Carving a Pumpkin Underwater

[cyclone]

Originally Posted by rox@ucf11

Well this weekend some buddies and I in the UCF dive club are going to Crystal river to attempt to carve pupkins underwater, we will scrape the insides out before we go underwater, but my question is does anybody have a clue if it will sink or float, or just be neutral??? seems like it will be difficult none the less because it is difficult enough on dry land lol.

Just be careful not to cut yourself.

[Wozzer]

Haha I'll be trying this stuff this saturday, good to know about the floatyness

[mlsm72]

There is a similar event here at CSSP in the Dallas area this weekend as well. I am looking forward to it.

[DZorn00]

Lake Rawlings VA has one this weekend or last not sure when it was but they do float and definately weigh it down. The Birds when you come up will really love you too. Good times

[terrillja]

Originally Posted by H20newbie

This will be my first pumpkin carving contest with our local dive group slated for Sunday Oct. 29. We must go down with our pumpkins untouched...gut it at the bottom and design it there as well. No markings on the pumpkins allowed. Only two advice points given..and reluctantly I might add. 1. take a big spoon 2. weight your self heavy . Should be a blast. Pix hopefully to follow.

Any other tips much appreciated

I would say to attach the pumpkin to yourself with cave line or similar, so it doesn't shoot for the surface. Oh, and to stab it before you bring it down, so it can equalize rather than implode. What depth is this being done at anyway?

[MSilvia]

Originally Posted by H20newbie

Only two advice points given..and reluctantly I might add. 1. take a big spoon 2. weight your self heavy .

I'd say don't think of it as weighting yourself heavy, but as bringing extra weights for the pumpkin. As soon as you get an opening in it, drop in a 5 lb weight. It'll make it MUCH easier to manage, and you won't have to overweight yourself for much of the dive. You want to be neutral, and you want to make the pumpkin neutral too. You don't want to be stuck on the bottom trying to manage a pumkin that's trying to rocket toward the surface. Your carving ability will suffer.

Originally Posted by terrillja

I would say to attach the pumpkin to yourself with cave line or similar, so it doesn't shoot for the surface.

Again, if you and the pumpkin are both properly weighted, this won't be necessary. It might be a good idea to tie it to the weight though, if that's allowed.

Originally Posted by terrillja

Oh, and to stab it before you bring it down, so it can equalize rather than implode.

These things are seriously buoyant even when carved, but yeah... letting it flood and evacuate the air space is a good idea.

Oh, and one other thing... glow sticks make pretty good underwater candles.

[H20newbie]

Thanks for the advise Matt. Since this is my first pumpkin carving I am aiming for the prize "what did you do to that poor pumpkin??", rather than 1st place for best carved. Should be fun though and I am looking forward to getting together with the dive gang for some fun.
Great carving job with your pumpkin. I'll post pix of my massacre.

[datamunk]

we used to do this on dive boats.. however, we did it in that your pumpkin has to be 100% whole and intact. meaning, you cant empty it before getting in the water. you have to get it down and empty it out and do EVERYTHING underwater...

otherwise, u may as well just do it in a bathtub or somethin :P

thats a challange ;P

[Soonerwink]

I would suggest putting pumpkin in a mesh bag or even better a basketball goal net so you can cut top off while it is still tied down. After you get the top cut off put some rocks or weight inside pumpkin and then start carving your design. If your rules allow it purchase cheap pumpkin carving kit and use the small saws in it. It makes it alot easier.

[Doug B]

Whole pumpkins float like a basketball.....

so, you'll need a lot of extra weight to get it down. Maybe rig up a belt just for the pumpkin. Not that hard to do.

Gutting it on the surface is cheating.... you need to take it down whole, and do everything under water.

There is no need to gut the pumpkin underwater, just cut a design that will allow you to push in the pieces, into the inside. Or, a design that will let you remove the pieces you're cutting.

Oh, and IMO, you should only be carving with a DIVE knife... not a kitchen knife, or one of those pumpkin cutting tools....

My two cents...