The pearl divers work long days that require them to lug huge bags of mussels out of the water. Each diver has a boat tender who watches over the boat and sorts mussels while the diver searches for shells. Chuck, Jeremy and Bart all use their family or close friends to help them. Chuck and his son Colton constantly bicker as they work. Tempers flare as Colton runs late for work every day and takes advantage of his father's empty threats. Jeremy accepts his wife's advice and hires a friend's daughter as his boat tender, but this young fashion merchandising student has never been on a boat before. Bart decides to work with close friend Mike, affectionately nicknamed "Skull." Skull is Bart's best friend who insists on ordering him around and playing practical jokes. JD rounds out the group by working alone and refusing to sell mussel shells to the camps for such low prices. Instead, JD lets his mussels decay throughout the year, ensuring that he will find every possible pearl.
