how to mermaid

First, you need to know how to swim. Basic skills like:
​

• swim 25 meters/80+ feet without touching bottom or grabbing lane lines, or using a pool noodle
• tread water
• float on back
• turn over onto back to float and breathe

 

• Now do all this with your monofin.
• ​Be able to get out of your monofin quickly and safely.
• It's fine (and safer for beginners and kids, or in open water) to use a monofin with leggings, not a tail.
• If you use a tailskin over your monofin, be very proficient in getting it off quickly and safely (practice on land and in the shallows first).
• be very aware of your environment: other swimmers, animals, currents, obstacles
• be very sure of your skill level and the capabilities of your monofin swimming in more challenging environments like lakes, rivers, bays or the sea... know the currents, wind, weather, tide tables (current direction)... have backup (friends, mertenders, lifeguards, safety divers) ... an experienced kayaker in a good boat (or SUP) can be very useful... you can get on and off a SUP or sit-on kayak even in a tail
  

​KIDS SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE COMPETENT ADULT SUPERVISION

• there are mermen too. And fat mermaids, and old ones, and babies and toddlers and all colors including rainbow, and ones who don't identify with male or female or maybe they switch as they like (like certain real fish)... whoever you are, you can be a merrow. And if anyone gives you crap, smite them with a pool noodle...
• learn to swim and be comfortable in the water, learn to use your arms to turn yourself and correct your position. Some kids have got stuck in weird places against pool walls because they couldn't control their position wearing a monofin.
• get a pair of FINS and practice the dolphin kick, watch some videos of other mermaids and learn what glitches to avoid: like use your whole body, not just your legs... stay horizontal... surface and dive in a smooth curve, it adds power and distance... putting your arms in front of you gives you a "longer hull line" and in boats that makes you faster... stick your arms to your ears, not all over the place... and please stop calling them flippers!
• a dolphin kick (for competition swimming) and a mermaid kick are two different things; ​
  • ​​​​Olympic swimmers are at the surface, mermaids use the whole 3 dimensional space of the water
  • dolphin kicking swimmers are streamlined for competition, mermaids often have bulky tops or other costuming... not to mention the drag created by hair, or the fin itself (the bubble between your calves, the extra fins on some designs, create some drag)
  • dolphin kicking swimmers are going for speed, period and also using their arms... mermaids are usually going for the aesthetic: grace, beauty, the underwater experience, freedom from gravity, flight
  • dolphin kickers keep a straight leg... mermaids have to bend, especially in shallow water, or doing turns, flips and rolls, and yes, we have knees (unless the mermaid is CGI, as in Siren or other film/TV)
  • the mermaid kick starts at your head, or extended fingertips, it's a wave, the power comes from your core
  • there are many ways to mermaid, some ways work better, watch, practice, adapt to your body and physical limitations
  • it's easier if you are not fighting the water, go for efficient, flow, fluidity, emulate sea creatures
• you can use GOGGLES (the separate-lens glasses-looking things swimmers wear) and earplugs in shallow water but not in deep water (like beyond the deep end of the pool). A  DIVE MASK is not goggles, it is the thing that covers both eyes and nose; you can pinch your nose and breathe into your ears to equalize pressure. You can also use nose plugs, or learn to breathe out to keep water from going up your nose. I love my dive mask, but you might want to swim without one if taking photos or videos.
• get a MONOFIN where you put both feet in one fin that looks like a tailfin. If you are already comfortable doing a dolphin kick with two fins, this is easy. Most are designed to kick out of quickly in an emergency. Know how to ditch your fin and tail in an emergency! Also know how to turn over and tread water in it, as well as float on your back. This will save you if you get tired or have a problem. Make sure you get a good monofin that fits you, doesn't rub you the wrong way, and that you can kick out of quickly.
• get a TAILSKIN (or five or six). You can buy them, or make them. Lots of videos out there on how to make them. They are often swimsuit material and stretchy. Some are neoprene (the wetsuit material). Professional ones are silicone and on the level of the makeup department of a big budget movie.
• The rest: hair, makeup, shell crowns, no shells, whatever makes your inner mermaid happy. The Chesapeake Mermaid has a tail like a sturgeon (an endangered fish of the Chesapeake) and does not wear shells (because she is leaving them for the other animals to use). Lots of people use scale stencils to do makeup, or do fun hair colors. Make a statement on land or sea with mermaid leggings. They're also total sunscreen for the beach or pool. Just use whatever's comfy (I like surfer shirts and tanks). Don't let anyone tell you your mermaid idea is dumb, it's YOURS.
• Be safe! In pools: be respectful of lifeguards and other swimmers (don't bonk them with your huge fin). Know your water/environment: does it have obstacles you can't see like rocks or drowned trees and branches? What kind of wildlife is there (sea nettles? stingrays? great white sharks?). What kind of currents/tides/surf? Rip currents? Is the tide going in or out and how will it change? Longshore currents? Weather? How will you rescue yourself if you have a problem? Do you have a buddy? If you have a boat or surfboard, can you get back aboard? If you're watching kids, keep an eye on them all the time... they don't have the experience yet to get out of trouble even if they can swim. Mermaid tails for little kids are open at the bottom so they can use their legs and learn to swim better. All kids should be supervised in the water, even if they are good swimmers.

You can learn to scuba dive or free dive (by holding your breath). Scuba lets you stay underwater a lot longer, but the gear is still bulky and not very graceful. You can learn breath holding techniques (or practice in your pool) and be graceful as a merrow (that's an old Irish word for mermaids or mermen). Either way, you can explore the underwater world...

PADI certifies scuba divers (I have a PADI cert) and teaches freediving...
https://www2.padi.com/blog/2018/07/14/how-to-become-mermaid/    

Fin Fun makes affordable swimmable mermaid tails for everyone from toddlers to adults. They also make the cool monofins you need to put IN the tail to swim like a mermaid. Here's a video they made on how to mermaid...
https://youtu.be/6zi65Hv76lQ?t=94

Merfolk come in all sizes, ages, shapes and colors. So do tails. There are a couple basic divisions: the Fin Fun swimsuit material tails, beautiful and inexpensive... and the silicone professional level tails that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, and are difficult to carry, get in and out of, and repair. Most silicone tail mermaids are professionals doing education or acting. With a basic tail you can still do fun photoshoots and educate people about our watery world.

Do some research online before deciding what tail to buy. There are lots of youtube videos reviewing them. Fin Fun does great products, has great customer service and is highly rated (but there are others, including some who do custom work, or handmade tails). There are also tutorials on how to make your own tail (but, remember, you need a monofin). 

Some favorite youtube mermaids with how-to tutorials and other fun stuff...

Yes, even in Canada where it's cold...

Courtney Mermaid

NerdMaidFaith   

The Mermaid Seamstress   mermaiding is fabulous for ALL body types, and you can make stuff too!

The Chesapeake Mermaid   does "edutaining", writes and illustrates books for kids, and helps save the Bay!

 the monofin is the center of your mermaiding

​it is also your most expensive piece, be sure to get:

• the best bang for the buck, quality, long lasting, reliable company (read customer reviews, check with pro mermaids on their reviews and picks)
• a style that will work with your look: shape, flow (how it moves in the water), what skins does it fit? Or will you need to make one?
• design that works with your physical needs (does it fit? does it give you cramps?)
• design that lets you swim how you want: are you going to be strolling around the pool? Or swimming the open sea? Do you want speed and power? Or relaxation and beauty. Or a combination? Stiffer blades provide more propulsion. Flowey blades move in a beautiful fishy way. Larger blades = more power.
• safety first

​

​These are a few of my favorite fins: 


the ones I have...​

• The Linden: by Body Glove. As wide as the Mahina, but lighter and stiffer, this fin has POWER and a shape that fits in the Fin Fun tailskins perfectly. Has kids size and multiple colors. Floats. See the video at the top of the page! My size ten+ wide feet fit in it perfectly with the  light neoprene socks I use. Recommended by my favorite mers. Courtney Mermaid basically goes OMG!!! "It's like swimming with a cloud strapped to your feet." (YES YES YES!!!) Designed to look and work like the tails of the fastest fish in the sea. Ergonomic foot placement: your feet are the right distance apart for best comfort/propulsion...YES! The straps adjust with buckles much like good dive fins. The buckles are a bit bulky on the sides, but work well under a skin (becoming basically invisible), and I'd rather have the capability of adjusting with buckles.  Neoprene covers on the heel straps protect your feet. Mermaid Courtney doesn't get foot cramps in this one! Stiff solid fin with good propulsion; more than flowy fins like Luna or Mertailor Fantasea. Very agile. The foot pocket width is just under four inches, and is streamlined toward the front (toe area) which may pinch some (nope, not me). It is designed to be gender neutral, so will accommodate wide feet. Perfect first monofin, or upgrade, this one is actually less expensive than the others. Also; cool colors. There is no downside... it does LOOK more realistic and mermaidy under a tailskin, while the Luna and Mahina look mermaidy alone. Points for Mermaid Linden commenting and answering questions about it on various videos by other mermaids. She designed this one based on the tail she uses as a pro.
• The Finis Luna; Mermaidy flow, realistic look. Sinks like a rock. Has two sizes, two colors: adult is bright green and ocean blue (aka Enchanting Emerald), smaller/kid size is watermelon colors, magenta and bright green aka Mystic Melon) Now you can say you have a silicone tail! Or at least a silicone fluke. It looks fabulous with just leggings, or in a skin. a perfect first tail for a mermaid who doesn't want to spend big bucks but wants a cool look; wear it with leggings or a swimsuit and still look and feel mermaidy. It is more fluid and "softer" in its motion than the Fin Fun or Linden or Mahina. The flexibility make it less crampy for Courtney Mermaid, but less powerful for those of us with short legs. For one new mer, it felt less "heavy" (less resistance in the water). It provides about as much propulsion as the Fin Fun, not as much as the Mahina (which is huge), or the Linden, or my old dive fins (huge and stiff). Downside... for those of us who do not have Tinkerbelle feet, we have to extend the foot straps with hair ties. Also, if you kick out of it, grab hold, it will sink to the bottom. 
• The Mahina; big butt kicking power with mermaidy flow and fishy shape. Neutral buoyancy, but eventually rises. Has kids version, several colors. A Hawaiian moon goddess, so more moons here, but bigger and more butt kicking than the Luna. It has great flow, looks awesome, but will also propel you quite well. I used this at Rock Hall MD, on the Chesapeake Bay, on a day when the wind was onto the beach and the waves were mermazing for the bay. I had no trouble swimming into the waves, away from the rocky breakwater, or getting up to surfing speed and zooming back in on the waves. A good open water fin. Easy on, easy off, not adjustable but comes in different sizes and has a neat sizing chart on the website. Get a bigger one than you think and use neoprene socks (or regular ones). Use coconut oil to get your feet in. Sleek streamlined design. Softish flexible foot pockets which don't annoy my feet. Harder to find skins for, but you can use leggings, or make your own tail. It is very eco-friendly, made of recycled rubber. It reminds me of my original scuba diving Rocket Fins. It comes from the Land of Thor (Australia), but you can get it online easily. It is durable enough to have survived a half opened box being tossed at my front door. Downside; if you have over size nine women's feet, beware (it claims to fit up to size 12 but...no)... it will be an Epic Struggle to get it on (coconut oil). Your feet are placed closer together on this fin. For some, this creates rubbing or other irritations. I found it just fine.
• Fin Fun; makes functional, beautiful, affordable monofins and tailskins...and they float!!! Kids sizes too! The original monofin comes in a Monofin Junior and a Monofin Pro, that will fit in the tailskins. The AMP (Advanced Monofin Pro) comes in one size but fits youth 12 and adult tailskins. There are also monofins for smaller kids that do not fit in the tailskins, but are functional fins for learning (wear with mermaid leggings) and safe. This is a good first mermaid tail: a Fin Fun monofin and a tailskin. Or substitute a Linden for the Fin Fun monofin. Somewhat stiff, fair propulsion, a decent size, but with some mermaidy flow. If your feet are bigger than say, a woman's 9 it will be EPIC getting into the tiny little foot pocket openings. My size ten+ feet barely get in. Once in, the foot pockets are roomy, stretchy neoprene and comfortable. The downside is your feet move around in there and have less control than in the other fins. The AMP version has separate foot pockets that solve that problem nicely, but even more EPIC to get into. Super easy to kick off though, so perfect for beginners, or those with smaller feet than mine. The tailskins are reinforced at the tips so they don't wear through. They come in an insanely cool array of styles and colors that look amazingly realistic in the water and in photos. The down side is the neoprene cover wears through at the tips if you continually brush it against a concrete pool bottom or sides. Cure: use under tailskin, don't touch bottom, and when it wears (in about two months) use E6000 to repair (a clear glue found in craft stores etc, it cures slightly flexible). The Linden and Luna fit inside the Fin Fun tailskins. The Luna sticks out slightly at the middle bottom, but who cares.

• Some other favorites by professional mermaids:
• Finis Aquarius: the Mermaid Seamstress recommends this one as inexpensive, sturdy, and has good propulsion, fits most adults, adjustable.​ A local mer I met also uses this one.
• Mermaid Seamstress lists the Mahina, followed by the Linden, followed by the Finis Rapid as her favorites. Nerdmaid Faith loves the Mahina as does my cousin. Courtney Mermaid loves the Luna. Mermaid Linden invented the Linden.
• Courtney Mermaid aka the Vancouver Mermaid has an online shop with her own brand of leggings, swim tops, and other cool stuff. She does custom fabric tails to your specs which are incredibly realistic and beautiful and less expensive, easier to use and care for than an expensive silicone tail. She adores the Finis Luna.

Fin Fail

​How to deal with Epic Fail

OK, I love the Luna, Courtney Mermiad loves the Luna, many mermaids love the Luna. Luna love everywhere, but after a mere month of careful use, THIS...

A friendly mer on MerNetwork offered this...

Hi swordwhale! Yes I broke my Luna and fixed it! What I used was called sil-poxy, you can get a small tube for relatively cheap on Amazon and it goes a looooong way. The fix is so strong I can pull and pull and it is just as if the sil-poxy is part of the original silicone, it just doesn't rip!

A few tips:

1. Clean the surrounding area with rubbing alcohol and allow it to dry thoroughly

2. Apply a tiny amount in between the pieces to be glued, then also smooth some on in the surrounding area to reinforce. An old credit card or business card will work for smoothing ut on.

3. Use way less sil-poxy than you think you will need. It is easier to add more than to remove excess. It is super strong and will go a long way.

4. Consider reinforcing the corners on the side one that is not broken as well. I noticed mine was starting to crack where there is the most stress.

​Below: Fin Fun monofin fail

​Both my Fin Fun monofins wore through on the tips after a few months. While this is a good product, you have to be aware of your swimming style: don't brush the fintips against concrete pool bottoms or sides, or rocks. The neoprene covers wear. They wear less inside the tailskins, which have reinforced tips. 

For this, the fix is easy; swab some E6000 (glue, arts and crafts stores) over it, smooth with a popsicle stick or similar item. If it's worn all the way through, glue a piece of swimsuit material inside, then glob the glue on the outside to make a smooth tip. It'll also prevent future wear.

holding your breath 101

In scuba diving, you are using a tank full of air (NOT oxygen, that is dangerous). You can dive to just over 100 feet, for varying lengths of time, depending how deep you go. Recreational scuba (as opposed to decompression diving) is designed to let you surface safely from any depth, no need for anything more than a brief safety stop.

In snorkeling, you don't use scuba tanks full of air, rather a simple, short tube to breathe through while you are on the surface.. A breathing tube doesn't work beyond a couple feet, because of water pressure, so it only works while you are on the surface.  You can also dive below the surface holding your breath (the snorkel fills with water, which you have to spout out, like a whale, when you surface).

​Highly trained freedivers (the oldest kind of diving) go deeper than the limits of recreational scuba diving. "Austrian Herbert Nitsch is the current freediving world record holder and “the deepest man on earth”. This prestigious title was given to him when he then set the world record for freediving at an incredible depth of 214 meters (702 feet) in 2007 in the No Limit discipline."

Let's just say you don't have to be a highly trained freediver to mermaid. It does help to be able to hold your breath a minute or so, and freediving techniques can help.

Safety first! If you are swimming across a shallow pool, you hold your breath as long as you can, then just stand up. No problem. And there's likely a lifeguard handy. If you are swimming in deeper water, you need to know how to self rescue, have buddies and/or a lifeguard handy. There is, however, danger in even shallow water: shallow water blackout is fainting/passing out in the water... which can kill you rather neatly without anyone noticing. So having buddies, lifeguards, and some common sense will save your butt. It can also happen when you dive DOWN easily, then pass out on the way up. Not cool. 

Training for holding your breath can be done many ways: courses and classes are useful (and will teach you rescue techniques ans safety), tutorials are good, but again, safety first when you are in the water.

Freediving:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXBZUee4EpY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3TAd0L9yD8  

Preventing shallow water blackout:
http://www.shallowwaterblackoutprevention.org/about-swb