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Wed, 07/31/2013 - 6:30pm

BEN BULKELEY, Staff Reporter

Young beach-goers swarm around Brian Boone as he returns with a bag full of sea creatures and other found items. From a 45-minute dive, Boone culled squid eggs, a juvenile lobster, several hermit crabs, a golf ball, a quahog and one feisty rock crab from the waters off Pemaquid Beach. BEN BULKELEY/Boothbay Register

A hermit crab rests on Brian Boone's hand while onlookers get a better look at the bounty the diver pulled from the water. Boone was able to pull out a variety of creatures from a short dive. BEN BULKELEY/Boothbay Register

Some items Boone has found in his dives in Maine include a bevy of bottles, rusted mooring pieces (pictured), oarlocks, pliers and other discarded items. BEN BULKELEY/Boothbay Register

Boone, who weighs approximately 135 pounds, said he doubles his weight with all the gear he dives with. BEN BULKELEY/Boothbay Register

Geared up and ready to dive: Brian Boone, right, stands with almost all 130 pounds of his scuba on at Pemaquid Beach. BEN BULKELEY/Boothbay Register

Some items Boone has found in his dives in Maine include a bevy of bottles, rusted mooring pieces (pictured), oarlocks, pliers and other discarded items. BEN BULKELEY/Boothbay Register

Boone, who weighs approximately 135 pounds, said he doubles his weight with all the gear he dives with. BEN BULKELEY/Boothbay Register

Geared up and ready to dive: Brian Boone, right, stands with almost all 130 pounds of his scuba on at Pemaquid Beach. BEN BULKELEY/Boothbay Register

For Brian Boone, a good time involves pinning himself down with 130 pounds of gear and taking to the water.

Boone, of Nobleboro, put on all of his scuba gear and took to the water July 27 during the “Under the Sea” presentation at Beachcombers Rest Nature Center at Pemaquid Beach.

As part of the presentation, Boone had several artifacts he had found in the area, including oarlocks, bottles, starfish and other things often dropped off the sides of boats.

He also donned the cowl and waded into water with limited visibility to see what he could find for a small crowd that had gathered at water's edge.

In the approximate 45 minutes he was in the water, Boone was able to cull, among other things, a young lobster, several hermit crabs, a golf ball, a rock crab, several clams and a gelatinous blob later revealed to be squid eggs.

Boone talked about his 12 years of diving and some of the equipment he uses to dive.

“When I put on all of my gear, I double my body weight,” he said. “I have to strap lead weights on so I can sink.”

In addition to exploring the rocky coasts and salty coves, bays and ponds, Boone also snaps photos along the way. On Saturday he had several framed pictures of grumpy-looking lobsters, bright anemones and masses of intertwined starfish.

At Rachel Carson Salt Pond Preserve in New Harbor, which he listed as one of his favorite and most familiar driving spots, he knows the sea anemones well enough from their locations that they have earned names, such as Fred. He said that when he approaches the flowering animals in the dark, murky Maine water they appear as gray blobs; it's only when the flash from his camera hits them do they reveal their colors.

Diving times vary depending on the depth, Boone said. For a swim close to the surface, his air tank, which he has refilled for $4.50 per dive, he can stay under for an hour. If he dives down 100 feet, he can expect to be under for 20 minutes before the air runs out.

Ben Bulkeley can be reached at 207-633-4620 or benbulkeley@boothbayregister.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BBRegisterBen.