Carving pumpkins is a fall staple, but chances are you haven't seen it done quite like this. Gabrielle Mediak headed to Seneca Lake to check out a unique pumpkin carving process.
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Carving pumpkins is a fall staple and some unique pumpkins in Watkins Glen certainly fit the bill. But the way they were carved is far from traditional.
"It’s just a crazy thing to do. People get back to work and ask what did you do this weekend? 'I carved pumpkins under water,'" said Diveshop owner Rob Parker. "They’re like, 'you what?'"
Participants hit the water with their pumpkins and knives for the annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving Dive, held by the Finger Lakes Underwater Preserve Association.
"We carve under water because we can," said FLUPA member Michael Christenson. "It’s kind of a fun thing to do in October."
The windy day didn’t discourage participants from diving on in.
"With the air today, we’ll be warmer in the water than you guys will actually be out here," said Parker.
It took divers about 20 minutes to carve their pumpkins.
"It’s a little more challenging than doing it on land because the pumpkin is bouyant," said Parker.
"Unless it's really heavy its going to want to float, thats what we do so we put lead on ourselves," said FLUPA member James Mathers. "Then we sometimes put lead weight in the pumpkin to keep it down."
But there is much more under the surface than pumpkins.
FLUPA created the competition as a fun and unique way to raise money for their preservation mission.
"We’re trying to preserve the wrecks that are already there," said Parker. "What used to happen is people would put their anchors in and when they’d pull part of the wreck away. So we have blocks down there and buoys attached to them."
And they're hoping these jack-o-lanterns will help shine a light on the history lying just beneath the waves.