Warning: open water!

[socaldiver]

The wife and I went to see the movie this afternoon. I felt it was a total waste of time and money. I did feel it was realistic it many was during the scenes shot on the dive boat, it made me reflect on some of the boats I have been on, but after they were stranded it became the typical "Hollywood" sensationalizing.

The best part of the movie IMHO was the fact it was only 1 hr and 19 minutes long.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I heard that for some of the shark scenes, the divers were covered in blood and fish, and wearing chainmail. The lead actress got a bite that required a few stitches, or something non-serious like that.

They chummed near the divers the whole 3 weeks of filming, did wear shark suits just in case and one of the actors was bitten on the hand during the first week of filming, but by a barracuda, not a shark.

The filming of the movie is ironically probably pretty good evidence of just how hard it is to get bit by the average shark.

 

[ChrisM]

Not sure if this was posted or not, thread's too long, but I heard from a friend how it ends. Sheesh, that's the best they could come up with after making you sit through bobbing divers for an hour?

I'll wait for cable.,......

Chris

 

[Danny-Louise]

When they first started on the trailers about 4 months ago I did a google search and came up with nothing. Does anybody have an url that describes the actual events?

Thanks,

Jerry

If you google Thomas and Eileen Lonergan, you come up with many hits... I liked http://www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/articles/OuterEdge9810.shtml because it was published in 1998 when the incident occured.

I have to say, I think that if your tyring to convince someone that diving is safe and fun that it is a "well-duh" that you shouldn't take them to this movie. I'm not planning on seeing it because I'm a new diver and I want to keep diving.

Soooo... anyone want to tell me how it ends?

 

[lairdb]

I heard that for some of the shark scenes, the divers were covered in blood and fish, and wearing chainmail. The lead actress got a bite that required a few stitches, or something non-serious like that.

I heard about the bite in a radio interview with the film-makers while I was on the road this week.

This was shortly (like, next day) after the actress's final cert dive; they were doing the first day of shooting, filming "fun dive" footage with a Bahamas area barracuda wrangler. The actress momentarily forgot the advice to keep her fingers closely together. (Together fingers look like a foreign shape; apart, fingers look like five small fish similar to what the barracuda wrangler is feeding the barracuda.)

Seeing five small pale fish, one of the barracuda tried to bite one. No stiches, nominal injury. Filming proceeded on schedule.

(A couple of other trivias I recall from the interview: all the "extras" were pickup extras: either the "normal" dive operator staff (playing the parts of "dive operator staff") or tourists (playing the part of "tourists").)

(Searches NPR for a while.) This is probably the interview I heard; I haven't listened through it yet to confirm. EDIT: listened to it -- ths is the correct clip, and the bite story begins about 9m00s into the 10m40s clip.

An interview with the actors, and what appear to be some "making of" video clips are here.

 

[shoupart]

Another good link for the true story behind "Open Water" is: http://www.cdnn.info/article/open_water/open_water.html

 

[PhotoTJ]

PhotoTJ- Does that mean you will buy ALL my DVD's about soCal marine life? Hmmm... looks like I may have a market finally!

Doc

How many, and how much? Do I get a deal for being a scuba board member, and buying in bulk?

 

[PhotoTJ]

Went and saw it, it's not bad. Blanchard looks exceptionally lovely naked, (Daniel does too, ladies!), and I really don't think it's going to be the bru-ha-ha that the dive industry is trying to make it.

Go, and enjoy.

 

[ScubaTexan]

I saw it tonight. It was OK, although I did not like the ending. TJ is right -- Blanchard Ryan looks very nice au naturel. I'm supposed to see it again with my LDS next weekend. As for the DVD....I don't know. We'll see.

 

[scubainspired]

Well, I just got my girl certified. We went to Cozumel and had a blast. She wanted to go at least once a month. Then it happened, a man in Mendocino was fatally attacked on 08/16/2004 by a Great White.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/08/17/MNGPB89CQ41.DTL

Now she has no interest in diving what so ever. It doesn’t matter that since 1952 only 11 people have been killed by a shark on the California Coast. In comparison to the millions of people who surf, dive, scuba, swim in the ocean every single year this number is so small, logically, it should not even be a second thought. Unfortunately, human rational is not always founded on logic, if it were my girl would have greater precaution in a drive to the store than diving.

FATAL SHARK ATTACKS IN CALIFORNIA
Date Victim Place, county Mode Depth
12/7/52 Barry Wilson Pacific Grove, Monterey Swimming 20'
4/28/57 Peter Savino Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo Swimming <10'
5/7/59 Albert Kogler Jr. Baker Beach, San Francisco Swimming <15'
6/14/59 Robert Pamperin La Jolla, San Diego Free diving 30'
12/19/81 Lewis Boren Spanish Bay, Monterey Surfing <10'
9/15/84 Omar Conger Pigeon Point, San Mateo Free diving 15'
1/26/89 Tamara McAllister off Malibu, Los Angeles Kayaking na
4/16/94 Michelle VonEmster Pt. Loma, San Diego Swimming na
12/9/94 James Robinson Harris Point, San Miguel Is. Diving na
8/19/03 Deborah Franzman Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo Swimming <20'
8/15/04 Randall Fry Westport, Mendocino Free diving <20'
Source: California Department of Fish and Game