Carving a Pumpkin Underwater

[rox@ucf11]

lol well im gutting it 1st but i do think it would be cool to see it implode, guess im cheating oh well

[rach]

we're doing the same thing down here in Dominica next week--but going down with a full pumpkin as well...i'll be sure to post pics, as everyone else should too! too bad we couldn't have a contest on here with all the pics, even if just for the glory!

[MSilvia]

Originally Posted by rach

too bad we couldn't have a contest on here with all the pics, even if just for the glory!

We can... I think you just started it.

[lovesmexico615]

So for the contest I'm doing our pumpkins need to be hollowed out before getting them in the water. I'll post pics after!

[AB Diver]

We've done this for the past three years. The trick to manage the unruly floating pumpkin, as some have alluded to. We use a Horse Feed Net and a weight belt. We put the pumpkin in the net at surface and tie it shut. Then attach a weight belt with enough weight to make it neutrally buoyant. The openings in the horse net will allow you to carve it without taking it out of the net. We also need to gather up all the "guts" so while one is carving the buddy is gathering the pieces. Also, we are allowed to draw a design on the pumpkin before so, we have some very intricate designs. Also, the simple little kits you can get from the department stores work fairly well. Bottom time to do is usually around 60 to 75 minutes. Not bad for 25 feet in a mountain lake at 55degees F.

[rox@ucf11]

what I did which worked fairly well is get soft weights or you could use any kind of weight in the bottom of it, to weight it down, and got it just a bit negative, and then carved it, it was pretty fun, so we going to have some kind of contest this haloween on here, I know its a bit early but someone resurected the post and got me thinking

[frozenwarp]

WOW we don't really do the whole haloween and pumkin carving thing down hear in OZ but i'm sure as heck gonna give it a go

[MSilvia]

I totally forgot to post the link to the video I shot at our carving event. Here it is.

[Doug B]

Another trick.... wrap the pumpkin with a couple loops of duct tape, taping a weight belt to the pumpkin.

wrap the duct tape from the "top of the head, to the left ear, then to the chin, then to the other ear, etc..." Then, you can carve the face without the tape getting in the way.

Put the weight belt near the chin, obviously, to keep the thing weighted.

Even filled with water, a pumpkin is very bouyant. I've had one down 40 feet and it didn't impload. That would make for an interesting myth busters.... what's the average depth that a 'normal' pumpkin will implode.

[TRACI]

These are all good tips! Our dive club is having our first pumpkin carving contest this weekend at Lake Ouachita, Ark.