Ama (diving) - Activities

Activities

Depending on the region, ama may dive with masks, fins, and torso-covering wetsuits at the most. Only divers who work for tourist attractions use white, partially transparent suits.

Ama are famous for pearl diving, but originally they dove for food like seaweed, shellfish, lobsters, octopus, and sea urchins — and oysters which sometimes have pearls.

Ama can keep diving well into old age. The older divers are generally able to stay submerged longer than the younger. Usually they also have another job, typically working on a farm. The Japanese believe that the majority of ama are women because of how their bodies differ from men: The fat on a female body is distributed differently than on men, which ensures that they can stay warmer in colder water.

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