Pumpkin Carving Underwater

[barb]

This is my first fall season diving with a club.
One of the activities the club enjoys is a pumpking carving contest. Great prizes to be won!!!
Apparently, my buddy and I have to somehow bring a pumpkin underwater and carve it.
I'm told that half the fun is trying to hide a special knife or decorations for the pumpkin in your gear. The rules are that you're only allowed your diving knife.
I hear that this is a favourite with the local fish - mmmm pumpkin guts!!!
I'm really looking forward to this and have been trying to think of an easy yet unusual way to carve and decorate my pumpkin.
If anyone has an idea I'd love to hear it.

 

[detroit diver]

Barb,

I've never done it, so take this for what it's worth.

In reading various posts about underwater pumkin carving, the most consistent advice was to get enough weight on the pumken to get it to sink. And after cutting off the top and filling with water, you need at least 4 lbs (depending on the size) to keep it down.

Who says what your diving knife looks like? Take what you want to use, wrap it in a little duct tape, and call it your dive knife! Personally, I'd use something with a serrated edge...

Have fun!

 

[SM Diver]

Hey, Detroit, you're not allowed to carve a pumpkin underwater. Look at page 738 of the DIR manual:

No Pumpkin Carving: DIR frowns on pumpkin carving, as your knife may inadvertantly slip on the slimy pumpkin guts, causing you to sever your buddy's air hose.

 

[detroit diver]

tampascott once complained about DIR...
Hey, Detroit, you're not allowed to carve a pumpkin underwater. Look at page 738 of the DIR manual:

No Pumpkin Carving: DIR frowns on pumpkin carving, as your knife may inadvertantly slip on the slimy pumpkin guts, causing you to sever your buddy's air hose.

I must have an old copy of the manual. Mine's only 150 pages long!

That said, that's why we practice S-drills every time!

 

[jbd]

come to our pumpkin carving event. I wrote the rules and there's no restriction on what you use to carve the pumpkin. I'm thinking of bringing one of those handy pumpkin carving tool kits

 

[Rooster1]

cut top off and degut and put 4-8 pounds of weight inside depending on size of pumpkin and you will be ok

 

[Ber Rabbit]

You can put a "glow" stick, available at most stores that sell camping supplies, in your pumpkin too. Red works the best especially if you take the pumpkins out for a night dive after the carving dive. Just cut 2 holes in the bottom of your pumpkin as close as you can get them and run string or a "zip tie" through the holes and attach the cyalum stick to the pumpkin with that. If you don't attach the cyalum stick it will float out of the pumpkin.
Happy carving!
Ber

 

[Paco]

Have you thought of bringing marking pens like magic markers or paint pens? Something that will work in the water and add a little color to your pumpkin.

 

[dotyj]

Our group is doing their pumpkin carving tomorrow at Battle Ground lake.

I won't be in the water, I'm not far enough into my classes.

Cassi and I are going out though to watch from shore and meet other members of the club. Should be fun.

With any luck I'll get to join in next year. It looks like a lot of fun.

 

[MadReefer]

I saw some really cool carvings last year at Lake Travis...local Dive club (scubadillos maybe) have some really good pics of the action and the winners.
Happy Halloween and Booooobbles go to the surface.