Students Dive Into Taishoff Pool for a Real Game of Battleship

Re-enacting the great naval engagements of our time, Duke students armed with pails took to canoes in Taishoff Pool Saturday for a real-life competition of "Battleship."

Above, sophomore team "Group Me" sinks at the hands of 2nd place team "PhD Pirates" as first place team "Scurvy," also sophomores, looks on. 

Each team is issued a ship in the form of a canoe, a shield on which to set their team name and logo, weapons of buckets, and paddles to move with. Once the ships are launched in the pool at Taishoff, the battle begins. A ship is dead and out once it’s been sunk. Water from other teams’ buckets and hands, from hose cannons on the sides, from waves in the pool and from accidental splashing all combine until the kayak is so full that it submerges.

Photos by Jared Lazarus/Duke Photography