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the equipment  of the pearl diving
1-Nose peg (ftam) from turtle shell.
2-ropes
3-large stone (hajar)
4-Basket (diyyin)
5-Leather  caps for fingers (khabt)
6-wax

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Pearl Diving Facts
-4 months and 10 days is how long the divers - all men, would be gone for.
-They would be at sea from mid-May to early September.
-Men were inducted into the pearling business at age 9 - when they had to pry open oyster shells with knives to get to the pearl. Age 12 onwards, they began to dive. Around 50, it's time to stop.
-The first 10 days of the new pearling season were the toughest for divers. They'd be side effects, nausea, sea sickness -attributed to the body getting used to the diving routine.
-Divers would dive for 12-14 hours, before sunrise, and till sunset.
-The rhythm was dive 5 times, rest once. Repeat.
-Ten metres is how deep on average a diver went.

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Pearl diving in the United Arab Emirates

The Arabian Gulf waters provided an ideal environment for pearling because the oyster beds were shallow enough for divers to reach without the use of breathing gear.

The diver was the focus of activity on the boat, with an entire support team to assist him.

The main pearling season in the United Arab Emirates was called Ghous Al-Kabir ('the big dive') and took place between 1 June and 30 September. The weather, although hot, was generally clear and calm, providing ideal diving conditions. Smaller one-month seasons took place in October and November.

On the first day, crews would be sent off with a ceremony called hiraat ('oyster bed'), that took place on the beach. The crews would depart with their families and community bidding them farewell from the edge of the beach. The most senior sardal - captain of the fleet - would then officially announce the start of the season.

On the last day of Ghous Al Kabir, a cannon would be fired from the shore as a sign of the imminent return of the divers, and this was a signal for families to prepare for their arrival. People would festoon their houses with cloth flags called bayraq or bandira, and prepare special food, including sweets, juices and nuts.

As the pearling vessels beached on the sand, the crews would then receive songs of welcome and would reply with their own songs.

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The Arabian Gulf waters provided an ideal environment for pearling because the oyster beds were shallow enough for divers to reach without the use of breathing gear.