Underwater Carving: Divers Turn Lake Champlain into a Pumpkin Studio

Scuba divers spent hours submerged in 51-degree water in Lake Champlain on Sunday, carving pumpkins while resting them on the lake floor. The annual competition in Burlington, Vermont, serves as a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Brandon Tieso, a Burlington resident and first-time participant, finished his carving in 10 minutes. He has been diving for three years. Tieso entered the water without a pre-drawn design. “It was incredibly satisfying, but also very frustrating, but such is art,” Tieso said. He noted that participants often underestimate the physical difficulty of working with limited visibility, cold temperatures, and reduced hand dexterity underwater.

Returning teams approached the challenge with more structured strategies. Alex Dixon and Jessica Gagne, both from Burlington, planned to create an octopus using two pumpkins. Their method required preparation on land to overcome buoyancy issues. Gagne explained that in previous years, their tools and pumpkin pieces would float to the surface, causing confusion. “Everything just keeps floating up to the top, so the first year we did it, everything, we would be like ‘oh, where did that go, where did that go,’ and we’d look up and it would be like floating at the surface of the water,” Gagne said. To prevent this, divers hollow out the pumpkins before entering the lake and pack them with weights.

Safety protocols were a priority for the event organizers. Phillip Peterson, an instructor at Waterfront Diving Center, emphasized that diving involves inherent risks, especially when participants are carrying knives. “Emergency is definitely a factor in anytime you go diving, so yeah, we want to have fun, we’re here to carve pumpkins, we also have knives,” Peterson said. The event is one of several charity dives hosted by the center each year, allowing participants to practice their skills while raising funds.

The personal stakes for some participants were high. The owner of the dive shop has two daughters who live with cystic fibrosis, including Tieso’s fiancée. Individuals with the condition often cannot dive due to the need for pressurized air. Tieso said he participates to represent them. “She cannot dive, despite being the daughter of the owner of the shop, both his daughters have CF and thus cannot actually go underwater and use pressurized air, so I kind of take the mantle of that and have been participating in it for about three years,” Tieso said. Dixon described the experience as a combination of enjoyment and altruism, calling it a win all around.

After the divers surfaced, the carved pumpkins were brought to shore for judging. A lighthouse design was selected as the winner of the competition.