A. Lerios Marine, Nicholas Toth, Master Helmet Maker: The History

Portrait of Anthony Lerios in his early 20's.

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 helmet made from copper, brass and plate glass by Nicholas Toth.

Toth's Grandfather, Anthony Lerios, was a master craftsman and engineer who arrived in Tarpon Springs, Florida in 1913. Anthony was born in Kalymnos Greece. At the age of five, Anthony and his family moved to Istanbul, Turkey. In this great metropolis, Anthony Lerios, acquired his education, engineering and metalworking skills. In the shipyards Anthony became a master mechanic and machinist.

Schooner style sponge boats in the Anclote river

In Tarpon Springs, Anthony Lerios became known for the unparalleled level of craftsmanship he brought to the sponge diving industry. He maintained something like a hundred boats for the sponge divers. And he produced the very best helmets. Over the years he continually refined his design, making the helmet more comfortable, improving air flow and increasing visibility.

He tapered the base of the helmet, the breastplate, to make it lighter and less cumbersome. He also simplified the helmet by making it one piece instead of two.

He changed the angle of the portholes so a diver could see sponges growing on the bottom. He changed the location of the intake valves, so that air blowing into the helmet would keep the glass clear. He relocated the outtake valve so a diver could more conveniently clear the helmet of excess air. he managed to accomplish all of this and make the helmet beautiful, too.