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Men of Greek descent have been diving for sponges on the floor of Florida’s
warm Gulf of Mexico waters since approximately 1905. The center of this
pursuit is Tarpon Springs, located just northwest of Tampa. Though today
most of the divers use modified scuba gear, a few still wear the traditional
canvas and rubber suit topped with a heavy helmet made from copper, brass
and plate glass by Nick Toth.
Toth’s grandfather, Antonios Lerios, was born on the Greek Island of
Kalymnos. As a boy he moved to Istanbul, Turkey, where he worked in the
shipyards, eventually becoming a master mechanic and machinist. He came
to Tarpon Springs in 1913, when he was 21, and soon became known as the
best diving helmet craftsman. Over the years he continually refined his
design, making the helmet more comfortable, improving air flow and increasing
visibility.
Toth admired his grandfather’s skills and ability to solve mechanical
problems. As a young man, he began to learn the machinist trade and to
absorb much of his grandfather’s knowledge. Before Lerios passed away
at age 100 in 1992, Toth had assumed the family machine shop business
and was continuing the tradition of crafting diving helmets that are among
the finest found anywhere.
To begin a helmet, he hammers a sheet of malleable copper against a cast
iron form (made by his grandfather in the teens or twenties) to fashion
the shoulder piece. The main part of the helmet is spun from copper to
Toth’s exact specifications by another shop. He machines the openings
in the helmet, fabricates all of the other parts—from the precision air
valves down to the smallest wing nut—and completes the assembly in his
shop. The result is an expertly crafted helmet that should survive 30
or 40 years of daily use.
The heyday of Florida’s sponge diving industry occurred during the 1930s
and 1940s. For most of Toth’s youth, the industry was in decline, due
to red tides and the increased use of synthetic sponges. But, in the 1980s,
the sponges in the Mediterranean died, and the Florida market recovered.
Florida’s tough, soft sponges are considered to be some of the best in
the world and are purchased for both industrial and domestic use.
Though Toth continues to make helmets for a few local divers, he is currently
exploring new markets. Divers who work in the colder, rougher waters off
the California coast are particularly impressed with his heavy helmets.
They appreciate the custom design of the helmets and find that they outlast
other manufacturers’ products. Toth also receives orders worldwide from
diving clubs and individuals who want to display his helmets as works
of occupational art. He feels fortunate that this expanded interest is
enabling him to continue his family tradition.
— Robert Stone
Photograph by Eric Dusenbery
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