of two 15-minute halves, with contact permitted only on the player carrying the ball and governed by strict rules to ensure safety. Training sessions allow new participants to learn the sport progressively.

Accessible to anyone who is comfortable in the water, underwater rugby requires good cardiovascular fitness, which develops through regular practice. Speed, technique and endurance are at the heart of progression, while teamwork and non-verbal communication play an essential role. For those who enjoy competition, tournaments are held at both the local and international levels.

Québec Subaquatique Safety Regulations – Underwater Rugby (PDF) (in French only)

Radio-Canada Sports – Underwater Rugby #shorts (Video)

Radio-Canada Info – Underwater Rugby Pioneers in Timmins (Video)

Snorkeling is an activity that takes place at the surface of the water, either in natural environments or in a swimming pool.

It involves exploring the aquatic environment using fins, a mask, a snorkel, a personal flotation device (PFD), and typically a wetsuit. It allows participants to observe underwater flora and fauna and can be enjoyed either as a guided activity or independently.