Pearl divers - How long can they hold their breath?

Question

Hi folks

I was watching a documentary about female pearl divers diving for pearls in the red sea in Sudan. The reporter told us, that these divers can stay unterwater without any air supply for as long as 10 minutes - several times in a row. Sounds like a very long dive time.

Is that the longest time any pearl diver can stay underwater?

Answer 1

10 minutes sounds a little bit long...

I have seen different pearldiving doc's, but normally the divers (male or female) have been able to stay under for about 3-5 minutes. Still remarkably good, if you consider that they move a lot underwater and dive at deptht.

Answer 2

No, its not true. I studied this in primary school as the country i live in, in the olden days used to rely on pearl diving - before the oil came. (not sudan)

Most of the divers were relativity young, around 15-21 mabye some younger and some older, mostly males. They would dive off the boat, and hold their breath for a long time:

2 minutes for the teens. the older ones might be 2.30. There was no diving kit, no oxygen tanks or anything. No offence to females, but the males could hold their breath slightly longer so those female divers would be slightly shorter.

They would pick up as many pearls as possible, come up for air (and go on dhow (old type of boat)) wait a couple minutes and go down again.

I have no idea how they did it, definatley no hyperventilating involved, as it would be much longer. i guess it was practice from a young age.

Answer 3

what ever they feel like? some i belive have gills!!

Answer 4

between 2-4 min. they are amazing