Best winter / off-season cross-training possible - UWH and UWR

Underwater Hockey and Underwater Rugby are potentially the best off-season training and conditioning that you can do.  I have traditionally played them year-round, with the exception of a few weeks before a max attempt / competition in freediving.

As an added bonus... it's FUN!

Doing Co2 tables and static holds in your bed can get boring and repetitious.

UWH will condition your legs to repeated sprints (at each faceoff) and condition higher levels of Co2 and lactic acid.  This is GREAT for fighting the surf while spearfishing or for a long ascent after a CWT dive.

Note that if you're lucky enough to score a breakaway / hard-fought battle for the puck or score a goal (like I did in the last 5 goals in the vid below), then you have the "privilege" of swimming all the way back to your side and then racing for the puck in the middle again, as I did in the beginning of the video at centre.  Did I mention that it was good for lactic tolerance and leg conditioning??

UWR will also condition your ability too keep cool while staying under, as you're at -5m often (if the pool is deep enough) and a forward or defence position will test your overall stamina and Co2 conditioning, while a goalie position will help to train your static and ability to stay calm under pressure.