4 Perhaps one of the most hazardous ways of making a living from the sea was diving for pearls.  Only the most daring would risk their lives in this profession.  The technique of pearl diving was simple. Divers attached themselves to ropes which were used to keep them in contact with an assistant on board of the ship.  Attached to a different rope were large weights which helped to speed the divers´ descent and, hence, conserve their breath for searching the seabed.  Also needed were nose clips, heavy gloves which provided protection for their hands against the sharp edges of the oyster shells, and a net in which they collected the oysters.  These nets were slung around the divers´ necks so as not to impede the usage of their hands.  When the divers signaled their intention to surface, the assistant hauled them and their load of oysters up.  The oysters were then opened and any pearls found were sifted through sieves and graded according to size and quality.  Once a widely practiced profession, pearl diving has largerly disappeared with the development of the cultured pearl.

 The author mentions all of the following as the pearl divers´ underwater activities EXCEPT