Underwater Pumpkin Carving at Dutch Springs

[2 Bar]

In addition to divng there this Thursday, Falcos and I are using that event as an excuse to go back up on Saturday. However, we have no idea what goes on. Do you byo pumpkin? Do you sign up ahead of time? Is it at a certain time or do they just collect pumpkins throughout the day and judge them later on?

Anyone have any info?

 

[Mo2vation]

Doubtless, a Pig Sticker is a requirement.

I can cut heavy mono, nylon anchor rope, cave line, kelp and about anything else I'd really encounter on a dive with my DIY Betty Crocker, but there is no way I'm getting thru a "punkin skin" with this thing...

Maybe I need one of those plastic punpkin carvers clipped off in my left pocket with the emergency stuff...

K

 

[ZenSquirrel]

Mo2vation once bubbled...
Maybe I need one of those plastic punpkin carvers clipped off in my left pocket with the emergency stuff...
K [/B]

(Begin sarcasm)

Good grief! You dive on a regular basis without a pumpkin carving kit? Let me guess, your reg has a primary 2nd stage, a low pressure inflator, and nothing else.

I know I'm just a DiveScrub, but on my cert dives were were attacked by no less than 3.....er....7 diver-eating aquatic jack-o-laterns. My buddy lost 2....er....4 fingers before we managed to beat them off with our snorkles (knew they had to be useful for something!). Why snorkels....because we didn't have our pumpkin carving kits!

(Ok, that's enough sacrasm)

 

[Rick Inman]

Wait a minute, now. Aren’t pumpkins buoyant? How much extra weight does it require to take one down? How about a weight belt for the pumpkin to get it neutral? Then, when you stick the thing, air would be released and you would have to adjust with your BC. But if the gourd were too large it would take both arms wrapped around it to hold onto it. I see several issues here. Also, if you had an OOA situation, could you get a breath out of the pumpkin?

 

[redseal]

I've heard that some unscrupulous divers, after cleaning out their pumpkins, slip a lead weight or two into the beast before performing their carving ritual underwater. This sounds devious and clever....and apparently works quite well!

 

[Mo2vation]

"You are right though...it would be hard to maintain good buoyancy and trim with all that going on...I would probably rig some bolt snaps to (insert) Punky and "clip him off like a stage...."

k

 

[marpacifica]

I found an underwater pumpkin patch in Guam last month.....

ut:

 

[Hallmac]

Rick Inman once bubbled...
Wait a minute, now. Aren’t pumpkins buoyant? How much extra weight does it require to take one down? How about a weight belt for the pumpkin to get it neutral?

You stick the pumpkin in a game bag and weight it down. carve it inside the bag. Best position is inverted that way you don't silt up the place. Of course the proper tools for the job are a plastic knife and spoon from KFC.

Also, if you had an OOA situation, could you get a breath out of the pumpkin?

Nope! if you had learned anything on this board you would know that if you experience any emergency underwater you are going to die!!

However.
If you get a big enough pumpkin you could always put it on like a dive helmet and get a few minutes of SI FI diving.

Hallmac

 

[MercutioATC]

Thanks to you, my keyboard's now covered with a fine spray of Coke.

 

[o2scuba]

2 Bar once bubbled...
In addition to divng there this Thursday, Falcos and I are using that event as an excuse to go back up on Saturday. However, we have no idea what goes on. Do you byo pumpkin? Do you sign up ahead of time? Is it at a certain time or do they just collect pumpkins throughout the day and judge them later on?

Anyone have any info?

I've been involved with organizing a Pumpkin carving contest dive in my area several times. We usually have only about 20 or so people in all so it's smaller than the dutch springs gig.

The way se do it:
we provide the pumpkins
we ask people to register in advance so we'll have enough pkns
prizes are items donated by dive shops
you may use a dive knife or pumpkin carving knive (available at any wal-mart or tos-r-rus)
no props allowed
All divers gear up, do pre-dive safety check, and enter the water (shore dive)
after the start signal, everyone has 20 minutes max to submerge, carve and surface. They will probably give you a max/min depth.

Pkns are quite bouyant! It takes a little skill to wrestle one down. Once underwater you can do whatever, but you are not allowed to use any make-shift wieght devises for your pkn prior to submerging.


Once submerged,One trick is to prop it under a forked tree branch or rock (jam it under a brain coral , kiddding...kiddding, not that there is much brain coral at dutch springs).

Also, anything you cut out has to be shoved INSIDE the pkn. Any "guts" floating up to the surface can result in disqualification.

the top of the pkn is not removed.

obviously you want to have a couple extra pounds of weight. A pencil can be helpful to trace out your design.

The rules may be quite different at DS, just a little FYI on my experience.