About getting a tail....

[~MermaidSage~]

Soooo, I really really REALLY want to get a mermaid tail. I've been recommended to get one from magictail.de.
My mom thinks they are too expensive and that I'd have nowhere to swim with them. We live in an old apartment building which doesn't have a pool. There are a few public pools in town, but in the summer they are very busy and don't allow floaties or noodles, so I doubt they'd allow mermaid tails, but I will call and ask anyways to be sure. She also claims that the tails are too dangerous to swim in, especially in lakes and oceans where there is sometimes an undertow and I need to be able to stand in the water. She also says if I swam in public with them, I would be the laughing stock of the pool.

I really need help convincing her to get one for me. My birthday is this sunday, I will be turning 14, and this is something I've only just recently become interested in. I really want one and I'm not quite sure how to convince her. She thinks the ones at magictail are expensive, but she hasn't seen the prices at other places like mertailor etc. I wonder whether the other prices will upset her or push her more towards the "buying line."

What I need help with:

I need people who can tell me mermaid-friendly places to swim in the chicago area that are safe and not super far. Also, if people could link me to or come up with some sort of argument to convince my mom they aren't dangerous. I've talked to plenty of people who say they are fun, awesome, and easy to swim in. I probably wouldn't go to the ocean with it, but I was thinking of swimming at pools and the shallower areas of Lake Michigan. Please help!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Perhaps what you could do is start off with a monofin. It's basically the same thing as swimming with a tail, but you can release your feet quickly if you need to. It might go a ways to convince your mother that fin swimming is safe.

[Blondie]

I agree with Lorelei, a monofin doesn't draw that much attention. At the waterpark I lifeguard at I've seen some monofins! No one gives them an odd stare. I think people think, "Oh wow they must be a serious diver" Haha.

But, I know where you're coming from. When I was 14 and wanted a tail, my parents told me no. So I made my own, and then they threw it away. It's hard to convince people that mermaiding isn't a "joke" it's a fun hobby. But everyone out there has their own little fandoms they are into. It makes you unique. And above all, the mers here had taught me, "You only live once". It's easier to regret things we didn't do then regret things that we did.

You're 14 and I know that's young. I'm 18 going on 19 and I just finally ordered my latex tail with my own money from work and graduation. My parents would never buy me a tail even if it were my birthday. But since it's my own money and I'm an adult now, they won't be as upset with me.

I would suggest getting a monofin for your birthday and get used to that, and let your parents get used to it as well. Then you can make your own fabric tail for your monofin. It took me a few hours to make my fabric tail and you get to do it the way you want. It's cheaper too.

Good luck and happy early birthday!

[Spindrift]

Yeah I'm definitely going to side with the "monofin" argument. They're great as an introduction to "mermaiding" and if you lose interest in it, you can always sell it or give it away. Selling or giving away a tail is much harder than a monofin.

Have you looked into getting the Oceanika merfins? Or one of the Finis monofins?

[Bellasea]

I agree with getting a monofin first. That way it is easier to practice and you can probably take those into pools. But if yuo dead set on getting a tail, I would look to people that make ones cheaper. I odered a fabric tail from MermaidParties from $50, whcih included shipping.

For swimming in Chicago area, the only Mer I know that lives in the Chicago area is Mermaid Marissa.

[Mermaid Azira]

My parents finally allowed me to get a tail from magictail.de. Swimming in it is not hard at all, in fact it makes you go quite fast! I have yet to be laughed at in my tail, but I would advise staying away from public pools. Lake Michigan would probably be a good swimming place, as shallow pools are not good to swim in.

This might be a horrible idea but, maybe you could wear your tail at little kids birthdays that you know. I know you can't do this as a job job but I have done it a couple of times with little kids I know and made back the money from buying the tail. Little kids love swimming by you and holding on to the end of your fluke while you swim. Of course you do have to practice quite a bit beforehand......

Anyways Happy Birthday!

[Mermaid Marissa]

Soooo, I really really REALLY want to get a mermaid tail. I've been recommended to get one from magictail.de.
My mom thinks they are too expensive and that I'd have nowhere to swim with them. We live in an old apartment building which doesn't have a pool. There are a few public pools in town, but in the summer they are very busy and don't allow floaties or noodles, so I doubt they'd allow mermaid tails, but I will call and ask anyways to be sure. She also claims that the tails are too dangerous to swim in, especially in lakes and oceans where there is sometimes an undertow and I need to be able to stand in the water. She also says if I swam in public with them, I would be the laughing stock of the pool.

I really need help convincing her to get one for me. My birthday is this sunday, I will be turning 14, and this is something I've only just recently become interested in. I really want one and I'm not quite sure how to convince her. She thinks the ones at magictail are expensive, but she hasn't seen the prices at other places like mertailor etc. I wonder whether the other prices will upset her or push her more towards the "buying line."

What I need help with:

I need people who can tell me mermaid-friendly places to swim in the chicago area that are safe and not super far. Also, if people could link me to or come up with some sort of argument to convince my mom they aren't dangerous. I've talked to plenty of people who say they are fun, awesome, and easy to swim in. I probably wouldn't go to the ocean with it, but I was thinking of swimming at pools and the shallower areas of Lake Michigan. Please help!

Hi! I live in Chicago... well Evanston and I have been looking for mermaid friendly places also My mom and I have gone hunting for nature reserves (which is good as long as your tail doesn't effect water quality, etc.) or Lake Michigan on the Evanston side. There are a lot of small beaches and the water should be warming up with this crazy nice weather right now XD
I just reread your post and my mom is the same way. She says it would be fine as soon as I show her that I'm comfortable in the tail. There are some scuba shops in Evanston. You can call and ask if you can use their tanks (and possibly get certified ). I'm 16 so I know they problem with getting to places and I can message you as soon as I find something

[malinghi]

1- Considering that you only recently became interested in mermaiding, I can understand your parents not taking this hobby seriously. It is possible that you might lose interest later. But if you're still interested in this in a couple months then it might be easier to convince your parents to support this.

2- What do your friends think about the idea? If any of them are interested in this too that might help make your case, especially if one of them gets a tail. Seeing someone do it could help convince your parents that this is safe and unlikely to be ridiculed.

3- And I agree about the monofin. Swimming in a tail could potentially be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. The monofin route is good because it gives you practice, and it convinces your parents that it can be done safely. Also, you can use the monofin to make a tail later.

[~MermaidSage~]

Hey and thank you everyone for your support and suggestions! My dad considered my desperation for a mermaid tail and suggested beginner scuba diving lessons, which is... well... it's a start! My friend who lives in Florida introduced me to the mermaiding world, and I've been a little obsessed ever since! I do have a lot of birthday money, so if my parents refuse to buy me a monofin -which they might not, they're not THAT unreasonable- then I can probably buy it on my own. If anyone could tell me how much they generally cost or even refer me to video tutorials/threads on how to make them myself, that will be great!

Again, I really appreciate all of your help! :)

Hi! I live in Chicago... well Evanston and I have been looking for mermaid friendly places also :D My mom and I have gone hunting for nature reserves (which is good as long as your tail doesn't effect water quality, etc.) or Lake Michigan on the Evanston side. There are a lot of small beaches and the water should be warming up with this crazy nice weather right now XD
I just reread your post and my mom is the same way. She says it would be fine as soon as I show her that I'm comfortable in the tail. There are some scuba shops in Evanston. You can call and ask if you can use their tanks (and possibly get certified :)). I'm 16 so I know they problem with getting to places and I can message you as soon as I find something :)

I used to live in Rogers Park! It's cool to know there is at least one mermaid up here! All of them seem to be either in the south or by California! I probably wouldn't go to public pools with a mermaid tail, but maybe with a monofin to practice. My friend has a pool in her backyard, but it's not super big and it doesn't look like she's opening it this summer. So, when it comes to swimming in Lake Michigan, will I be able to stand up in the tail? That's my mom's greatest concern about swimming in lakes and the ocean, she doesn't want me to get sucked away by currents...

[Mermaid Marissa]

I used to live in Rogers Park! It's cool to know there is at least one mermaid up here! All of them seem to be either in the south or by California! I probably wouldn't go to public pools with a mermaid tail, but maybe with a monofin to practice. My friend has a pool in her backyard, but it's not super big and it doesn't look like she's opening it this summer. So, when it comes to swimming in Lake Michigan, will I be able to stand up in the tail? That's my mom's greatest concern about swimming in lakes and the ocean, she doesn't want me to get sucked away by currents...

I live over by Northwestern so there are a lot of shallow places that I find good for practice. The only downfall is that its a lot harder to see in the shallows and it can be cold go figure... I am currently talking to the YMCA up here because their pools are inside and no one in evanston really uses the lap pool. I would talk to your friend about her pool. You never know, my guy friend offered to build me a tank XD

[Mermaid Rillia]

A little late on this thread...I would definetly suggest getting a monofin first, or buying a fabric tail. That way you can stand up and your parents wont flip out over lake or ocean swimming.

[Bellasea]

I don't know what is there around the Chicago area, but you sould be ok swimming in Lake Michigan with a monofin(easy to escape). Also, just make sure you are educated on riptide/rip currents. The deadlist stretch of Lake Michigan is from Muskegon, MI south to the Indiana border; this is about 120 miles long.

I just read an article in the newspaper about riptides. To escape one, jsut "flip, float, and follow" Just filp on back or tread water and wait it out, until you can swim to shore. If you can't reach shore, wave or hands above your head and yell.

Also, aviod piers and jetties. Riptides are more likely. I have been caught in riptides before, and have gotten out of them. Just stay calm. this is a shot of a riptide:

[LittleTreasure]

I know my parents were a bit wary when I first introduced them to the idea of swimming like a mermaid. The first thing I did was buy a monofin and practice....a lot.

However I wouldn't make a monofin myself for the first try at mermaiding, only because I would be very upset to have bought materials and built something that didn't work to my satisfaction. How about a relatively cheap monofin that has some power, like the Finis Wave or the Finis Foil? I have a Wave and although it's not the fastest in my tail, I like it a lot.

This way you can practice at the public pool, and when you're at the lake, you can stand in it just as long as you're not going very deep. I think the easiest way to build your parents' confidence in you is to show them you are a responsible swimmer and you can do it without drowning yourself. Once they know you can do it and you really want to do this, they might reconsider your request.

Good luck!