Scuba Diving in London
- Activities
- Attractions
- Published on Friday, 25 November 2016 11:05
- Last Updated on 23 November 2016
- Monica Costa
- 0 Comments
Scuba diving in London? Seriously? I love the sea and snorkelling. Time flies while watching colourful fishes passing by. I have travelled to Egypt, Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic a few times to do it but I never really tried SCUBA diving because I fear my reaction in front of big fishes like sharks. I am right about it as last Summer at an Amazon party I tried the ‘diving with the sharks‘ virtual reality experience with Playstation and I almost destroyed the goggles when I saw the shark coming towards me. It felt so real and scary.
Anyhow when Disney asked me whether I wanted to try a scuba diving lesson in conjunction with the release of Finding Dory DVD I could not resist the temptation and I went for it.
Believe it or not, you can learn how to dive in London. There’s a specialised centre in South West London, the London School of Diving where you can have a few Scuba Diving sessions (so called try dives) which are perfect for people like me who want to see what Scuba Diving is all about!
The instructors are really lovely and they support you all the way to make you experience the sensation of breathing underwater in a purpose built 34° heated pool.
I only wanted to try scuba diving, but wasn’t quite ready to take the plunge into a certification course, so I went for the Discover Scuba Diving experience.
During the session the Instructors or Dive Masters guided me and a couple of other people through the process of taking my first breaths under water. It felt a bit awkward at first but once adjusted to the uncomfortable gear, it almost becomes second nature – I said ‘almost’. The more you do it the better you become at it.
Upon arrival at the London School of Diving we had to fill lots of paperwork including a self-assessment medical statement. We were only asked to bring to the session a towel and a swimming outfit.
I loved it in the end and although I won’t take a PADI Open Water Diver certificate any time soon I was fascinated at the idea of going underwater to discover bigger fishes like Dory and Nemo in Finding Dory, a movie Diego and I absolutely love.
Snorkelling is just fine for me and Diego. Dory and Nemo, who are tropical fishes, swim quite close to the surface normally and are visible even to non divers.
We are happy with what Disney is showing us in the films in terms of bigger size underwater life.
Finding Dory is one of London Mums’ favourite films released in 2016.
Finding Dory is available on on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray and DVD from 28th November. Viewers can watch Dory’s hilarious and heartwarming quest to find her family and continue the underwater adventure with hours of immersive bonus features.
Film review: Finding Dory out and short film Piper
The film’s playful and plentiful bonus offerings include Piper, the theatrical short film starring an irresistible sandpiper hatchling; an all-new mini short featuring interviews with Dory’s pals from the Marine Life Institute; a behind-the-scenes look at the most challenging character Pixar has ever created; never-before-seen deleted scenes, including a digital exclusive featuring the Tank Gang from Finding Nemo who make it their mission to get Marlin and Nemo to the Marine Life Institute; and much, much more.
BONUS FEATURES – Blu-ray and Bonus Disc:
- Theatrical Short: Piper – A hungry sandpiper hatchling ventures from her nest for the first time to dig for food by the shoreline. The only problem is that the food is buried beneath the sand where scary waves roll up onto the shore.
- Marine Life Interviews (All-New Mini Short) – Meet the inhabitants of the Marine Life Institute as they remember our favorite blue tang.
- The Octopus That Nearly Broke Pixar – Pixar’s “Team Hank” unravels the challenges, frustrations, and rewards of bringing to life the studio’s crankiest and most technically complicated character ever.
- What Were We Talking About? – This piece showcases the complex routes Dory’s story took as the filmmakers worked to construct a comprehensive narrative involving a main character with short-term memory loss.
- Casual Carpool – What’s it like to commute with the voices of Marlin, Charlie, Bailey and Hank? Join “Finding Dory” writer/director Andrew Stanton as he drives Albert Brooks, Eugene Levy, Ty Burrell and Ed O’Neill to work.
- Animation & Acting – How do you create a connection between a human audience and a fish? This behind-the-scenes look behind the curtain examines the process of constructing believable performances through a unique collaboration between the director, voice actors and animators.
- Creature Features – The cast of “Finding Dory” share cool facts about the creatures they voice in the film.
- Deep in the Kelp – Disney Channel’s Jenna Ortega guides us on a research trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to show how far the “Finding Dory” crew went to make Dory’s world feel real.
- Commentary – Director Andrew Stanton, co-director Angus MacLane and producer Lindsey Collins deliver their personal perspective on “Finding Dory.”
- Deleted Scenes (introduced by director Andrew Stanton)
- Losing Nemo – While watching the stingray migration, Dory starts to follow two fish that remind her of her parents, leaving Nemo all alone.
- Little Tension in Clown Town – In this alternate version of the film, Dory tries to “follow her fins” to her parents, but ends up in a strange place with even stranger fish fashion.
- Dory Dumped – In this early version of the story, Dory’s parents had short-term memory loss as well.
- Sleep Swimming – Dory begins to talk and swim in her sleep, revealing what seem to be clues to her past.
- Meeting Hank – Wandering the Marine Life Institute’s elaborate pipe system, Dory happens upon the abode of Hank the cranky octopus.
- The Pig – Frantically navigating the pipes of the Marine Life Institute in search of her parents, Dory crosses paths with a terrifying cleaning device.
- Starting Over – Director Andrew Stanton presents four different versions of the movie’s opening scene to illustrate the filmmakers’ search for the best way to introduce Dory’s backstory and to connect this new film to “Finding Nemo
- Fish Schticks – Montage of original animated pieces to promote Finding Dory
- Living Aquariums – Sit back, relax, and spend some time in four of Finding Dory’s most beautiful sets : Sea Grass, Open Ocean, Sting Rays & Swim to the Surface.
- Finding Dory Trailers – A collection of domestic and international trailers made for Finding Dory.
- Finding Nemo As Told By Emoji’s– Join emoji-fied versions of Nemo, Marlin, and Dory as they retell the story of Finding Nemo with your favorite moments from the film that started it all.
Rating: PG
Read more Finding Dory related articles:
Film review: Finding Dory out and short film Piper
Rebecca Adlington 10 minutes chat with LondonMums FindingDory
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
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