Pumpkin, knife, Scuba gear -- all set

FLORIDA CITY, Fla., Oct. 21 (UPI) -- They held an underwater pumpkin carving contest in Florida, and believe it or not it isn't the only underwater pumpkin carving contest in the United States.

Videographer Bob Care said the 10th annual Amoray Dive Resort Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest off Key Largo drew a fair crowd of spectators Saturday -- all of them marine critters with fins and gills, The Miami Herald reported Sunday.

"They're just inquisitive," he said.

Competitors are allowed time to draw their design onto the pumpkin before they dive into the water, but once they're 37 feet down they must carve the pumpkin while completely submerged.

Underwater pumpkin carving contests are also held in Ontario, Wisconsin and Iowa, the Herald reported.

The task is made more challenging because pumpkins are naturally buoyant.

Resort owner Amy Slate started the contest. She used to offer underwater Halloween costume parties and underwater Christmas tree decorating but she dropped those features because it's so hard to swim while wearing a costume and the Christmas tinsel just wanted to float away, the newspaper said.

However, Slate still performs underwater weddings.