Annual Scubadillo Dive Club U/W pumpkin carving and October fest

Annual Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest
and Evening Oktoberfest

October 12, Noon – 8 p.m. (and later)
Tyler State Park

Please join us for this highly-entertaining annual event that’s sure to last well into the evening hours. Underwater pumpkin carving during the day… then a contest, a feast, a bonfire and plenty of socializing once the sun goes down. Sound like fun? You bet it is! Check out our Facebook page for photos from past years.

We’re back at Tyler State Park in the Lakeview Campground. Once you drive in, we’re relatively easy to find – just look for our bright yellow club banners and signs. Plus, you can’t miss the neon yellow t-shirts! ?

Activities start around noon with contestants cleaning out their pumpkins at the event area (by the banners, signs, etc.). Then everyone – divers and spectators – will move to the sandy swim beach area to gear up for the dive/uw carving.

The underwater fun begins at 2 p.m.; contestants have one hour to create their masterpiece… underwater. And yes, prizes will be awarded for winning pumpkins. Note: The contest is for Scubadillo members, only. If you’re not a member yet, no worries. Pro-rated memberships for the rest of the year are available at $20 SINGLE or $30 FAMILY. You can join right now using this online form: https://scubadillos.givingfuel.com/scubadillo-dive-club ).

2019 Underwater Pumpkin Carving Rules:

• Most important: please don’t cut yourself or your buddy.
• Prepare for water temps in the upper 70s.
• Bring your own pumpkin. Bring an extra 3 pounds to keep it down.
• Your pumpkin can’t be carved before getting in the water.
• No drawing or mark-ups on your pumpkin in advance. Also, no stencils. (yes – a lot of rules. It’s an underwater contest, folks. No cheating. *wink*)
• Bring all big chunks of pumpkin back to the surface. No uw littering.
• If you’re using props, they must be attached to your pumpkin before surfacing.
• You have ONE HOUR to carve your masterpiece… underwater
• This year’s theme hasn’t yet been determined. We’ll send an update
• One prize per pumpkin. You and your buddy can bring down two pumpkins to be judged individually OR you and your buddy can work on one pumpkin for one prize.
• Illuminated pumpkins – the good, the bad and the ugly – will be judged around 7 p.m. after the sun goes down.

We need an accurate headcount for those of you who plan to participate in the contest. Please email David Prichard by Wednesday (Oct. 9) to confirm if you’ll have one or two pumpkins.

Our Scubadillo Oktoberfest FEAST will happen after the contest. We’ll provide the same yummy Oktoberfest Stew we had last year, plus some brats and hot dogs on the grill.

Please bring a side dish or dessert to share with everyone (preferably in the theme of Oktoberfest, but anything food-related is welcome).

Currently, there are no burn bans in East Texas, so we anticipate building a campfire. Plan to hang out for a while after our meal and the pumpkin-judging to socialize, tell stories, laugh at the goofy carved pumpkins, take pics, etc.

IMPORTANT final notes:

• We’re not serving lunch, so bring your own snacks and beverages to keep you alert during the day (especially those of you going underwater with carving knives?!)
• Remember to bring comfy camp chairs for everyone in your group.
• Tyler is about 90 miles east of Dallas just north of I-20. That’s a 1.5 to 2-hour drive for some of you. A day trip? Sure. Some Dillos plan to camp out at the park for the night or stay at a local hotel. Each campsite is allowed two tents, so there can be some sharing of campsites.
• We’ll review all these details during our Oct. 3 general Scubadillo meeting at On The Border, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Come prepared with your questions.