What can I use for this? I am going into sleepers 8" OC. I will countersink and use plugs for the surface nailed first course. Can I use deck screws for this first course?

Yeah you can. You must be installing a sand on site floor. I would use a finish nailer to face nail prefinished, unfinished too for that matter. You haven't been reading that Hammerzone stuff have you

>>You haven't been reading that Hammerzone stuff have you?

No. I just suck with a hammer.

So do I, thats why I use a finish nailer. Are you doing a prefinished or site-finished?

Site finished. My other problem is where to get a spline. I need to reverse direction at one point. I went to Lowes today and they didn't have it. Does anyone have it?

A flooring distributer will have splines. They will sell them to the general public. You can rip your own out of the flooring. Place two boards together groove to groove and measure the space.

I managed to get one from Lumber Liquidators. I put down the first row with countersunk deck screws. I was going to put down the rest this afternoon but HD didn't have a hose to connect the nailer with the compressor I was going to rent. The other Home Depots around here are closed on Sundays, so I will try tomorrow.