Safety concerns over tail swimming

[AniaR]

CBC posted this article. Some valid points. Some ignorant ones. Thoughts?

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/calgary/mermaid-tails-a-growing-safety-concern-at-alberta-pools-1.3068994

[MerEmma]

Promotes breath-holding? Wut? lol. Do they intend for swimmers to not hold their breath at all? That's such a crazy way to phrase that sentence. Other than that, what is going on in the first image?

[BayouMermaid]

I think that it's a fair article, though the claim about it promoting breath holding seems exaggerated.

I think that it is good for the pool to require a swim test before allowing the kids to wear their costumes to make sure that they are competent swimmers. At the end of the day, the lifeguards are responsible for the safety of these kids. Also, it is a MAJOR insurance issue.

My sister and I just did an event where kids could come and swim with mermaids. We limited costumes in the pool to those 18 and up for safety reasons since there would be no way to determine which children are and are not competent swimmers. They were welcome to wear the tails outside of the pool though.

For reference, my sister is a former lifeguard and swim team coach. I used to work under her teaching private swim lessons. She and I are both VERY concerned with safety.

[Echidna]

Other than that, what is going on in the first image?

Looks like a photoshop gone awry.
She's not IN the water, and I doubt she had dropped from the sky like that.

[PearlieMae]

Whoops, I posted this, too. I should have known Raina would beat me to it! :D

Also, I have NEVER come close to "blacking out" from holding my breath while swimming. Sputtered and choked, sure.

[Echidna]

^^
A true blackout doesn't work that way.
Apparently, you don't feel it coming, instead you feel really good about everything and no need for air at all, then you lose consciousness instantly.

That is why it's so feared, it's instant and no warning signs.
However, I'm pretty sure most tailswimming doesn't come close to what freedivers do who frequently have BOs or sambas, especially if you don't do all that breath-up packing shizzle.

[MerMatt]

I found it interesting considering the city I grew up in was mentioned and at the end of the article there is a mermaid school mentioned at one of the prominent private recreation clubs in Calgary. The lifeguards at the pool I swim at with Prairie Mermaid Jamie, have never had any concerns with us swimming in our tails and we only use the dive pool. I think the swim test is good even for more seasons swimmers. I just was shocked to here the two cities mentioned.

[Aziara]

Also, I have NEVER come close to "blacking out" from holding my breath while swimming. Sputtered and choked, sure.

I've only blacked out once... This was back in my teens before I knew that hyperventilating before diving was a Bad Idea. Luckily I was saved by my excessive natural buoyancy.

[Echidna]

Luckily I was saved by my excessive natural buoyancy.

I stopped complaining about my buoyancy once I understood that it's my personal saving device.
What freedivers use, I forgot the name.

[AniaR]

One of the things I do think it brings up is that swim schools are popping up all over and it isnt always the most skilled or reputable people running them. So there isn't an accountability system yet for safety. No one argues that hopping around in your tail is bad, or that there arent inherent dangers with tail swimming. Just frustrates me how fear mongering it comes across and the comments from people on the article are sooo ignorant!

[AniaR]

I also think this is a case of a few loud bystander parents... not representative of what is ACTUALLY happening.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

There is also this from that reporter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhRkxjHpMfA

I dunno... I feel like it shows all of us in a bad light considering the girls don't butt scoot safely to the pool's edge. They are hopping in their fins on a wet slippery surface. There is no voice overs, no one explaining why and how its supposedly so bad to swim in a tail. Not even an interview. Just shows two girls hopping in tails and then a short swim. The description says, the reporter swam with the mermaids, but I'm sorry, just dipping your head in and out of the water with your camera isn't swimming. I had expected he/she to put on a tail, and try it out for themselves, instead of a silent short video with no explanations whatsoever.

[Mermaid Menanna]

I logged into my fb pg today and found this posted from a friend, with a bunch of posts under it already, none of them positive or encouraging. I agree that this is fear mongering and could quickly get out of hand.
I am all about safety, in and out of the water... but to hear people suddenly start "warning me" about tail swimming being SO dangerous that I shouldn't pursue it? I guess my response to it all sums up my feelings pretty well. First, a responsible parent doesn't let their child into water deeper than they can stand in safely, with OR without a tail, until they are strong and confident swimmers. Children/people drown every yr, even in those little kiddie pools that people have in their back yards. If we ban tail swimming because it "might" be a danger to a child with an irresponsible parent... then how much else should we be banning for the same reasons? Let's ban cars because kids get run over, and ban swing sets because kids can fall off and get hurt. Where does it end? There is a right way and a wrong way to do anything, and safety should always be a top priority in anything we do. I taught my kids how to cook on a hot stove where they could have burned down the house... magic word is TAUGHT, and they weren't allowed to do it unattended until they were older and responsible enough to do it safely. Should we ban stoves because they COULD have gotten hurt or burned down the house? Not teach them to cook on a stove because it's too dangerous? Where does it end? We can't force kids to live in a bubble. There was very little mention in that article about the positive aspects of tail swimming. I would venture a guess that the author (and that reporter in Jaffa's link) have never tried it themselves... nor any of the other people who are condemning it. It's easy to stand and point an ignorant finger at others from a safe distance... it takes work to get educated.
It looks like maybe we will have to start a "mermaid movement" that is focused on education rather than fun & entertainment. And the reason I say that we need to do it is double edged... first, we need to preserve and protect our ability to swim in public without condemnation and having our tails banned everywhere we go... and 2nd, we need to shut down the fear mongering before it gets out of control and we start to see laws popping up making it illegal. Yes, that might sound like a stretch right now, but it really isn't. That sort of thing happens a lot, especially here in the states. We have so many laws banning things because 1 or 2 people have an issue with it... even if it's unfounded and ignorant... it is totally ridiculous. Who better to show the positive aspects of being a mermaid/merman than the very people who are doing it? There is a lot less room for argument if we start challenging the people making ignorant statements to put their money where their mouth is... learn it and try it before you point a finger at someone else.
I ended my post on fb by pointing out that there are a lot of health benefits involved in tail swimming and suggested that the people bashing it or warning me to stay away from it should get educated before they jump onto the condemnation bandwagon... they might just learn something.

[PearlieMae]

I think these sentiments should also be posted on the video listed above.

[Mermaid Menanna]

I just informed a bunch of people on fb that fin swimming, aka monofin, is actually a worldwide sport, and backed it up with a couple of videos from youtube showing competition meets.
I am getting irked at having to defend this in such a way... really wish there was a cure for stupid. Someone wanted to know if the tails couldn't be made to separate with "weak magnets" to hold them together for swimming, like a breakaway type thing. Ugh. Trying to explain how that would be MUCH MORE dangerous than a standard tail because not only would it create drag if it were pulled apart, but it could leave loose fabric to get the legs & monofin tangled in.
It's amazing that the people who are trying to turn a non issue into a huge issue have no concept for how to swim in a monofin, much less a mermaid tail. I think my quote for the week will be to remind people that ignorance is NOT bliss. <sigh>

[Mermaid Menanna]

I just posted one hell of a rant on my fb page, lol. Even better, one of the people arguing about the dangers in mermaid swimming has finally seen the light and conceded to the information I have provided. This tells me there is hope... people can still be educated. Woo hoo! Hopefully now all of the messages I have been getting all day (thanks to that ignorant news story) will stop. Fingers crossed!

[AniaR]

I just posted a big thing on my fb page I'd love people to read, share, and comment. I can't link from my phone but it is there

[Talia]

I am all about safety, in and out of the water... but to hear people suddenly start "warning me" about tail swimming being SO dangerous that I shouldn't pursue it?
people bashing it or warning me to stay away from it should get educated before they jump onto the condemnation bandwagon... they might just learn something.

I hate when people do this.

I don't know if there are other corsetiers here, but when I tell people that I use corsets - honest to God, with steel boning, like the corsets Victorians used to wear, not the fancy corset tops used at Renn Faires - people will tell me surprisingly fast how can I be doing that to my poor body, don't I know that corsets are dangerous, they break your ribs and rearrange your organs, I know because I saw someone posting it on the internet?

My favorite comeback is "yeah, you know, pregnancy rearranges organs way faster and more dramatically than a corset does". As you say, bettababy, I am all for safety. It is my body. Don't people think that I have researched the issue carefully before doing what I do? And my research will be a lot more than "I saw it on the interwebz".

I tend to do a lot of corset educating when I can, because the average person thinks that in order to wear a corset, you just buy one, put it on and squeeze yourself into it as tight as you can. Eeeeh, no, there is more to corseting than that. If you do that, chances are you will simply injure yourself and blame the poor corset because of it.

I guess the average person thinks you simply put on a tail, get yourself into water and swim...somehow. We all know there is more to swimming with a tail than that. If you don't do it correctly, chances are you are going to injure yourself and the poor tail will get the blame... and consequently the banning. Because don't you know a poor child had an accident because s/he was wearing a tail? They HAVE to be banned!!!11!!!!1

[Mer-Crazy]

I just feel bad that people's fears are affecting a lot of little girl's fun, even us as adults. I've only been to a small number of pools with my tail, but every single one has been more than welcoming! Heck when I met up with with Kelda they offered to give us an entire lane for just the two of us! Sometimes I may get a strange look when I rock up to the counter and hold up my tail going 'can I swim in this' but no one has ever had an issue with me doing so. But I guess that may just be an Australian thing. Especially where I live we're very relaxed.

I guess my only complaint is that we don't have any nicer/ bigger pools, since it's a coastal community the most I get is a 50m 8 lane pool and that's 40 minutes away. Nothing special like I've seen you guys get. I'm a bit jelly there I will admit.

[Echidna]

^^
What use are big, deep pools if they all have a strict no fins policy? :(
Nevermind a costume.

It should be pointed out to the fearmongers ("tails are dangerous because you cannot move your legs apart!! how the hell can you swim then?!!") that not everyone is a frogkicker and that certain, pro swimstyles like dolphin don't NEED to move the legs apart at all to swim better than everyone else :p

[Mermaid Menanna]

^^

It should be pointed out to the fearmongers ("tails are dangerous because you cannot move your legs apart!! how the hell can you swim then?!!") that not everyone is a frogkicker and that certain, pro swimstyles like dolphin don't NEED to move the legs apart at all to swim better than everyone else :p

I love how you said that... not everyone is a frogkicker... how true! Even without a fin, I have always done a lot of dolphin kick swimming. When I was a kid and first learned how to swim I preferred to be under the water vs on top of it. I hated having water "splashed" in my eyes and up my nose while up top because I had less control over how much of it went up my nose. The kicking was exhausting, too. I preferred dolphin kick, wanted to BE a dolphin, for as long as I can remember. I also spent a lot of time just sitting on the bottom of the pool, lol. My friends would pull me up because they got scared that I was underwater for "too long", because they themselves couldn't stay under as long. I think I was born to be a mermaid, lol.

But you're right. In high school I dated a guy who was on the school dive team and he taught me a lot. It was amazing having "dates" at the pool. He swam more underwater than up top and he wasn't a frogkicker either, which made him such a strong swimmer he had medals from the many competitions he was in. He was the one who explained to me that my swimming style was just fine and how it made me a stronger swimmer overall.

Unfortunately, we have to deal with those out there (too many these days) who try to rule the world with fear... sometime it's inflicted fear, but more often it is their own, unfounded fear that they want to apply to everyone so they don't feel so alone with it. I have never, will never allow others to control me using fear, nor will I ever allow fear to rule my life. That's just not me. I did my best to educate people yesterday, and a few were responsive to it. The messages and warnings at least stopped, which I was grateful for.

I am planning to do a before & after photo of myself. The first one will be taken before I wear my tail in the water for the first time, the 2nd one will be taken at the end of the summer, after swimming in it all season. I plan to SHOW people how it is going to help me reclaim my health, lose some weight, etc. I hope to have a camera soon so that my husband can get plenty of video of me swimming in my tail, so I can use it not just to show others what I look like while mermaiding, but teach them from it. "Watch this, pay attention to that, etc" It won't fix all of the problem but hopefully it will help. I noticed yesterday that one of the points I made that got the most attention was the youtube video link I posted of a competitive monofin swim team, as I pointed out that it is a recognized worldwide sport. I also pointed out that people have been swimming in monofins and mermaid tails for many many yrs and there was never a problem until the media stepped in recently to highlight ignorance and draw attention to stupidity.

I just don't understand how anyone can think they are legitimately criticizing something they know nothing about and have no understanding of? I put out the challenge to them all... if you don't understand it, try it before you bash it. I refuse to live in that little box that others want to dictate for me. Life is too short.

[Mermaid Menanna]

I hate when people do this.
My favorite comeback is "yeah, you know, pregnancy rearranges organs way faster and more dramatically than a corset does". As you say, bettababy, I am all for safety. It is my body. Don't people think that I have researched the issue carefully before doing what I do? And my research will be a lot more than "I saw it on the interwebz".

I guess the average person thinks you simply put on a tail, get yourself into water and swim...somehow. We all know there is more to swimming with a tail than that. If you don't do it correctly, chances are you are going to injure yourself and the poor tail will get the blame... and consequently the banning. Because don't you know a poor child had an accident because s/he was wearing a tail? They HAVE to be banned!!!11!!!!1

I did point out to people yesterday that we hear of people, especially children, drowning every year... even in those little plastic kiddie pools and bathtubs, so what, ban those too? People get hurt using their stoves to cook, so should we just ban stoves too? Where does it end? If we live our lives focused only on fear then we are not living at all. I have yet to hear of anyone get hurt or drown from swimming in a mermaid tail... but many who drown without one. That should speak for itself. We can't just ban everything that scares someone who doesn't like it or understand it. Hell, if we do that we may as well ban EVERYTHING in today's world because there is someone out there who fears it.
I wish we could find a cure for stupidity. I'm tired of being hurt by it, tired of seeing so many hurt by it. It's more dangerous to live a life being stupid than to swim in a tail.
I am very worried that this unfounded fear mongering is going to severely limit my chances to swim over the fall & winter seasons. The small town where I live has a history of banning things they fear because they don't understand them, and have no interest in getting educated. We have that problem here with pets. They fear large snakes so their solution is to ban ALL snakes. After Steve Irwin died they banned ALL sting rays, and after hearing news stories about blue ring octopus they banned ALL octopus. It doesn't matter that there are some species that can be kept safely and make wonderful pets. Even worse is that our city attorney sits on our city council and writes all of these stupid laws, making sure they are iron clad with no loopholes. He won't even discuss them with anyone... I spent years trying. It's truly sad for all when a large group of people embraces ignorance.

[Mermaid Menanna]

This is the post I wrote yesterday on fb that seemed to really help. Feel free to copy/paste it to your own pages/websites if you feel it would help.

"Ok, it's time to put this out here for everyone because I am getting a little irked at the amount of ignorant comments and messages I have been receiving all day. <sigh> Ignorance is NOT bliss, people.. truly isn't not. PLEASE STOP THE FEAR MONGERING in regards to the mermaid tails.. and to help you with that, let me educate you all right here, right now.
1. Mermaid swimming/tail swimming is no more dangerous than any other kind of swimming. Yes, it requires the ability to learn a swimming technique called the dolphin kick, requires a person to learn how to swim in general, and yes, safety precautions must be adhered to, just like with anything else... but it is no more dangerous than any other water activity that is enjoyed and practiced world wide every day.
2. Any RESPONSIBLE parent doesn't allow their child into deeper water than they can stand in until they know how to swim well first. This applies with OR without a monofin or mermaid tail, etc.
3. I have yet to hear of a single incident involving mermaid swimming and someone getting hurt or dying, etc. from swimming in a mermaid tail. Yet, every year I hear of people/children drowning while swimming WITHOUT the mermaid tails or monofins, even in little kiddie pools and bathtubs. To claim this is a huge safety issue is purely irresponsible, ignorant, and amounts to nothing more than fear mongering over something that the person doing the spouting doesn't understand. Try getting educated before opening your mouths or getting online with it.
4. There are swim schools around the world (including here in the U.S) that teach mermaid swimming to children and adults.
5. People have been mermaid swimming for many yrs. It is just now becoming more popular, thus generating media attention.
6. Just because the media says something does not make it true. (do I need to cite examples?)
7. Swimming in a mermaid tail involves swimming with a monofin. The mermaid tail is simply a "skin" that fits over the monofin. Monofin swimming has been around for decades and is, in fact, an official worldwide sport.
8. There are MANY health benefits to mermaid swimming/monofin swimming. Not only is this an excellent way to strengthen the core and abs, but it's a great cardio workout too... and it does all of that without putting stress and pressure on any given body part. Swimming, in general, is one of the BEST forms of exercise there is!
9. Mermaid swimming is a form of free-diving. Free-diving has also been around for decades... WITH MONOFINS.
10. Last but not least (for this post, anyway) I AM NOT STUPID OR CARELESS!! Just like with anything else, there is a right way and a wrong way to approach this. I have already found a swim school where I can take a couple of lessons (as many as I need) before I head out into the lakes and rivers this summer. I am not dumb enough to risk my own safety or that of others. I will take however many classes are needed to be a strong and confident swimmer in my mermaid tail. I grew up part fish... have been swimming since I was a little kid, am a strong swimmer, and if I had my choice, would literally live in the water. For many yrs I practically did.
All of this talk about the dangers involved... guess what? It's dangerous to walk across the street. It's dangerous to turn on a stove to cook. Should we all stop doing those things or ban them too? C'mon... use some common sense (if there is such a thing out there anymore). I would like people to get educated before speaking about something they so obviously know NOTHING about. And better yet... try it yourself! Stop condemning things just because you are ignorant about them. It's not for everyone, and that's fine... but nobody has the right to bash, scare, or promote/feed into the fear mongering simply because they don't like or understand something that SOMEONE ELSE is doing. (this applies to anything in life) Grow up and get a life (and an education) and learn some common sense, compassion, and respect for others. Just like with anything else, if you don't like it, don't do it.... but do NOT tell me or anyone else that we can't or shouldn't. Ignorance is not bliss, nor is living in a little box your whole life.
<end of rant>"

[Aziara]

^:clap:



It should be pointed out to the fearmongers ("tails are dangerous because you cannot move your legs apart!! how the hell can you swim then?!!") that not everyone is a frogkicker and that certain, pro swimstyles like dolphin don't NEED to move the legs apart at all to swim better than everyone else :p

Oddly enough, this was EXACTLY what my dad said when I said I was getting into mermaiding. It took him seeing a swimming video to convince him that I could, in fact, swim in a tail. I just wish some of the crazy-scared people out there would be convinced as easily.

[AniaR]

A petition was started to stop the ban against mermaid tails in Edmonton. I'm not affiliated with it; and I'll be teaming up with other mermaids to contribute our own things to the cause... but I did sign it and encourage others to as well. http://globalnews.ca/news/2002705/edmonton-woman-launches-petition-after-mermaid-fins-banned-at-city-pools/?hootPostID=688acb188396faf50b50e5252ba85a94

(the petition link is at the bottom of the news link)

If you didn't see what I said about this yet here's a copy:

I totally understand safety. But I am so heart broken that kids ( most of whom are girls) are being denied an experience that was so empowering and life changing for me- essentially out of fear mongering and ignorance.
Let's lay down the facts:
Mermaid swimming has been around over 100 years starting with feminist icon Annette Kellerman who became a fitness and activist role model for girls everywhere. It has seen many incarnations: notably the famous weeki mermaids of Florida dating back to the 60s. Tails have been around all that time with monofins dating back to the 70s. Kids tails began being marketed 15 years or so ago when established scuba and free diving companies started making them for kids. All tested.


In all that time there's been no recorded drowning due to mermaid swimming. However in the 7 years I've been performing in a mermaid tail I have saved 8 children from drowning due to inattentive adults. A lifeguard checking their phone, a parent nowhere near the pool. I once saved two kids at the same time as one fell in the 12foot deep end and pulled his friend with him. I swam with one on each hip. And without my tail I'm a terrible swimmer.


This is the thing. Most child centered sports and activities come with inherent risks. But you wouldn't keep your kid from playing hockey because skates are sharp, or stop them from doing gymnastics because of the risk of falling. Like anything you have to monitor your children, their skill level, and watch them in the pool. You take appropriate precautions.


I think having a swim test is a great idea so long as it also includes showing the lifeguard that the child is confident in the tail and knows how to take it off in an emergency. Monofins come equipped with quick release for this very reason. I don't blame pools for wanting to hold kids and parents accountable. But I honestly can barely swim until you put me in a tail.


Tail swimming can burn more than 500 calories an hour. We live in a time when girls aren't encouraged to be as physically active as Boys. And while boys enjoy the tails too its so important girls are encouraged to be physically active. Childhood obesity is at an all time high and tail swimming can be learned so quickly!


As someone with a background in child development I know that school aged kids being encouraged to enjoy dramatic play and use their imagination have a direct correlation with academic success, along with healthy development. Pretending to be a mermaid isn't like wearing a cape and not being able to fly. Tails really make you swim!


I wish there was a compromise. Banning is not the answer and I fear for a ripple effect across Canada. There is a happy medium where kids can have this experience, be safe, and pools don't have to be afraid for liability.


Mermaid swimming changed my life and in many ways saved it. I have chronic illness and it caused mobility issues. When I swam in a tail I felt strong for the first time in my life. Now I make a whole life out of this! I've launched a company, toured the USA, published two books, been on TV and music videos , changed the lives of kids, given back to my community, met lifelong friends.... All because I tried a fabric tail way back when. It keeps me moving when chronic pain wants me to be still.
The only way to solve this issue is education and accountability. People fear what they don't understand.


Thanks for reading.

[Talia]

bettababy and Raina: :clap:

[SeaGlass Siren]

:Standing ovation:

[MermanOliver]

I agree. :clap:
Sent from my phonebrick using Tapatalk

[Mermaid Galene]

Brilliantly stated, Raina. I hope they listen.

[SeaGlass Siren]

after following the comments and seeing raina's response and everyone elses ignorance on the subject... i decided to make this in response to said ignorance and have since then posted in the following fashion in the comments section on their FB page.
29766

[midwesternmermaid]

The bit about not having your tail when the pool is crowded is totally valid. Us fabulous finny fish do need plenty of room and there's nothing like getting smacked with a fin. When I get into a crowd, I just tend to freeze the fin action and move by other means. If others hit me then there's not much I can do. And I'm wearing a big sparkly tail so they *should* see me. Sometimes I wish I had rear view cameras like cars do for the thing. I'm thinking about starting a Mer School (and I can scootch this to another thread) so this is good to keep in mind.

[courtneymermaid]

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

^ The video I posted last night with my thoughts on this tail ban and some thoughts on mermaiding in general.

[AniaR]

Fin fun posted a response http://www.finfunmermaid.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/fin-fun-responds-to-cbc.pdf

[Seatan]

Bottled Water Spits Out Safety Concerns in Texas

A water container that allows kids to carry liquid around with them is a growing trend--and safety concern--at Texas parks. "My kids faces just lit up and they're like 'Holy cow, I can screw the top on and stick it in my pocket and not have to worry about it spilling! So we ordered a case and it's great," said Mary Sue Smith, who purchased "screw top water bottles" at the local grocery store for both her daughters.

Smith's eight-year-old Sally describes the feeling of sipping room temperature water wherever she goes as "free," while her older sister says its just like being a fish.

"They've had tone of fun, and they don't get dehydrated at all," said the Texas mother.

The craze has much to do with the still-popular documentary "Tapped: the Movie" where the destructive waste of using disposable plastic bottles to carry water was discussed, revealing the existence of such a device to children of obsessively eco-friendly stay at home moms everywhere.

Safety Concerns

However, the design of a the typical water bottle--a lightweight plastic shaft that bends inward at the top and sports a screw on lid much like the ones seen on Budweiser's new bottle opener free beers--is a safety concern at Texas parks, and was a hot topic at the annual "Keeping Our Suburbs White Washed and Gay Free" conference April 1st in Middleofnowhere, Texas.

"They force water through a small opening and make it difficult to moderate the amount of liquid flowing down the throat," Bram Trevor Watson the Third, supervisor of snacks and refreshments strategies for the City of Futtbuck told ASS News in a text message nested in emoticons.

Watson the Third said that Futtbuck banned water bottles in April because they are aimed at kids who, unlike adults, cannot quench their thirst directly from the spigot of a ten dollar box wine.

"Drinking from a bottle promotes breath-holding, which can result in blackouts," said Watson the Third. After all, unlike sipping from a cup, your entire mouth covers the top of the bottle and you cannot suck in through your nose while sipping.

"I was mad and very, very sad," said nine-year-old Graciousness Wilson, who was recently asked to throw away her water bottle at a Futtbuck city park.

"They told us because we are putting out whole mouths on the bottle that we could choke on the sudden flow if it is tipped all the way up and it would be hard for my mom to perform CPR because she has so much botox in her lips," she added.

The City of Middleofnowhere has not written an official policy on water bottles, but in the meantime does not allow them to be drunk from when there are more children than botox-free adults at a park.

For now, Middleofnowhere park janitors are making drinkers take the following test before they can carry water bottles in a public park. They must:

- Chug continuously for 25 seconds.

- Sip for two minutes.

- Drink with confidence when carrying the water bottle.

"There's concerns people won't be able to save themselves or they might not be able to breathe through their nose or spit the water back up and that's why we have a safety test," said Dick Ackjass, refreshment stand co-ordinator for the City of Middleofnowhere.

The Lifesaving Society of Texas recommends parks across the country also adopt a "water bottle drinking test" and not ban them, lest the children get so dehydrated in the hundred degree weather that they have a stroke and die.

Parents' responsibility

Smith said her daughters were already confident bottle drinkers before she gave them then containers.

But ultimately, she said it's up to parents to know their child's drinking ability.

"If you have a kid who was breast fed and has never sucked on a bottle, then you shouldn't force water down their throats in an act similar to water boarding. Or at the very least you should skip your weekly botox to make sure you can give them proper CPR," said Smith.

She said she has also seen kids as young as four minutes safely suckle bottles because their mother wasn't interested in having leaky boobs for a moment long than was necessary.

Fraternity school

People concerned for their child's safety can also consider attending frat parties, which has also caught on with alcoholic adults.

-Dallas fraternity offers gag reflex exercises and hangover cures.

"When you are drinking from a bottle you're really able to chug down that liquid, decreasing the time it takes to get totally wasted--or to stave off dehydration, in this case," said Jimmy Blake, president of Dallas fraternity Delta Iota Kappa.

"And it's really good for your liver, too, because water doesn't wreck it like booze does. So you don't need a transplant by the time you're thirty," he said.

The Middleofnowhere Hanukkah Club is offering an alcohol free chug class in August, but it's only open to members and children who have acquired a license through their kids only bartending program.

[Mermaid Menanna]

The press seems to have jumped to cover the negative aspects of this "fight" between the mer-community and the "officials" who are banning tails, but where are they on the other end? Since this is getting so blown out of proportion and gaining so much negative momentum, I am going to suggest that we, as a community, attempt to bring in some media in our own defense. We NEED to put out there the vital statistics, valid information, collected data, and story after story of how many lives have been SAVED because of mermaiding.
I personally will have to wait until I've actually been in the water with my new tail (sometime in the next couple of wks), but I have talked to mers all over the world who got started just as courtneymermaid did, and for the same reasons I have pursued this so passionately... to save our health. There are many of us out here who have complicated and severe health issues and disabilities that make other forms of exercise painful to impossible. This leads to weakened muscles, weight gain, sometimes massive, lacking in cardio health, and depression. An idle lifestyle also tends to complicate existing health issues, making everything worse overall.
Aside from the positive health aspects that the media is severely neglecting to point out, I read a comment the other night about 2 children saved by a mermaid who was able to pull BOTH of them to safety BECAUSE of her tail and the ability to swim faster and more efficiently. Where is the media for that? Find those children and ask them what it was like to be rescued by a mermaid? Find the grateful (inattentive) parents and ask them how dangerous they think mermaiding is after that experience? And I'm sure there are likely similar stories around the globe... but the media has paid it no attention at all.

I know from experience that if we want the media to follow the positive aspects, not just the negative (negativity & fear mongering are good for ratings) then it's up to us as a community to go to them and demand it. We need to point out that they are acting biased by only reporting the negative, which challenges them to also report the positive. We can do this! As a collective we are strong and influential, and carry with us a lot of power to create positive change. We owe that not only to ourselves, to protect our rights to swim and live as mers, but we owe it to the world. We are different. We are unique. We are special.
It's time to swim up and start a mermaid movement. We need to do this now before other areas opt to ride the tails of the negative publicity and force what we do to disappear forever. They have absolutely no basis for their ban, and Edmonton is not the first or only place to ban tails in community pools. There are news stories about a mer in Florida who went through it too, and I know here in WI where I live, it is banned in all public pools too, we just haven't received any publicity yet. (I intend to change that in the coming weeks & months)
Get up, get loud, get swimming! If we don't take care of ourselves and each other, nobody else is going to do it for us!

[Seatan]

I know from experience that if we want the media to follow the positive aspects, not just the negative (negativity & fear mongering are good for ratings) then it's up to us as a community to go to them and demand it. We need to point out that they are acting biased by only reporting the negative, which challenges them to also report the positive.

What I wish people understood is that oftentimes mermaid tails make you a MUCH better swimmer. Heck, any fin does. I want to learn to surf (I am an accomplished water-skier, wake-boarder, and wake-skater--all three of which are done wearing life vests), but as if getting into a standing position on a moving board isn't hard enough, I am also a terrible swimmer without fins, and I think I would be practically washed away. I know how to get out of a riptide and STILL probably wouldn't be able to escape until I was dragged a mile out to sea because I am such a crappy swimmer with no fins! I mean, I won't drown or anything, but it is not a pleasant experience and it leaves me exhausted. I think the problem lies in the fact that I was never taught the correct way to swim and just do my best to mimic what other people do without knowing what I'm actually supposed to be doing... But I can dolphin kick like a BOSS now (even without fins) and am a great swimmer BELOW the surface, all thanks to mermaiding and SCUBA diving.

Having fins on is like going from hiking boots to a top of the line dirt bike. You have an ENGINE attached to your feet and the ONLY way you are going to drown is if you totally panic--but that is the situation with any water sport. My granddad almost drowned in waist high water once because he fell off our lake house dock into the water. He didn't know how to swim and was so afraid of being in the water that he didn't even think to stand up. The panic took over and my dad had to jump in and pull him to his feet. Even in a lifejacket you can drown if an accident happens and you are knocked unconscious and find yourself floating face down. As a kid I was once hit in the face with a waterski and blacked out. Like you said, all children's sports are inherently dangerous and all watersports are as well. Nobody bans older children from SCUBA diving, which is much more dangerous than mermaiding in a lifeguarded pool. If you don't think about what you are doing you can blow your eardrums in a second or end up with a serious case of the bends... But people are okay dokay with that (which is fine with me--I believe kids should be able to SCUBA dive. They receive the same training as adults, after all.)

People see fins and think of them like having lead blocks tied to your feet when in reality if they would give it a try they would find it seriously reduces the effort of swimming. I have kept pace with a fleeing sea turtle wearing full SCUBA gear by dolphin kicking alongside it! Those things can swim darn fast when they want to! And I wasn't even winded. I could never do that without fins. Never.

Overall this is just a case of media hype and misrepresentation. The media wanted something "shocking" to blab about and decided to question the safety of mermaid to get people all worked up. I think it will die down quickly, but I worry about the ramifications lasting longer (such as this ban). It may be best just to let it pass, though. Media hype usually does.

[AniaR]

All us Canadian Mermaids are teaming together to put a document together to send the press and the effected pool zones. There's already been some media coverage on it.

[Echidna]

Thanks for the story about futtbuck in Middleofnowhere, Seavannah.
Made my evening (even though my PC now has rice drink on it).

[AniaR]

finfun also made a statement if anyone hasnt seen it yet http://www.finfunmermaid.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/fin-fun-responds-to-cbc.pdf

[Mermaid Menanna]

Seavanna I have seen over the yrs how many things end up banned, massive bans, over a small amount of negative press with little to no response from the opposite side. Unfortunately, today's society likes to grab hold of negativity and run with it, and once they have it in the choke hold, they never want to let it go. It is MUCH easier to prevent a ban than to reverse one once it is in place. We have been having the same battle with the pet community, especially reptiles. Once enough places enact bans on something then the politicians get involved and start drafting laws that reinforce those bans. So even if the media sensationalism does blow over, there is still much more to worry about. This isn't going to just go away on its own. I prefer to be proactive rather than inactive. I have seen too many negative things happen when people choose to remain idle and wait for something to "just blow over". Edmonton was the place that really seems to have gotten this started, but that's all it needs.. a start. I see it as the same thing as getting beat up. When someone attacks you, do you fight back and fight to survive, or do you just sit back and take it and wait for it to stop and hope you don't end up dead? That might sound like an extreme comparison, but really it isn't.

The biggest problem I see is that the fear responsible for these bans is completely unfounded and irresponsible. There is NO data to support it. I was totally amazed at the response it generated for me on my personal facebook page. 1 person posted that news story and all of a sudden I was getting flooded with warnings and people telling me to scrap my tail and then they went right into bashing "the legs bound together" quote from the story and the black outs. It literally blew up in a matter of minutes, and not a single person knew anything of what they were talking about. I spent an entire day trying to educate these people, and in the end, only 1 out of more than a dozen was willing to concede and admit that the fear mongering is baseless and ignorant. Think about what that would mean with our politicians? 1 out of dozens? Which way does the vote go then?
If we don't fight back then the only thing all of those people are left with is misinformation and baseless fear moving forward... because it is basically uncontested in their eyes, telling them it is thus, legitimate and valid. WE know better, and the only way anyone else will is if WE teach them and stand up for ourselves. I lived my entire young life being bullied so bad it left me depressed and at one point, suicidal and involved in self mutilation. I will not allow anyone to bully me ever again, and that is what fear mongering amounts to... bullying.

[AniaR]

well our team is about to be all over major canadian news outlets this week as we're finally presented the check from our award. should be a good opportunity to bring it up.

[MermanOliver]

Seavanna, the ban of plastic bottles is a joke, right? No one can be that stupid, or can they? Please tell me that it is just irony! :-o Has the world gone completely mad?
And Raina, yes, the price presentation will be a perfect opportunity. That you have won shows that mermaiding is far more than just "silly young girls in tails", as the public opinion seem to think it is, and that it can be done safely and responsibly.
Sent from my phonebrick using Tapatalk

[TritonsGuard]

I am not surprised that people are getting scared about mermaiding, but not because I agree with them. The reason this is not unexpected is that when people see something they are not familiar with, many times they only see the negative.

I am no stranger to seeing this kind of behavior (I'm a competitive shooter). It's called "moral panic," and it has been used to try to ban many things in the past (examples: certain drugs, switchblade, pit-bull, and even "Pokémon"). Moral panic happens because of two thoughts in the peoples minds. The first is that they do not understand it and for what ever reason they feel uncomfortable, disturbed, or fear it. The second thought needed is that they believe a law will make it all go away. We have all heard it before, "there outta be a law," as if it will make everything better. However, in these cases it mostly hurts those that were using them safely (I'm willing to bet most of us here practice the rules of safe swimming, and yet we would be the ones most penalized). In short, it punishes the innocent.

How I'm familiar with this is that when it comes to guns, there is no shortage of people who want them gone. What I've found out though is that the vast majority of people trying to ban guns have never fired one or tried to understand those who do. The same could be said for us mers (how many of these so called "experts" do you think have talked to the mer community let alone put on a tail themselves?). Yet these people feel they are the most qualified to make the decision as to whether or not people should have them. However, the best way to prove them wrong is to have them do it themselves. I have seen and heard of many people (both men and women) who were anti-gun, and scared to death of them, that were invited to a range (Most of them by family or friends after being talked into it). Some were as scared as a cat in a dog show before they even touched the gun. However, after their first shot, they were hooked and wanted more. Perhaps the same could be done with tails.

The truth is hitherto I have never heard of anyone drowning while wearing a tail, and I'm not surprised about that either. Regardless of the kids swimming capabilities, I think that parents are more likely to watch their children more closely if the kids are wearing tails, thus making any mishaps with tails more likely to not end in anything very serious.

However, there will always be those that believe they know better then you, when in reality, they know nothing, but don't let them get you down.

[Merman Jamie]

I am not surprised that people are getting scared about mermaiding, but not because I agree with them. The reason this is not unexpected is that when people see something they are not familiar with, many times they only see the negative.

I am no stranger to seeing this kind of behavior (I'm a competitive shooter). It's called "moral panic," and it has been used to try to ban many things in the past (examples: certain drugs, switchblade, pit-bull, and even "Pokémon"). Moral panic happens because of two thoughts in the peoples minds. The first is that they do not understand it and for what ever reason they feel uncomfortable, disturbed, or fear it. The second thought needed is that they believe a law will make it all go away. We have all heard it before, "there outta be a law," as if it will make everything better. However, in these cases it mostly hurts those that were using them safely (I'm willing to bet most of us here practice the rules of safe swimming, and yet we would be the ones most penalized). In short, it punishes the innocent.

How I'm familiar with this is that when it comes to guns, there is no shortage of people who want them gone. What I've found out though is that the vast majority of people trying to ban guns have never fired one or tried to understand those who do. The same could be said for us mers (how many of these so called "experts" do you think have talked to the mer community let alone put on a tail themselves?). Yet these people feel they are the most qualified to make the decision as to whether or not people should have them. However, the best way to prove them wrong is to have them do it themselves. I have seen and heard of many people (both men and women) who were anti-gun, and scared to death of them, that were invited to a range (Most of them by family or friends after being talked into it). Some were as scared as a cat in a dog show before they even touched the gun. However, after their first shot, they were hooked and wanted more. Perhaps the same could be done with tails.

The truth is hitherto I have never heard of anyone drowning while wearing a tail, and I'm not surprised about that either. Regardless of the kids swimming capabilities, I think that parents are more likely to watch their children more closely if the kids are wearing tails, thus making any mishaps with tails more likely to not end in anything very serious.

However, there will always be those that believe they know better then you, when in reality, they know nothing, but don't let them get you down.

Agreed

[Mermaid Pickles]

I'm a pretty okay swimmer without my fins, but with my fins, I can swim circles around the other people in the pool, including the lifeguards, so....And honestly, mermaiding is why I'm able to swim at this point. I was terrified of water until I learned about mermaiding, so I forced myself to learn to swim and be okay with the water before I ended up getting a tail. i can tread pretty well, still sink like a rock, it takes like four pounds of weight on me with scuba gear to get me at the bottom of the pool, but I know how to swim and stay safe now.

Note: I am not scuba certified yet, I'm getting free classes for swimming as a mermaid with their classes.

[AniaR]

yup I didnt learn to swim til I was a teen and all I could do was doggie paddle. Actually... without my mermaid tail that's all I can still do! lol I can't even get underwater I am so buoyant- unless I'm wearing my mermaid tail.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

yup I didnt learn to swim til I was a teen and all I could do was doggie paddle. Actually... without my mermaid tail that's all I can still do! lol I can't even get underwater I am so buoyant- unless I'm wearing my mermaid tail.

I'm the same. Doggy paddle right up till last year and I'm in my 40s! I don't hate my buoyancy anymore. I've been using it as a way to get some air time when practicing my Fish Hop. Like Monofin Jump guy, I can do a little hop out of the water too!

[Mermaid Pickles]

Raina, I still sink like a rock. It's almost hilarious sometimes. The scuba people will be using sometimes up to twenty pounds and I need nothing. I can't float for the life of me. SHARE YOUR BUOYANCY WITH ME RAINA, PLEASE

I still hate swimming without my tail. I can tread and swim around without, but...you don't go anywhere!

I am surprisingly bad at doggie paddling. I can freestyle and swim on my side, but doggy paddling is out of the question. I can move pretty fast with only using my arms, though. Faster than some people using both legs and arms sometimes. XD

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Raina, I still sink like a rock. It's almost hilarious sometimes. The scuba people will be using sometimes up to twenty pounds and I need nothing. I can't float for the life of me. SHARE YOUR BUOYANCY WITH ME RAINA, PLEASE

I still hate swimming without my tail. I can tread and swim around without, but...you don't go anywhere!

I am surprisingly bad at doggie paddling. I can freestyle and swim on my side, but doggy paddling is out of the question. I can move pretty fast with only using my arms, though. Faster than some people using both legs and arms sometimes. XD

Maybe we have hollow bones... It takes me several tries to dive down to the bottom of the 2 m depth pool without any fin or tail on.

[Ashe]

The only issue I have is forgetting actually coming up for air. I'll be swimming around like no big deal but then I'll remember 'aw crap I'm not a fish, need air...'. But then that drives my body into instinctual panic mode. I may be just a foot or two away from the surface but my body will start to react as if it's some huge deal and I drive myself up to the surface as fast as I possibly can. This, of course, only leads to a waste of oxygen :p Wish I could just tell myself "Hey! No big deal, you have plenty of time to get to the surface!"
Ah, anyways :p I've never gotten anywhere near the point where it was actually critical, just a bit of a scare here and there.

[Mermaid Pickles]

I can just slip under in the deep end of the pool I swim at (which is 11 ft deep) and be at the bottom in seconds. The chlorine in that pool is so bad that I even got goggles. I never use goggles.

[Raayvhen]

I legitimately can't sink. Also when I'm out of a tail I can barely swim. I think it adds confidence. The trick is not becoming overconfident.

[Mermaid Alea]

I am not surprised that people are getting scared about mermaiding, but not because I agree with them. The reason this is not unexpected is that when people see something they are not familiar with, many times they only see the negative.

I am no stranger to seeing this kind of behavior (I'm a competitive shooter). It's called "moral panic," and it has been used to try to ban many things in the past (examples: certain drugs, switchblade, pit-bull, and even "Pokémon"). Moral panic happens because of two thoughts in the peoples minds. The first is that they do not understand it and for what ever reason they feel uncomfortable, disturbed, or fear it. The second thought needed is that they believe a law will make it all go away. We have all heard it before, "there outta be a law," as if it will make everything better. However, in these cases it mostly hurts those that were using them safely (I'm willing to bet most of us here practice the rules of safe swimming, and yet we would be the ones most penalized). In short, it punishes the innocent.

How I'm familiar with this is that when it comes to guns, there is no shortage of people who want them gone. What I've found out though is that the vast majority of people trying to ban guns have never fired one or tried to understand those who do. The same could be said for us mers (how many of these so called "experts" do you think have talked to the mer community let alone put on a tail themselves?). Yet these people feel they are the most qualified to make the decision as to whether or not people should have them. However, the best way to prove them wrong is to have them do it themselves. I have seen and heard of many people (both men and women) who were anti-gun, and scared to death of them, that were invited to a range (Most of them by family or friends after being talked into it). Some were as scared as a cat in a dog show before they even touched the gun. However, after their first shot, they were hooked and wanted more. Perhaps the same could be done with tails.

The truth is hitherto I have never heard of anyone drowning while wearing a tail, and I'm not surprised about that either. Regardless of the kids swimming capabilities, I think that parents are more likely to watch their children more closely if the kids are wearing tails, thus making any mishaps with tails more likely to not end in anything very serious.

However, there will always be those that believe they know better then you, when in reality, they know nothing, but don't let them get you down.

I agree too guns are a lot less scary when you know what it is like to shoot one. People don't even have to shoot a 'real' gun they can shoot with a BB gun or a paintball gun, etc to see that guns are not as bad as people make them out to be. I love the saying, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people". Anyways that reminds me I want to go paintballing again soooo badly!

Raina that is great that you might be able to bring up the tail swim ban during your interview. :)

It is unfortunate that sometimes the people who know nothing about something are the ones who get interviewed and believed when there are obviously people more in the know who are being ignored. I think one of the struggles in life is to not judge anyone or anything on first appearances, and to do your own research on a subject you don't understand rather than just make assumptions not based off of any real fact.

I liked what someone said about corsets - I never really saw them as negative, sure some people seem to overuse/misuse them, but generally I always wanted a corset to wear sometimes - I think they are purrrdy haha. It wasn't until recently that my friend told me she wears a corset to relive back pain. She said wearing a corset for an hour or less can alleviate her back pain and then I saw corsets as more than just something pretty to wear.

It is a shame that the opinions of a few can take away the right to tail swim for everyone.

Anyways, I like what finfun said I think they handled this situation well and I am done talking now because I feel like if I don't stop now I will get to rabbling on and on. :p

[AniaR]

I am giving an interview to CBC this morning about it to the original person who wrote the first article that went viral. I think she realized she made a lot of people mad haha.

Jamie also gave an EXCELLENT interview: http://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news/A_mermaids_tail_304348481.html

The actual news coverage is getting better. Once I add my article to the mix there will be 3 in retaliation to the claims. The issue is more the very ignorant comments sections on all the social media.

Apparently CNN also mentioned the issue but the link I was sent didn't work.

[Mermaid Alea]

Yay!!! Good luck Raina and Jamie did an excellent interview like you said. I think it was very positive and confirmed that as with any swimming, it can be dangerous but that the danger isn't that big of a deal as long as there is someone to supervise the kid or adult in the tail. On a side note Jamie's tail is really cool!

[PearlieMae]

I am giving an interview to CBC this morning about it to the original person who wrote the first article that went viral. I think she realized she made a lot of people mad haha.

Jamie also gave an EXCELLENT interview: http://www.reddeeradvocate.com/news/A_mermaids_tail_304348481.html

The actual news coverage is getting better. Once I add my article to the mix there will be 3 in retaliation to the claims. The issue is more the very ignorant comments sections on all the social media.

Apparently CNN also mentioned the issue but the link I was sent didn't work.

Post the link as soon as you can!

[Mermaid Menanna]

Yay Jamie! That was awesome! I especially love how they interviewed the rec facility director who explained that they simply take safety precautions and all is good. That is a HUGE message to all pools/rec facilities and affords us the argument, "if they can do it/are doing it without a problem, why can't you?" That is a giant leap forward and makes me so happy!
With any luck, by the time this is all said and done, maybe we can actually get many of the current bans lifted. Keep it up mers... this is the way to win such a battle! I have worried that with negative publicity it could influence insurance companies to deny coverage to places unless they ban tails/fins. That could really impact the situation and leave us without a real way to fight back. We need to keep up the positive momentum, keep talking about it, keep fighting back, keep educating the general public! This is a battle we can win! :)

[AniaR]

check out this little girl's interview:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Edmonton/ID/2666989623/

[Mermaid Menanna]

I know we have a few lifeguards here on the forum, so I'm hoping one of them can answer this question. Why would it be so much more difficult to rescue someone in a swimming pool in a tail vs no tail?

[PearlieMae]

Great interviews! Jamie, I posted the link to yours on my Facebook page!

What a shame the interviewer with Alexis felt she had to dumb down her questions...but Alexis was awesome!

Great job, ladies!

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I know we have a few lifeguards here on the forum, so I'm hoping one of them can answer this question. Why would it be so much more difficult to rescue someone in a swimming pool in a tail vs no tail?
I reckon its because of the extra weight, and the tail might get in the way of proper rescue methods.

[AniaR]

Tails are bouyant though...

[Yulia]

A little kid with a fabric tail would not hinder rescue. (Unless you're a sucky lazy lifeguard)

[Mermaid Jaffa]

A little kid with a fabric tail would not hinder rescue. (Unless you're a sucky lazy lifeguard)

I was thinking more of us adult mers. Especially those with heavier tails. That's a really good question though. I'll ask a red shirt tomorrow.

[PearlieMae]

I was thinking more of us adult mers. Especially those with heavier tails. That's a really good question though. I'll ask a red shirt tomorrow.

Silicone is neutrally bouyant in the water, as Raina pointed out.

[Yulia]

Still, and I'm probably stepping on toes here, but a person in a tail doesn't weigh anymore underwater as a very heavy person.
It's equally as hard. They aren't banning heavy people from swimming.

[Echidna]

I could imagine lifting an unconscious mer with a silicone tail out of water would be a hassle.

They aren't talking about silicone tails though; they have kids with fabric tails in mind.
The only danger I can see with those is a kid in water distress (aka, not unconscious/drowning, just panicking), and thrashing about, so it's possible a guard could be injured by the fluke.

If this is the reasoning, though, no fins could be allowed ever, anywhere.
And somehow I've never heard about a mer in need of rescuing.
A bulky, heavy person is indeed more of a safety liability.

[AniaR]

I derno there's never ever been as issue is the point.

[Prairie Mermaid Jamie]

Great interviews! Jamie, I posted the link to yours on my Facebook page!

Holy crap (insert waynes world gif of bowing and being not worthy) thank you!!!!!!
that article made the front page of my paper!

I know with silicone it would be an issue to bring up a deadweight mer. My tail sticks to everything. It would rub against their legs making it difficult to kick. Especially my fluke which has fins that act like octopus tentacles and suction to anything it touches. It actually suctions to the side of the pool and I have to pry it off. 15 feet down with the water pressure would make it very difficult to pry me from the bottom.

Fabric would be the easiest but the biggest fear would be injury or entanglement in the fluke. Its hard to say how each would move when someone is kicking right next to it.

My mertailor is a great example. Its got silicone and should be boyant. Nope. Its made with neoprin so it absorbs water (mine absorbs 10 lbs of water) and when fully soaked will sink no issue. It has really bad drag already and the straps of the half assed monofin come off at a sneeze. One side coming off during a bring up would make the drag much worse and pull to the side.


Im going to ask a friend whos willing to be filmed to deadweight carry me up in all three tails I have. There is no visual or Instruction for it and that could be a big worry for pools. Kids tails like the finfun one that are open on the bottom would be the absolute easiest.

Its an obvious lack of knowledge and lack of parental supervision that seems to be the problem. Like for sone reason people assume kids think they grow gills when wearing a tail or something. Swimming itself can "promote" breath holding. A tail or not. Kids die every year from pool accidents and most of those are from improper or non existent supervision. Not one in a tail, I might add. How hard is it to slap on a suit and jump in with your kid???? Parents these days blame everyone and everything but their kids and themselves for their kids behavior. Part of that is the government telling parents how to raise their kids. Part of that is the tv becoming a babysitter. I volunteer at my kids school. Ive known these kids for years. Some have amazing attentive parents and they are quite the little people. Some have parents who are highly uninvolved. Those kids are the ones I have issues with. You can see hurt in those kids and it breaks my heart.


I also spoke with the lady from cbc. She asked to quote me and use some images for the article along with the vancouver mermaid group as well as Raina and her pod and Hannah. How could I say no? To be linked to these amazing mermaids is like a dream! Total mermaid fangirl moment! And to top it all off, the amazing Pearlie posted my article!

Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming!

[Yulia]

I just saw the video with the girls jumping to the water in their tails.

That would be equally dangerous without a tail, like the first thing you learn at swimschools here in Sweden (you're obligated to have at least 2 lessons per term in swimming in regular school nowadays) is to NOT run on the poolside because it is slippery and you'll die.

I'm also getting angry at all the articles stating that it's a toy, it's not. It's not a toy, and not a swimming aid per se either.
I still do think that the reasons they have for banning them are wrong, and it is such a lazy decision.
Talk about safety, talk about how you get out of the water, teach lifeguarding (which is also done here, I can only talk about my own experiences in this country, it's so different everywhere I suppose), have competent people working at the pool.

There's dangers everywhere, and if you don't learn about the positive things and how to deal with the risks you will never evolve.

”Det finns saker man måste göra, även om det är farligt. Annars är man ingen människa utan bara en liten lort”
-Astrid Lindgren

"There's stuff you have to do, even if it's dangerous. Otherwise you're not a human but a little piece of dirt"

[Prairie Mermaid Jamie]

Its easier to ban them, then to have compentent people who can accurately judge skill level. Ie: edmonton

Our articles are helping a bit for sure. It really cheesed me off to hear them being refered to as toys and the cbc lady said she got quite a few unhappy emails about that alone.

Sidenote: Yulia, I tried to message you but your inbox is full!

[AniaR]

I have a radio interview with cbc on monday

and I have be invited to speak to the life saving society on this topic!

[Mermaid Menanna]

I love how this conversation is progressing and the information shared and pouring in. I do have to agree, however, that this appears to be their "easy way out" or excuse for laziness. There are many pools around the world that DO allow the tails, monofins, and other swim related gear and don't seem to be having an issue with it, which is why I asked the question. I can see some concerns about silicone tails, especially after hearing that they literally stick to the sides of the pools, but... it isn't silicone tails that are causing the issue that we are all dealing with, and that wouldn't apply to fabric tails, so I fail to really see how they can claim it as an issue with a lifeguard saving someone IF it ever happened. It can't possibly be a weight issue or they would have to ban all people over a certain weight from using the pool for the same reason, and that isn't happening. In a situation of panic, whatever happened to the use of life preservers and floats that a struggling person can hold onto and be pulled to safety? More and more this sounds like a lack of training and a lack of desire to appropriately train lifeguards for their jobs. Why doesn't THAT make the news headlines?
I continue to notice all kinds of media and public attention to "safety concerns" but have yet to see ANYONE of them validate that with any kind of factual information or factual, feasible explanations. This whole thing could be easily put to rest by simple swim tests for young children before they are allowed to swim with their tails and restriction to shallow water for those just starting out. When I was a kid our public pool had those regulations in place for EVERYONE and that was without fins, tails, etc. We weren't allowed beyond the 3 ft depth of the pool until we could pass the test of swimming the entire length of the pool with confidence and without stopping, and it had to be done under the supervision of a lifeguard to prove we could do it. That was difficult to do when the pool was crowded and people were in the way, but they made no exceptions and it applied to anyone under the age of 18. We were allowed to test twice in a given day and if we didn't pass then we had to practice and try again the next day. And the other thing about it... NOBODY complained and we never had a problem. They also held weekly drills at the public pool, called everyone out of the water to see how quickly we could clear the pool in case of an emergency. They'd make everyone stay out for 10 minutes, go through safety protocol about how to line the back of the fence area away from the edge, and nobody was allowed back in until we all did it successfully. During that time 1 or 2 lifeguards would dive in and cover the entire pool to inspect and make sure nobody was in it, and then once they were out and clear, everyone went back to swimming. How is it we had no issues all those yrs ago but today it's a tragedy when someone has a hangnail? Ugh!

[SeaGlass Siren]

^ that's also what I'm saying. I'm calling bs on the lifeguard and their laziness.

[Aziara]

http://www.safebee.com/health/breath-holding-games-are-killing-swimmers-warns-cdc
Looks like the USA is getting on the moral-panic bandwagon. No mention of tails, but they say 'breath-holding is killing people!!! OMG!!"

[Yulia]

Yeah totally, because people can't hold their breath/drown without mermaid tails.

[Mermaid Menanna]

http://www.safebee.com/health/breath-holding-games-are-killing-swimmers-warns-cdc
Looks like the USA is getting on the moral-panic bandwagon. No mention of tails, but they say 'breath-holding is killing people!!! OMG!!"
OMG! What a crock of bs to be spewing in the media and scaring people like that.
"Those three deaths were among 16 New York cases between 1988 and 2011 of otherwise healthy people losing consciousness underwater as a result of holding their breath for too long. In all, four people died."
That is 11 people in 23 yrs, and the only ones they detailed (the recent cases) are ALL military training involved. Maybe they ought to look into military training exercises and leave the rest of us alone! There are more deaths in 1 state in a given month in drunk driving accidents, where are the warnings about not consuming alcohol? Why aren't they freaking out about that? This is absolutely ridiculous!

[SeaGlass Siren]

they worry about drowning deaths and not preventing it. #logic
sounds familiar doesnt it.

[SeaGlass Siren]

like unless they want to breathe water into their lungs and die of asphyxia that way. either way, breath holding for long periods underwater and "inhaling water" underwater can still kill you. :P

[Mermaid Menanna]

Crossing the street can kill you. Getting stung by a bee can kill you. Drinking alcohol can kill you. Catching the flu can kill you. Eating food contaminated by salmonella or lysteria can kill you. Breathing in polluted air can kill you. Going to work can kill you. Depression can kill you. Where does it end?

[AniaR]

Oh I'm so glad you posted that. If someone brings it up I can now say it was related to military training

[SeaGlass Siren]

^^ deathly allergic reactions can kill you. people can kill you. getting bodyslammed in the wring as a prowrestler can kill you. getting knocked out in a UFC fight can kill you. driving can kill you :P

[Mermaid Menanna]

That is exactly my point... where does it end? And when is the media going to do a truly POSITIVE article about mermaids and tail swimming? I am still waiting to see one that lists all of the benefits, especially the health benefits involved.
I also want to know why there is no mention of it being "dangerous" to hold your breath to the point of passing out while doing any other activity? What about the little kids who are having temper tantrums and hold their breath? What's the difference? They could be hyperventilating from all their crying first, yes? Yet I don't see national and international news stories happening about that. This whole thing is absolutely ridiculous!

[SeaGlass Siren]

Yes exactly.
also just to add to the list; mountain climbing, rock climbing, skydiving, wild water rafting... :P

[AniaR]

well some of the articles we've posted here ARE positive that's the point :) and we're working on more. And many of the individual media coverage various mermaid companies get are positive. I've got 100s of articles and they're ALL positive. This one negative one just happened to go viral. I spoke with the author over the phone and the CBC chose to spin her story differently than she expected. She only wrote about the ban because she couldnt get to several pools to do an article on mermaiding. She thought it gave it some present time context. No one ever expected it to go viral. it broke canadian media records. It has 6 million views in the first day. The fact she called me up and is committed to telling the rest of the story is a really positive sign. I've already previewed her photo slideshow and it's going to be great. It should publish on Monday and if everyone shares it it'll hopefully go viral too.

[SeaGlass Siren]

i hope so! ;_;

[Mermaid Menanna]

well some of the articles we've posted here ARE positive that's the point :) and we're working on more. And many of the individual media coverage various mermaid companies get are positive. I've got 100s of articles and they're ALL positive. This one negative one just happened to go viral. I spoke with the author over the phone and the CBC chose to spin her story differently than she expected. She only wrote about the ban because she couldnt get to several pools to do an article on mermaiding. She thought it gave it some present time context. No one ever expected it to go viral. it broke canadian media records. It has 6 million views in the first day. The fact she called me up and is committed to telling the rest of the story is a really positive sign. I've already previewed her photo slideshow and it's going to be great. It should publish on Monday and if everyone shares it it'll hopefully go viral too.

That's great news!
It truly saddens me that the people in today's world appear to only thrive on negativity and fear mongering and pay very little attention to anything positive anymore. This world has enough negativity in it without people helping it out further. 6 million thriving on negativity instead of positive. That says a lot. And people wonder why I (we) prefer to spend time with the animals and environment instead of other people? <sigh> Humanity has a lot to learn from every other species on this planet... too bad humanity (as a whole) is too stupid, deaf, blind, dumb to take advantage of that and use it for something good, as it should be. In all of my 45 yrs I have never seen the amount of hatred and inhumanity and fear mongering and etc. that I see in the world today. We are definitely going backwards... waaaaayyy back!

[Mermaid Alea]

Unfortunately there will always be issues in the world, but the wonderful and beautiful thing is how you all have come together to show the true side to mermaiding and how it should not be banned. :)

[MermanOliver]

In all of my 45 yrs I have never seen the amount of hatred and inhumanity and fear mongering and etc. that I see in the world today. We are definitely going backwards... waaaaayyy back!
Exactly. When I remember when I was a kid, we did all kind of stuff kids of today wouldn't be allowed to because it being considered "too dangerous". And I am not talking about exotic things, just simple things like climbing a tree (have never been good at it) or riding a bike off road through the woods in a manner that today would be called "mountain biking" but with ordinary kids bikes (more than three gears were a luxury with instant admiration by your friends) or so, or going to the pool (yes, we did and survived!) and actually swimming there. And most of all, our parents couldn't give us a call where we are because there were no mobile phones.
There definitely wasn't that amount of fear and fear-mongering back then as it is today. When did that start? And how can our kids today find out what they are good at and what they like when we forbid everything they try and that his might contain some kind of hidden risk? The whole life is full of risks and dangers, and if we try to keep them away from our kids, they never get a sense of what is too much for their capabilities, say "too dangerous".
And that is in fact, in my opinion, the greatest danger of all.

[Mermaid Menanna]

Merman Oliver, you said that so well. Thank you. I know we have a lot of young people here who have never known those times... can't imagine what life would be like without a cell phone or internet, but I remember it well. On Saturday mornings after the house chores were done (yes, we had to WORK around our homes as kids, lol) we were told to "go out and play" and that was usually the last our parents saw of us until the streetlights came on. We would walk or hop on our bicycles and we were off to do what kids did... amuse ourselves, explore the world around us. We knew right from wrong, knew what could get us into trouble, respected the police, waved to our neighbors, spent entire days riding a city bus to the mall, hanging out, then riding it home, just to hang out, blew our allowance money on arcade games... and we did it without adults standing over us at every turn. Yet, here we are, happy, healthy, well adjusted adults, living in a world that is increasingly becoming foreign to us with all of the new laws and rules that prevent us and our children from doing the things that are nearest and dearest to our hearts.
I remember climbing the fence around the local quarry after dark to go skinny dipping with my friends. We climbed trees, and then we jumped out of them, lol. We wandered through ditches and streams, walked through sewer tunnels, played cops & robbers with cap guns, and lit sparklers for 4th of July.
I have been trying to figure out for the longest time not only when exactly it all changed, but why?
When a friend broke an arm falling out of a tree everyone was eager to celebrate signing the cast and the parents & dr's chalked it up to "kids being kids" and everyone went on about their day. If a child breaks an arm falling out of a tree today, CPS is removing all the kids from the home and the parents are going to jail. Why? If we fell off of our bike and got a bruise our parents were telling us to walk it off, we would live. Today they are being rushed to an ER and parents are suspected of child abuse and questioned endlessly by cops. Why?

I don't understand how we LET this happen? I find it very distressing and I fear for my grandchildren and great grandchildren when they come along, wondering what kind of world we have created and are still creating for them? Will they even know what it means to climb a tree?

[Echidna]

I have been trying to figure out for the longest time not only when exactly it all changed, but why?


I have a theory regarding that.

Since a few decades, we have been increasingly exposed to man-made radiation and high-powered electromagnetic fields.
It was already on a dangerous level before mobile phone or internet, if you happened to live near a high-voltage power line, a station or device employing radar, or a radio/TV transmitter
(people in the next vicinity of such devices usually develop cancer).

But now, everyone without exception is constantly radiated by the mobile phone and mobile internet super-mega-transmitters.
It is highly irresponsible to employ such a technology without any idea what long-term electromagnetic radiation of this kind will do to a living organism, but we know already humans are the epitome of stupid and don't care about casualties as long as money is made (fracking anyone?).

What IS known is that a body will be warmed on a cellular level.
If this persists, people will get neurological and other problems.
The first you will notice are probably changed behaviour, headaches, and eye problems.
Next will be a significant increase of neurological disorders and illnesses, and cancer.

Now consider that every single living being on the planet is subjected to all the new man-made radiation and magnetic fields all the time, unless you manage to find a "hole" where the radiation isn't present full-force (some mountains in Canada perhaps, deserts, Antarctica, maybe some patches of rainforest left).

I bet if you do a bit of research, despite the well-known effects of this technology, you will still find loads of derogatory claims this is a "conspiracy theory".
Note that every single thing that dares to point out harmful effects of something that is a major industry, will get ridiculed as such.

Some people are even sheep enough to say, "if it were harmful, it would be forbidden by law!".
That would be a first-class joke if it weren't so sad.

[SeaGlass Siren]

Wasn't there a book about fear mongering?
it was a fictional book about a kid who was alwayed locked in his house and was never allowed to go outside because his wealthy parents feared for his safety, but in their efforts to protect him he died a horrible death because if their ridiculous ways of cooping him up. Barbed wire fences I think were the main focus.

[Mermaid Menanna]

Echidna, I'm not sure I understand your theory? An increase in mental illness maybe? Some sort of technology psychosis that has taken over? (those I could believe and get on board with because I have seen that with my own eyes) I still don't understand why we have turned into a world full of whimpy people afraid of our own shadows, yet nobody blinks an eye about eating artificial, toxic food and cramming our bodies full of all kinds of harmful chemicals?

I do think there was a major shift with the Dr Spock movement, which happened back in the 80's, but again, I don't understand how or why 1 man's THEORIES took such a stranglehold on SO many people and changed life and parenting as we knew it, and it happened rather quickly. It was almost cult-like in nature. All of a sudden it was taboo to "upset your child" and "hurt their feelings" and the "cult" just ran with it from there. Not many people argued it, questioned it, or called it out for what it was... a crock of bs. THAT was a major change that heavily contributed to the changes we are all discussing. Suddenly parents were more worried about befriending their kids instead of parenting them. Parents were afraid to discipline their kids for fear of going to jail and being labeled child abusers.
Don't get me wrong, there was (and still is) a whole lot of abuse happening... but it wasn't because people were disciplining their children. Abuse and discipline were always and remain 2 entirely different things, yet those lines have been so blurred that people now struggle to differentiate between the 2. Without order only chaos remains... and we have but to look around us to see it.
We have turned into a world where everyone is so busy making a living there is no time left to live. Play and leisure and pleasure are seen as luxuries only afforded to the super wealthy, and anyone else taking those "liberties" is viewed as lazy or a leech to society. Technology, while having helped us in some ways, has destroyed us in many others. There is no such thing as privacy anymore. We have opened ourselves up to a world of judgement for everything each individual thinks, feels, and does. We have become invasive into the lives of every person on the planet, and developed a superiority complex as a species, to go with it. Words such as "humble" and "sincere" and "pure" are now just words without meaning... things only older generations seem to remember and understand. What's scary is that we are destroying our own species and not enough people are recognizing it, thus it continues to increase at an alarming rate. Money has become an obsession instead of a means of survival. Greed is now not only accepted but expected. It's truly sad and alarming, and makes me wonder how long we, as a species, are going to last?

[MermanOliver]

^This. :clap:
Sent from my phonebrick using Tapatalk

[Echidna]

well said.
And yes, I basically meant that there are so many brain-wave altering technologies out there by now (on top of toxins, pesticides, and all the harmful chemicals that are destroying the planet) that everyone can't help but act irrationally.
With all that carp going around and being unavoidable, we simply cannot function normally anymore. :p

[Mermaid Menanna]

While there may be some truth to that, I fail to see it as any excuse. The example I will cite is pretty simple... what about us? We aren't all victim of this, just the majority of society these days from what I can see. So how did so many of the rest of us end up the opposite? I think it's a lot more complicated than that and I don't think the technology based, physiological symptoms are really to blame. Like cigarette smoking, it's an addiction, and while there is some physiological affect on the brain that plays a part, it's more complicated than that, and the physical addiction is actually a very small part.

Something I tell people all the time is, "children learn what they live and live what they learn." I think a lot of the behaviors we are discussing are learned behaviors... decades of learned behaviors that continue to escalate, building off of each other, contributing to and from each other.

I have always been a woman of science and spirituality. Some say the 2 don't mix, but I find they mix quite well when rational thinking is involved and extremism is rejected. I have often questioned the evidence we have found of the many cultures of people that have been totally wiped out over the course of history, and wondered if their demise happened much the same way ours appears to be happening? While we may possess some technologies now that weren't known back then, there is solid evidence that they had much more than was once believed... and the conclusion still amounts to the same thing if one really lays it out in black and white. In a nutshell, they destroyed themselves with irrationality, insanity, and greed. What I know of my heritage and culture (ancient to present) is that the Native American "lore" and "myths" are all based on some truth, and were created to explain real life events... to give reason to something that nobody truly understood. If we look back on all of the cultural lore from ancient times to present, what do we see? It paints a pretty clear picture for us, and historians have been saying this for generations. Stories of increasing greed, insanity, and irrationality are all evidenced in those stories. What if we are just on the same kind of timeline in present day life? I don't see people truly learning from the past anymore. If that were happening we would be taking steps to avoid the same mistakes, yet myths, legends, and folklore are so popular because they speak so much truth that we relate to.

Once again I come to the conclusion that the human race is stupid (in general) and destined to repeat past mistakes which will lead to past outcomes. How many times do we hear and say that history repeats itself?

This scares me. We SHOULD be smart enough by now to avoid such things. There are many of us who do, so I don't believe there will be total extinction (at least not the way we've been discussing thus far) and that also fits with history... if there had been total extinction none of us would be here now.

For all of these reasons along with everything else I have said thus far in this thread, it makes me more determined than ever to fight back and stand up for what I know and see is wrong. It isn't hopeless as long as some of us are still here fighting against it and preserving it, however we can. I have to add that I am grateful to have found this community full of like minded people... because even though some may call this battle a "little thing" the principals behind it are quite large. This entire thread/conversation is proof of that.
Thank you all for just being you, keeping it real, and pushing forward in our fight to live our lives the way we were meant to, and not watch it all get flushed down some societal toilet. I am proud to be a part of this community and this movement. :)

[AniaR]

So the article came out and despite all the stuff we addressed they focused more on the language use and the fact adults did it http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/mermaid-tails-not-just-for-kids-say-adult-mermaids-1.3084473 (feel free to post things in the comments you can log in with your FB account... just be polite!) (also fan girl moment... being in the same article as Hannah Fraser ahhh!) (also side note I think my point about Annette being one of the first movies filmed through a tank to be underwater got mis-took for first person filmed underwater. Which I don't think is true :p )

However! The radio interview I just gave was spot on. I crammed in every single point I could think of to validate it and address safety concerns. I'll try and get a recording of it soon. I'm really proud of how it went and I can only hope it opens eyes! it was actually called "The Calgary Eye Opener!"

[Ashe]

Merman Oliver, you said that so well. Thank you. I know we have a lot of young people here who have never known those times... can't imagine what life would be like without a cell phone or internet, but I remember it well. On Saturday mornings after the house chores were done (yes, we had to WORK around our homes as kids, lol) we were told to "go out and play" and that was usually the last our parents saw of us until the streetlights came on. We would walk or hop on our bicycles and we were off to do what kids did... amuse ourselves, explore the world around us. We knew right from wrong, knew what could get us into trouble, respected the police, waved to our neighbors, spent entire days riding a city bus to the mall, hanging out, then riding it home, just to hang out, blew our allowance money on arcade games... and we did it without adults standing over us at every turn. Yet, here we are, happy, healthy, well adjusted adults, living in a world that is increasingly becoming foreign to us with all of the new laws and rules that prevent us and our children from doing the things that are nearest and dearest to our hearts.
I remember climbing the fence around the local quarry after dark to go skinny dipping with my friends. We climbed trees, and then we jumped out of them, lol. We wandered through ditches and streams, walked through sewer tunnels, played cops & robbers with cap guns, and lit sparklers for 4th of July.
I have been trying to figure out for the longest time not only when exactly it all changed, but why?
When a friend broke an arm falling out of a tree everyone was eager to celebrate signing the cast and the parents & dr's chalked it up to "kids being kids" and everyone went on about their day. If a child breaks an arm falling out of a tree today, CPS is removing all the kids from the home and the parents are going to jail. Why? If we fell off of our bike and got a bruise our parents were telling us to walk it off, we would live. Today they are being rushed to an ER and parents are suspected of child abuse and questioned endlessly by cops. Why?

I don't understand how we LET this happen? I find it very distressing and I fear for my grandchildren and great grandchildren when they come along, wondering what kind of world we have created and are still creating for them? Will they even know what it means to climb a tree?
Reading this made me tear up. I'm fifteen and I just barely remember the times where nearly no one had a smartphone and I barely knew what a computer was. While I try to stay away from electronics as much as I can (I only use my phone for Mernetwork, and communicating) I still find myself aimlessly staring at it whenever I'm bored or tired. Guess it shows just how dependent I am on it, yeah? I see this affect everyone and I wish I could go back to the days where the internet wasn't some huge thing and I would be motivated to go outside more. But the thing is, I'm one of the least internet savvy out of all my friends. I've been called the most down to earth. I think that's saying something considering I'll spend and hour or two on my phone or computer at night. The Internet did bring some good things though. Here we all are, talking. I can talk with people around the world about my interests and get help when needed, but there's a lot of times I feel really bad. I've been shamed for being white (which I know is NOTHING compared to people of color, but it's made me hate who I am. I've literally wished I wasn't born white because I just hate this negative connotation and I don't want to be grouped with this bunch of 'terrible rascist people'), I've been shamed for my family's political views, I've been shamed for my sexuality, I've been shamed for living in my country. I think this is where the hate is coming from. Hate breeds hate and people don't know where to stop. Since, I've deleted any apps or accounts on websites that made me feel bad for who I am. My wish is that others will do that as well. But for now, I'm going to go outside and take a hike, then come back and be a mermaid :)

[MermanOliver]

...(also side note I think my point about Annette being one of the first movies filmed through a tank to be underwater got mis-took for first person filmed underwater. Which I don't think is true :p )
...

Actually Annette Kellermann might indeed have been the first person filmed underwater, at least according to a news special aired a couple of weeks ago where they explained they built a special glass-windowed observation room in a tank where she swam just for filming. And as that happened in the early days of silent movies, that might indeed be a first (at least in the special they said so).

Just a side note, the report was aired on a children's channel in Germany, but appeared to be quite well researched (sometimes it helps having a child ;)).

Hope I didn't derail the thread.
EDIT: It wasn't in the news, but in a series called "Siebenstein", episode "Eine Flosse für Siebenstein". Trying to get details and put them in a separate thread.

[PearlieMae]

So the article came out and despite all the stuff we addressed they focused more on the language use and the fact adults did it http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/mermaid-tails-not-just-for-kids-say-adult-mermaids-1.3084473 (feel free to post things in the comments you can log in with your FB account... just be polite!) (also fan girl moment... being in the same article as Hannah Fraser ahhh!) (also side note I think my point about Annette being one of the first movies filmed through a tank to be underwater got mis-took for first person filmed underwater. Which I don't think is true :p )

However! The radio interview I just gave was spot on. I crammed in every single point I could think of to validate it and address safety concerns. I'll try and get a recording of it soon. I'm really proud of how it went and I can only hope it opens eyes! it was actually called "The Calgary Eye Opener!"

Wonderful, Raina! I posted it on my Pearlie Facebook page! Is there a link to the radio interview?

[AniaR]

Good to know! I'm not home and don't have reliable internet but the show usually goes up on the website. Keep an eye out and I'll post it when I get home!

[AniaR]

It should be up here later http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/

[AniaR]

Giving another radio interview tomorrow for Edmonton CBC

[Mermaid Alea]

Great job on replying to the comments on the article. I always find it interesting how the people most opposed to mermaid tails or monofins have never swam in one and have perhaps never even seen one being swam with in person.

I was swimming in my monofin yesterday and was enjoying how quickly I can swim to the surface with it. If you are at the bottom of the pool and all of a sudden realize you need air, you can get to the surface much faster in a fin. Just another thing to think about for when people say it is too dangerous and you can drown. The fin helps propel you up faster to get air and it takes less kicks.

[Yulia]

People have been using monofins before mermaiding, in freediving. That also encourages breathholding. :p

[Mermaid Menanna]

So the article came out and despite all the stuff we addressed they focused more on the language use and the fact adults did it http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/mermaid-tails-not-just-for-kids-say-adult-mermaids-1.3084473 (feel free to post things in the comments you can log in with your FB account... just be polite!) (also fan girl moment... being in the same article as Hannah Fraser ahhh!) (also side note I think my point about Annette being one of the first movies filmed through a tank to be underwater got mis-took for first person filmed underwater. Which I don't think is true :p )

However! The radio interview I just gave was spot on. I crammed in every single point I could think of to validate it and address safety concerns. I'll try and get a recording of it soon. I'm really proud of how it went and I can only hope it opens eyes! it was actually called "The Calgary Eye Opener!"
Part of the article was good, but wth? Now they want to argue the point of tails being toys? And what was with the mention of Annette at the end of the article... about promoting nudity? That was about as tasteless as they could have gotten. I know this is a Canadian writer and article, but maybe it's time they heard from someone south of the border who wants to call them out on their lack of tact and decency? I'm going to be writing to this author once I have been in the water with my tail (so I am officially a mermaid and not a wanna-be). That was just uncalled for and ridiculous and they need to know that they are indeed affecting/hurting people elsewhere with their dribble and nonsense.

Congrats to the mers involved and their efforts to set the record straight, but a huge tongue lashing for the author! Ggrrr! I have grown to hate the media!!!

[SeaGlass Siren]

Great job on replying to the comments on the article. I always find it interesting how the people most opposed to mermaid tails or monofins have never swam in one and have perhaps never even seen one being swam with in person.

I was swimming in my monofin yesterday and was enjoying how quickly I can swim to the surface with it. If you are at the bottom of the pool and all of a sudden realize you need air, you can get to the surface much faster in a fin. Just another thing to think about for when people say it is too dangerous and you can drown. The fin helps propel you up faster to get air and it takes less kicks.
alea i quote you in the comments section.

[SeaGlass Siren]

aw HEOOOO NAH. somebody just went and brought disney into it for no reason. i'm about to go keyboard warrior.

[Mermaid Alea]

Aww thanks SeaGlass!

[Echidna]

The comments on that article are so lame.
"Those things have drowning all written over them" yea, that's why many mers have to wear a sack of lead to stay under the surface :p

BTW, someone should tell the mongers that urine in chlorine water leads to cancer, and that the majority of people do pee into the pools.
Thus, everyone not wearing a swim diaper (or tail) should be banned from all pools asap.

[SeaGlass Siren]

^ i vote you do it :lol:

[AniaR]

Sean made an excellent point. By banning the tails they've now made it more unsafe for kids to swim because there only options are places without trained lifeguards

[SeaGlass Siren]

OHHHHHH ok i was wondering if it was him :P

[AniaR]

My radio interview from this morning: http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/Alberta/Calgary+Eyeopener/ID/2667851010/

I think it went really well!

[PearlieMae]

Brava! :clap: excellent interview! I'm off to share it in my social media outlets!

[SeaGlass Siren]

Thankfully because it's an interview they can't cut anything or twist raina's reponse in anyway. great job!

[Mermaid Menanna]

My radio interview from this morning: http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/Alberta/Calgary+Eyeopener/ID/2667851010/

I think it went really well!

<STANDING OVATION!!!>
That was incredible! Kudos to you! :-)

[TritonsGuard]

Reading this made me tear up. I'm fifteen and I just barely remember the times where nearly no one had a smartphone and I barely knew what a computer was. While I try to stay away from electronics as much as I can (I only use my phone for Mernetwork, and communicating) I still find myself aimlessly staring at it whenever I'm bored or tired. Guess it shows just how dependent I am on it, yeah? I see this affect everyone and I wish I could go back to the days where the internet wasn't some huge thing and I would be motivated to go outside more. But the thing is, I'm one of the least internet savvy out of all my friends. I've been called the most down to earth. I think that's saying something considering I'll spend and hour or two on my phone or computer at night. The Internet did bring some good things though. Here we all are, talking. I can talk with people around the world about my interests and get help when needed, but there's a lot of times I feel really bad. I've been shamed for being white (which I know is NOTHING compared to people of color, but it's made me hate who I am. I've literally wished I wasn't born white because I just hate this negative connotation and I don't want to be grouped with this bunch of 'terrible rascist people'), I've been shamed for my family's political views, I've been shamed for my sexuality, I've been shamed for living in my country. I think this is where the hate is coming from. Hate breeds hate and people don't know where to stop. Since, I've deleted any apps or accounts on websites that made me feel bad for who I am. My wish is that others will do that as well. But for now, I'm going to go outside and take a hike, then come back and be a mermaid :)
I beg your pardon miss, but are you calling me a racist? Please be careful about how you phrase your point. I am pretty sure that is not what you meant, but that's how it looks.

Why are you ashamed? If you are being shamed that you are white, and especially if it is because they think all people of your race are racist, that in itself is racism, is it not? Why would you want to join those people? Whether or not someone of the same race did something to them, You did not and many people of your own race didn't either, thus they are no better. Would you really want to alter yourself to be like them so they would not torment you? If I could have a change that powerful, I'd go for what everyone on this site probably wants to be. A merman, in your case, a mermaid. However, as interesting as that would be to discuss, it is beside my point. Them shaming you, an innocent girl, for someone else deeds is wrong, and they should not make you want to change no matter what.

Please miss, I would like to hear more about what you are speaking of and why you regret who you are, because I do not want to make assumptions. If it is too personal, then I will not press farther, but it sounds like you should talk to someone, and it does not have to be me. It could be your family, a friend, maybe someone here, but please do find someone.

[AniaR]

K waaaaay off topic folks.

[Mermaid Alea]

Wonderful interview! Well I hope people are changing their mind about monofins being dangerous. It would be funny to invite the people that are worried about the safety of monofins to go monofin swimming in a pool.

[TritonsGuard]

K waaaaay off topic folks.

I apologize. Shouldn't have asked that on this page.

[Mermaid Olivia!]

Great interview, Raina! Very fortunate that all the pools I have been to in my area are not only cool with tails, but really excited to have a mer swimming around! I had a conversation with one of our lifeguards yesterday- she said she'd read the article and still couldn't understand why people were trying to say tails are a drowning hazard, because it seemed to her that they would make it easier to swim.

[Mermaid Freyja]

My radio interview from this morning: http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/Alberta/Calgary+Eyeopener/ID/2667851010/

I think it went really well!

Fantastic responses! Even when the interviewer had a kind of "this is weird stuff" tone, you were the voice of reason.
You continued to highlight how mermaiding makes perfect sense in so many ways for kids and adults, and how hard mermaids actually work to benefit the world around them.
xoxo

[PearlieMae]

Fantastic responses! Even when the interviewer had a kind of "this is weird stuff" tone, you were the voice of reason.
You continued to highlight how mermaiding makes perfect sense in so many ways for kids and adults, and how hard mermaids actually work benefit the world around them.
xoxo

I found the interviewer's condescending tone really annoying.

[Keiris]

I very much enjoyed the interview Raina! I thought you spoke rather eloquently and succinctly especially considering you had to think very quickly on your feet. That would have been very educational and entertaining for any listener! Bravo to you! :clap:

[Echidna]

Well done!
I probably would have lost it at that (in pissy arrogant tone) "we referred to the thing as toy and actually received criticism. Why do you think people take this so seriously?".

It's a monofin with some material around it.
Since when is a monofin a toy? :p

[Merperson Danny]

It's a monofin with some material around it.
Since when is a monofin a toy? :p

Maybe they're referred to as toys because people use their imagination with them. *sigh*

[Mermaid Momo]

I wish there was a comments section so I could gripe about the tone she used and how well you explained everything

[SeaGlass Siren]

I found the interviewer's condescending tone really annoying.
ok i thought it was just me.

[Mermaid Freyja]

ok i thought it was just me.

Nope, not just you, lol!
Half the time I think people in that realm of media do it on purpose to illicit an emotional response, so they can make it all more "shocking".
AniaR kept it all cool, professional and very informative :)

[AniaR]

They called it a toy because they'd never heard of it before. They interviewed a pool manage who called it that. So how are they to know? If you google kids mermaid tails the words toy come up. I don't think we can expect them to know anything else until they're informed. I honestly feel the mer world has to take a step back and try to be positive and encouraging with these issues. Our response determines how people view it. Sometimes our comments are the only exposure someone has to our world

[AniaR]

To be honest I am not offended by the word toy and until other mers got angry I wouldn't have assumed people would be offended. As I said in the interview you have to consider the movement is pushed by kids in Canada not adults like in the USA. We don't have a Canadian history of mermaids. Despite us adults being here people didn't know this world existed until kids so it is a reasonable assumption by ignorant parties. They asked me the question so I could explain it.

[PearlieMae]

I was more annoyed with 'subculture' and 'binding/bound'.

Also, I think that lots of USA/Americans forget that the origin of the article and subsequent follow up stories are Canadian. Minor cultural differences, and lack of a distinct accent, and we assume it's from the States.

[AniaR]

I think the language is just ignorance honestly. People forget how freaking new this is here and how big Canada is. Second biggest country in the world. The difference between where I am in NS compared to where this is happening is a huge distance. Us trailblazing in the east has no effect on the west lol. West also has more population so their news goes viral much easier. Canadians are known for our tonal inflection where we get higher and higher and everything sounds like a question. I didn't find her condescending at all. Just surprised.

[SeaGlass Siren]

I dunno about you but my husband actually did some travelling to Edmonton for his job, and he said the people (although they can be really nice) can be rude and condescending without even knowing it. Any change that is made, they will absolutely not like it at all so it's much harder for new companies to keep grounded in Edmonton (that's actually why he was there in the first place because he needed to set up everything for his boss's new Alberta office) So snarkiness, condescending tone, and arguing of semantics is pretty apparent.

And as an aside not relating to this at all but kind of shows more of their character and who we might be dealing with, they can also be incredibly racist...

But anyway, regardless if she was or wasn't, i think Raina hashtaHandledIt with class.

[AniaR]

I think you'll find the guy I interviewed with today condescending lol. But I cant find a copy online yet

[SeaGlass Siren]

is this the guy from CTV?

[AniaR]

nope it was another CBC radio interview in Edmonton this time. But they aren't putting it online and I'm not sure why. It's the only segment not being put online! Maybe it's because I challenged them that having a ban was actually more dangerous because it forced people to swim in unsafer places??? Anyway I emailed CBC to ask for a copy of the file as the person who ran the twitter said I could ask for it. But I havent gotten anything yet. When I do I'll put it on youtube. So while the other one aired a bunch, is online, and is now linked to all the CBC mermaid articles... this one is being silenced I think ;) So something I said struck a nerve with someone.

[SeaGlass Siren]

oh media. always so biased.

[AniaR]

Here's my Dropbox link to the second radio recording. I'll put it on YouTube later https://www.dropbox.com/s/jgz9y08nh6cfep2/Mermaid.mp3?dl=0

[SeaGlass Siren]

he wasn't condescending in this one. asked relevant questions. again, you pretty much nailed it.

[AniaR]

See I found he was. He's laughing in the background when I talked about conventions and the comment about the bar.

But whatever! I think my answers in both worked. Talking to globe and mail next

[SeaGlass Siren]

i didnt hear any laughing o-o

[AniaR]

I listened to the mp3 the first time on headphones and you can hear him everytime he chuckles!

[SeaGlass Siren]

oh ok i'm on a computer. not sure if it changes sound or anything.

[AniaR]

I put it upon youtube for those who don't wanna dropbox


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52D2WGIMXPQ&feature=youtu.be

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I heard the laughs too. But its not a rude laugh, more like a "I don't know what the hell to say when she's talking" type of laughter. You know how some people nod or say "Ahuh" or "Yea", this guy just laughs.

[AniaR]

lol that's a great description

[Seatan]

You were awesome Raina. Very good responses! :thumbs-up:

[SeaGlass Siren]

i must be deaf then.

[Seatan]

i must be deaf then.

I can't hear 'em either. Might be people's speakers?

[MerEmma]

I didn't hear the laugh because I was listening to it on my phone's speaker without headphones. If you only have one on your ear or maybe a poor quality one, maybe that's why only some of us hear it and others do.

[SeaGlass Siren]

oh the wonderful world on technology..

[AniaR]

Chatting with the Globe and Mail next... LOL it's never ending!

[Seatan]

Chatting with the Globe and Mail next... LOL it's never ending!

Well that's AWESOME! Spreading the word far and wide. It AMAZES me that eight year olds can SCUBA in a pool, ten year olds can SCUBA dive in open water up to 40 feet deep, and twelve year olds can become Junior Rescue Divers, but people can't handle monofins in a lifeguarded pool. A ten year old could easily panic in 40 feet of water, rise too fast, and blow his or her eardrums out. Or hold their breath while coming up and pop their lungs--the biggest pressure changes are at 33 feet deep. There is also a slim possibility of getting the bends if you shoot up too fast and the nitrogen bubbles have no time to work their way out. I do not believe that SCUBA is particularly dangerous for level headed adults, but for young kids? You have to have a lot of faith in your ten year old's ability to handle pressure, no pun intended. But heaven forbid we swim around in spandex tails with monofins that have safety releases in water that you can probably stand up in half the time.

[SeaGlass Siren]

^http://www.teamvalkyrieftw.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/preach.gif

[AniaR]

So updated. The petition to remove the ban has been submitted and is gaining media coverage. Here's the latest:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/mermaid-tail-enthusiasts-cry-foul-over-edmonton-pool-bans-1.3094659

Problem? 99% of all the comments on online social media are horribly negative and I mean horribly. And this story is going viral super fast. So if you have some time to share some experiences as a mermaid with WELL THOUGHT OUT AND NON-SWEARING comments, here are links to where they show up on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/cbcnews/posts/10153387971344604?comment_id=10153388363729604&reply_comment_id=10153388748914604&offset=0&total_comments=516&notif_t=share_reply

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalSaskatoon/posts/10155674287325457

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalEdmonton/posts/10152745685540927

I just gotta warn you... the comments will seriously make you lose your faith in humanity. :(

[Merman Jamie]

I just gotta warn you... the comments will seriously make you lose your faith in humanity. :(

lost faith in most of humanity a long time ago

[SeaGlass Siren]

i hope they dont breed. like i REALLY HOPE they dont breed.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I read the first link and I already lost brain cells by the 3rd lot of comments on it!

[Merman Jamie]

i hope they dont breed. like i REALLY HOPE they dont breed.

agreed

[Mermaid Clara]

These comments are so rude and mean! Why bother commenting if all you're going to do is be mean and put other people down. All these ignorant, rude and mean comments breaks my heart and i'm on the verge of tears.

[AniaR]

I think I had a snappy come back to one lady who just wouldnt stop


30174

[Mermaid Kelda]

:lol ^: What a beautiful response!

[TritonsGuard]

The way I see it, there are three types of people that are making those comments.

The first are the trolls, which are everywhere. It's merpeople vs. trolls now (ha ha ha).

The second are the ones telling us to grow up. They just don't like us for what ever reason. Many sound as if in there minds dressing up as anything other then normal is immature. In my opinion, maturity has more to do with how you treat others and how responsible you are then how you look. That is why I say it is possible to be young at heart, yet wise in mind.
Although sometimes looks are a part of that, such as you shouldn't strode around the block in your birthday suite, but if they think that wearing a tail even compares to that, there's something wrong with them.

The rest are the fear mongers, which to me sound almost exactly like gun control fanatics. It's always "we need them gone because this will happen, this can happen," or "what if this happens."

However, most of them refuse to use logic, stats, or the rules of far augmenting in there claims. They say that people cannot swim as well with legs bound, but present no info to back it up. Everyone here knows that you can swim as good or better in a tail or monofin then in bi fins or nothing. Yet, after you explain this, they will pull it up again later as if they had forgotten you already showed them otherwise.

Just remember that you are trying to change the minds of the people in charge of the pools, and not everyone. If you can do that, then the ones that disagree with you can do no harm

[Elodea the Mermaid]

I always wonder what the people that venomously insist on deciding what is and is not "mature behavior" do with their time. I know a lot of other... I don't know... "traditional adults" who work full time and don't appear to do anything else. There seems to be this cut off that happens where having no hobbies, passions or joys is more acceptable than having strange ones after you reach a certain age.

I mean, I'm 30 years old. I'm the logistics director of an international export company. I work full-time, and I'm salaried, which means I'm often working on the weekends too. I make a very good living. I live alone, pay my bills, clean my house, fold my laundry, read books about the "new era of marketing and PR", attend "Women in Logistics" golf tournaments, save for my future kids' college educations and my own retirement... but when I'm not doing that I do tons of other things! I get up early, I travel, I lift weights, I try new foods with friends, I go for a walk, I learn a new skill, I make a new dress, I MERMAID.

I didn't think I understood why people who no longer know themselves as people, who've given up their identities to take on this faceless mantle of Adulthood with a capital A are so critical of how everyone else uses their free time.. but I just realized I do. And I am sorry for them.

[Mermaid Alea]

I read just a few comments on the facebook pages, but it was enough to make me annoyed and I heartily agree with the above comments.

So going to watch Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides and seeing mermaids in that movie is okay, but people in real life being mermaids and mermen is NOT okay? So if you can make a fantasy become reality that isn't acceptable no matter how cool?

This one comment definitely made me upset:

This is the dumbest thing I have ever read. A petition? Really? I hope they ban them in every city for children's safety. I'm sure my daughter would love to be a mermaid but I would never let her wear one of these idiotic tales in a pool! Mermaids are not real. Welcome to reality.

Reality? What the heck? There are a lot of unique and crazy things that are a part of reality. If everyone excepted reality then I don't think we would have all of the wonderful inventions we do today. Why do people want to press reality on other people when we have enough of reality. Is it because "If I have to deal with reality then you do too so you can't be a mermaid because that isn't fair." ? Reality is when you find out that the little girl who is always smiling and happy doesn't have a mother and her father is going blind and she has been having to take care of him when she isn't even old enough to take care of herself and she breaks down crying after confessing this to you. Doesn't she deserve an escape from reality? Don't we all? So maybe the people saying these sort of comments are just hurt themselves and they don't have the guts to be a mer or to do anything out of the ordinary even if it would make their life happier.

I feel like I could just keep going... This really annoys me because I was bullied when I was younger for being different and this sort of thing really upsets me when people shun anything that isn't "normal" and they don't really try to understand it. I see this sort of stuff even in our church. Some people will get mad and complain about how communion is done and it is like, "Uhm hello you are here to worship God not to complain. I think God is more concerned about where your heart is at rather then how communion is done."

Ok I think I am going to think of something else now because while I get very annoyed at people who don't try to understand things, I know that I am lucky to be surrounded by people who are understanding and hopefully throughout my life I can build people up instead of tear them down. I really hope these people making these misinformed, hateful, or rude comments will learn to be kinder and more open, or in some people's cases to do their research and/or have first hand experience before jumping into an argument.

[AniaR]

yeah they actually deleted a lot of the comments looks like they're moderating a lot. What you gotta understand to is Western Canada where this is happening is way more conservative than Eastern Canada where I live. Edmonton is totally landlocked and a very oil based part of the country along with richer than most parts of the country.

[Mermaid Kelda]

The rest are the fear mongers, which to me sound almost exactly like gun control fanatics. It's always "we need them gone because this will happen, this can happen," or "what if this happens."
Except the difference here is guns have and do kill people all the time. A mermaid tail has never killed a person, so you can't even use facts and logic to back up being against tails :\

Gah it just makes me so mad. I'm glad they're moderating a lot of the stuff. It's just so unnecessarily hateful :(

[Mermaid Freyja]

I always wonder what the people that venomously insist on deciding what is and is not "mature behavior" do with their time. I know a lot of other... I don't know... "traditional adults" who work full time and don't appear to do anything else. There seems to be this cut off that happens where having no hobbies, passions or joys is more acceptable than having strange ones after you reach a certain age.

I mean, I'm 30 years old. I'm the logistics director of an international export company. I work full-time, and I'm salaried, which means I'm often working on the weekends too. I make a very good living. I live alone, pay my bills, clean my house, fold my laundry, read books about the "new era of marketing and PR", attend "Women in Logistics" golf tournaments, save for my future kids' college educations and my own retirement... but when I'm not doing that I do tons of other things! I get up early, I travel, I lift weights, I try new foods with friends, I go for a walk, I learn a new skill, I make a new dress, I MERMAID.

I didn't think I understood why people who no longer know themselves as people, who've given up their identities to take on this faceless mantle of Adulthood with a capital A are so critical of how everyone else uses their free time.. but I just realized I do. And I am sorry for them.

Preach! Seriously, Elodea you just read my mind. My fiancé and I were just talking about this very same thing regarding our living history and cosplay hobbies. I brought up this current issue with mermaiding and how it relates. We have 'friends' that think we're both nuts for having non traditional hobbies. They think the most exciting thing we should be allowed to do "at our age" is camping. In an RV. With a TV and electricity...because sleeping in a tent is for kids or crazy people.

FYI; we camp a lot, sometimes there is no tent...then I swim in the river in a mermaid tail. Shocking! ;)
It's' my belief that when these naysayers see us and react negatively, that is their reaction to the pain of knowing they lost hold of their own ability to truly be their own person.

[Mermaid Alea]

Definitely! Just because we are all getting older doesn't mean we have to start having traditional hobbies. Not that there is anything bad with some traditional hobbies, but no one should feel pressured to not have any non-traditional hobbies.

Maybe someone could make a video showing them swimming in a pool in a mermaid tail and showing how quickly they can take off the tail and the monofin. It might help if in the video there was a kid doing it. Then combined with this they would re-state what Raina and others keep saying about there being no recorded deaths from swimming in a mermaid tail. Although I am guessing there might be videos like this...I think I remember Kalani's friend doing training exercises swimming down very deep and then taking off the tail at the bottom of the pool.

[Keiris]

[QUOTE=Mermaid Jaffa;195035]I read the first link and I already lost brain cells by the 3rd lot of comments on it![/QUOTE

Omg I could only get through the first 150 comments in the first link! I thought my head was going to explode.

[Mermaid Menanna]

I read through all of the comments in that first fb thread and now I have a raging headache. We live in an age where everyone feels it is their privilege to judge and dictate to everyone else. It is their right to shame and insult other people who do things differently. I responded to a few comments but it took everything in me to remain polite about it so I finally stopped. Unfortunately we still haven't found a cure for stupid. I wish stupidity was painful, maybe there would be a lot less of it. This just brings back the rude behavior I dealt with yesterday at the pool and how unpleasant it was. There was no excuse for that anymore than there is an excuse for those awful comments.
I keep tossing around all of the comments about "grow up". Grow up and do what? Sit around and eat bon bons and fit into someone elses definitional box of "normal" and die at a young age from diabetes? Can someone please define "normal" for me? I turn on my tv and see which shows are popular and getting all the ratings... things like honey boo boo, reality shows about teenage pregnancy, WWF wrestling... and then the people who support all of those things want to dictate to me about being "normal"? Uhm, excuse me... define normal? Some guy out in the swamps chasing down and kissing gators is normal, but swimming in a monofin and getting healthy isn't? In who's world? Watching an obese 7 yr old throw temper tantrums and cuss her mother out, sounding worse than any trucker I have ever met is normal, but feeling beautiful and getting exercise to improve my health isn't? Yeah, ok. If those people are normal then I have absolutely no desire to ever be normal... at least not by their definition.

And the many comments about "get a life". Again, what life do they have if they are sitting on fb bashing people they have never met and know nothing about? Being hateful to strangers is not getting a life anymore than it's normal, not by any standards. Maybe if those people had a life of their own they wouldn't have time to sit around and bash us?

I keep remembering as I was growing up, all the times someone told me, "misery loves company" and it took me many yrs to really understand what that meant. Those fb posts were a perfect example of that. As much as I would love to read more and keep up with what is going on and being said, I don't have the stomach for that garbage... or the garbage people who write such horrible things. I am a realist by nature, sometimes so much that it upsets people around me. I am all about safety, to a fault... which is why I started out in a shallow pool... I was real about the dangers involved if I didn't do things right and take safety precautions to protect myself and others around me. I was crowded out of a pool at a swim school of all places because I was too nice and too respectful to put others in harms way and risk hitting them with my fin when they refused me anywhere to swim. They apparently would rather I drown because they don't like what I need or want to do with my own body and time even though I was hurting nobody, bothering nobody.

I was angry yesterday, now I am angrier. I need to go to bed before I say things I know I will regret. There just aren't words strong enough to describe what I'm feeling or thinking right now... but getting a life and living in reality... I will continue to do that while all the rest of those clueless people drown in their own misery. This lifeguard is off duty for those hopeless souls... let em drown... that should clear plenty of space for the rest of us to go on doing what we do... living!

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I only wear the fin when the lanes are crowded. Does anybody else do that? Just monofin?

Gah! I don't know why but I clicked and read the entire 3rd link... I am feeling so brainless right now.

[Prairie Mermaid Jamie]

Welcome to big oil alberta. Thats the way people are around here. Arrogant. Trying to argue with them is a moot point. They dont care.


I actually performed the swim test in question. Its the stupidest thing to do to be honest. Its hard to tread water and not bob like a buoy in silicone. Swimming the pool length is easy. And its lifeguard dependant. The ones at the rec didnt care. They pointed out the best lane for us to use and we did. Had lots of questions and a photo. No hate.

The test needs to include removal of a tail underwater and the ability to surface. If I can get out of my silicone tail underwater with backwards footstraps, im sure slipping out of a fabric tail would be a snap! And prove that in case of issues, they actually are capable of getting themselves out.

The people who perform the test should know how to swim in a monofin otherwise they wont really know whats capable and not.



Heres the devils advocate. I dont swim during public swim. Its too crowded. Thats not only my personal opinion but that of my pools. We use lane swimming. Simple. Less busy and usually filled with swimming enthusiasts who dont mind sharing lanes and know how to move around you.

During public swim you are more in danger. I had a kid almost jump on me. People try to grab my fluke as I swim by. Theres a couple older guys at my pool who like to follow me around when I swim so if I try to flip and come back I almost hit them. And of course I would be blamed as im in the tail. Ive been told to watch out by a lifeguard because someone else wasnt looking where they were going and I managed to avoid it. Not my fault. Im very aware of my surroundings and choose times to go when I fit best because I know no one is going to move over for me. And I will be to blame either way. My pools ask me to swim in times other then public swim for safety reasons and im more then happy to do so as I dont want some kid tearing my fluke by being a grabby pants.

Edmonton and this whole thing is very strage as the go from a ban, to offering the girl with the petition a job to teach mermaid classes? Thats too 180 to not be suspicious. And as much as I love the idea, I wouldnt go to a class for any underwater activity without licensed and certified instructors. From what ive heard her say, she doesnt have any that would qualify her to teach underwater activity. I can swim no problem in a tail but its not as easy to try to teach someone else.

Its like they are setting her up so they can put the complaining to rest (which is something edmonton does on the regular) and I hope they are honest with what they said to her. That would be a step forward
But if this blows up badly, the ripple will be far and wide.




When it comes to the comments, just remember, half coulnt tail swim if they wanted to and are jealous some of us actually made childhood dreams come true.

I had a group of high school kids see me in my simple fabric tail. Snickering and giggling as I got out. Got the "not real" comments too. Their teacher had seen me before and defended me, telling them of the amazing workout and the fact that most of them probably couldnt do it. That shut them up pretty quick.

People nowadays suck. Dont let them draw you in and anger you. They will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.

[Mermaid Alea]

Well said Prairie Mermaid Jamie. :) I go swimming at the college pool only during lane swimming time. I haven't been there when it was crowded and I can definitely see how difficult it would be to swim with a bunch of people swimming all over.

I definitely agree that the swim test should involve quickly taking off the fin or tail to show that you are capable of taking it off if something were to happen.

[AniaR]

Edmonton and this whole thing is very strage as the go from a ban, to offering the girl with the petition a job to teach mermaid classes? Thats too 180 to not be suspicious. And as much as I love the idea, I wouldnt go to a class for any underwater activity without licensed and certified instructors. From what ive heard her say, she doesnt have any that would qualify her to teach underwater activity. I can swim no problem in a tail but its not as easy to try to teach someone else.

My concerns EXACTLY.

[Talia]

During public swim you are more in danger. I had a kid almost jump on me. People try to grab my fluke as I swim by. Theres a couple older guys at my pool who like to follow me around when I swim so if I try to flip and come back I almost hit them. And of course I would be blamed as im in the tail.

This. This so much.

I am always looking around me to make sure no one is around me, but I have had kids coming from behind me and grabbing my tail when I was actually swimming. Others want to touch it underwater, but I always say, "no, if you want to touch it, it has to be in the surface". Today one kid asked why. I told him because underwater I couldn't see him and I could hit him. He seemed satisfied enough. I have also had today a bunch of girls (about 8 girls) following me any way I went. One or two tried to grab me. It was annoying. Since they were coming from behind I was afraid that one of them got hit, so I stopped and confronted them by saying "If I stayed here would you stop following me?". They took a look and then they left me alone.

I have also had kids surrounding me and crowding my personal space, touching, grabbing and pulling. From those I just swam off as fast as my monofin allowed and exited the pool.

But sure, if something happens and someone gets hurt, it will be my fault.

[AniaR]

Yeah I just never do public swims ever as a pro. I don't mind kids in their fabric tails but me in my silicone it's just too much to have to pay attention to

[Mermaid Menanna]

I don't live in Canada, but we have a similar issue here with bans in public pools, which leaves many of us land locked with nowhere to swim. It has taken me months to find a pool that will allow my monofin (not my tail), and it is the ONLY place around that will, and ONLY provided that my monofin is used ONLY in chlorinated indoor pools. If it is used outdoors even once, it will never be allowed back into the pool. They were very clear on that, no exceptions. The other problem is the pool hours/schedules. Lap/lane swimming schedules are so limited it's almost impossible to get there for that, and the only one I can get there for is combined with family swim time hrs, from 6 - 7:45pm. The only other lap swim time they have is 4 - 5am Mon - Thur. They are closed on Sundays. Saturday hours for lap swim are also 4 - 5am, then it's family swim time until 11am and the building closes at noon.
I tried swimming at the swim school pool, 1 1/2 hrs away, but the only time I am able to get there is on a weekend day, and the only thing they offer is family swim time on weekends. I was crowded out after 30 minutes.
So with conditions such as those, where is a mer supposed to swim? Outdoor swimming around here isn't possible at this time of the year, the water is still about 40 degrees in most lakes, 30's in others.
What happened to people learning about respecting other people's personal space? Whatever happened to "look but don't touch"? It really irks me to hear that kids are acting this way and nobody is doing anything to stop them, and then blaming the victim (the mer) if something happens? What would they do if the mer didn't have a tail/fin and was treated this same way? A cool/different hairdo, bathing suit, makeup, or any other reason that makes them stand out and attract kids based on their appearance... since when is it EVER ok to climb on strangers or pull on them and drag them down into the water? Why is that being allowed anywhere? That's like telling someone who got mugged that it's their fault and they need to be held accountable for the injuries to their attacker, caused by the attack. That's ridiculous and makes no sense. Where are people's heads???

[Talia]

What happened to people learning about respecting other people's personal space? Whatever happened to "look but don't touch"? It really irks me to hear that kids are acting this way and nobody is doing anything to stop them, and then blaming the victim (the mer) if something happens? What would they do if the mer didn't have a tail/fin and was treated this same way? A cool/different hairdo, bathing suit, makeup, or any other reason that makes them stand out and attract kids based on their appearance... since when is it EVER ok to climb on strangers or pull on them and drag them down into the water? Why is that being allowed anywhere? That's like telling someone who got mugged that it's their fault and they need to be held accountable for the injuries to their attacker, caused by the attack. That's ridiculous and makes no sense. Where are people's heads???

I think where I live people are of the mind of "If she is dressing that way it's because she wants the attention, so if she does not know or does not want to deal with attention then she should not dress like that in public". That goes for a mermaid tail, or a cosplay event, or tattoos, or whatever is out of the ordinary by their definition. You see, they think you dress up for their sake, so you can be a public doll to touch, not for your own motives.

There are plenty of rude people where I live. And they pass on the rudeness onto their kids.

Regarding the mugging, I read somewhere that in some part of the US a burglar tried to sneak in a house to rob it, but got trapped somehow in the garage door. He sued the owner of the house for injuries and distress, because the owner was on a trip and the burglar was trapped there for 3 days. I don't recall if the guy won the lawsuit or not, but the fact is the court accepted the charges. You are right, it is ridiculous and makes no sense at all.

[Mermaid Menanna]

Maybe we ought to start a line of swimsuit tops that read "look, don't touch"?

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Maybe we ought to start a line of swimsuit tops that read "look, don't touch"?

Like those spikey Madonna bras?

[Mermaid Menanna]

With all of the controversy surrounding monofins and mermaid tails I thought some of you might be interested in knowing that one of the local beaches around here considers a monofin a "toy" and restricts their use to the "kid's section" of the beach where the water depth is limited to 4 ft at it's deepest part....
How to get through to these people that these are NOT TOYS? Restricting them to the children's section like that would make it MORE dangerous because of the risk of a child being hit by a fin... especially if the water depth is so shallow. <sigh>
The stupidity... it hurts...

[AniaR]

there's a video going viral right now of a kid almost drowning cuz her mom is standing there with a camera telling her kid to do a flip. kid gets stuck doing the flip. millions of views. -_- mom stands there with camera while friend jumps in and gets kid upright. Mom proceeds to blame monofin in comments for making her kid turn upside down.

[Mermaid Alea]

Oh great that is just what we need. :doh:

[SeaGlass Siren]

where is this video. imma about to make a snarky comment.

[CheshireKat]

:: headdesk :: Is that woman for real? If you can't be bothered to properly teach your kid to use a monofin, or watch your kid properly while in the water that is YOUR FAULT AS A PARENT, NOT THE MONOFIN.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[Merman Jamie]

:: headdesk :: Is that woman for real? If you can't be bothered to properly teach your kid to use a monofin, or watch your kid properly while in the water that is YOUR FAULT AS A PARENT, NOT THE MONOFIN.

yep.
people only see/read what they want to.

[Aquatarian]

30588

I saw this vid unfortunately pop up on my wall with the OP saying "don't buy these fins!"

Along with the racism, it's asol really silly reasoning.

The vid has over 11 million views on facebook now. Who knows which other sites too.

I'm in the blue and my mother in the aqua. I would love to comment again to try and quell the waters so to speak.

In the video the girl turns over after being told by a parent to "do a flip", without room to do a full flip she turns and is unable to completely make the turn and gets stuck upside down.

The original poster of the vid said this in her vid description:

"Did anyone else buy the mermaid tail for their child? Be very careful with it and make sure they do not go in pool without good supervision, even though your child can swim as you can see the child cant turn topside up by themselves, just puttin it out there."

That is pretty harmless. She didn't say "Omg never buy these tails! These tails are dangerous!" She gave fair warning and used her daughters experience of an example of something that could go wrong. The issue here is a TON of people have blown this WAY out of porportion and shared it saying stuff like "Fins are dangerous!"

[Imogen Finnly]

Raina- i just made a thread about that video...... urgh..

formerly jayy

[Mermaid Menanna]

:: headdesk :: Is that woman for real? If you can't be bothered to properly teach your kid to use a monofin, or watch your kid properly while in the water that is YOUR FAULT AS A PARENT, NOT THE MONOFIN.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
I saw the video too... a friend pointed it out to me on fb the other day and I had a few choice words to say about it, pointing out the real problem being ignorant parent, not the fin. I have seen the video shared by a few people on fb and have commented on each of them with basically the same thing... it's a good video example of bad/careless parenting. But, the problem is the same as I am finding at this beach... people think of monofins and mermaid tails as TOYS, which they are NOT! Monofins are DIVE/SWIM EQUIPMENT, SWIMMING AIDS, however you want to term it, but they are NOT TOYS. I can't for the life of me figure out how anyone started this crazy idea that they are toys?? I see it as the equivalent to putting a 5 yr old on a moped and telling them "gun it" and just let them go... you just don't do it! A monofin is no more of a toy than a moped is. Now, with that said, there are places that allow children to drive vehicles, with the proper training first and accompanied/supervised by an adult... as it should be with a monofin... fine for a child to use if they are trained in how to use it and closely supervised.
I guess my question to the mer community is this, "how do we make people understand that these are NOT TOYS?"
I am very worried that this is going to really get out of hand because of misconception and ignorance. The misrepresentation of monofins/tails as toys is just the recipe for disaster that the media is fishing for... that's how children get hurt, or worse, drown. Once we have recorded incidents then the bans start... total bans, and the lawsuits to go with them... it happens with so many things... and the problem isn't monofins or mermaid tails, it's misrepresentation of what they are and misuse by ignorant people who don't use them properly or read safety instructions/take safety precautions.

My approach with this beach is education along with a bit of embarrassment for them, making their ignorance public in a subtle way. After questioning why/how they can consider a fin a "toy" and correcting them that it is "diving equipment", informing them that they are used by professional dive teams in competitive swimming, I then posted a couple of video links to that thread on their page too. 1 link shows a video of an Olympic dive team using them in competition and the other video shows monofins being used in a free diving instruction/training video. My hope is that they are going to think long and hard about how they reply... or bite their own tongues when they try to claim that adult Olympians are using TOYS in Olympic competition. (and yes, I will boldly call them out on that one if need be)

I also plan to post those same videos with some clarification about monofins on both my personal fb page and my mermaid fb page. We all need to work hard to make sure the public is being correctly educated and dispel this misconception of these being toys. When they are not taken seriously, when they are not used correctly, when they are perceived as toys, then they can be dangerous... but it isn't the fin, it's the people.

[Echidna]

^^
The main problem here is that monofins for kids with or without tails are marketed as "kid's toys".
Which the businesses selling these products might think smart, but it's a moronic idea.

Fins and tails should come with a disclaimer (most tail companies have one), one should stress that these items are for experienced and confident swimmers and divers only, and that if they are given to children, extra caution is advised.

No idea how to get this out to the general public though, especially with all this social media craze.

This is why I generally dislike the focus on children when marketing "mermaids".
Yes, kids like mermaids. That doesn't mean it's good or smart for them to try to be one, especially if very small and/or with irresponsible parents.

No one would have the notion, as someone mentioned, to give their child a weapon and then blame the weapon if they got hurt (I hope).
Or put a kid on a pony, saying a pony is a toy because kids like ponies, and then be all outraged if the kid falls off.
(wth)

[Echidna]

In the video the girl turns over after being told by a parent to "do a flip", without room to do a full flip she turns and is unable to completely make the turn and gets stuck upside down.


I've seen the video, and first I was perplexed that the first thing they tell a little girl to do when wearing a tail for the first time is "do a flip! flipflipflip!".
Instead of, ya know, letting her swim for a bit to see if she can move in it.

Then it struck me (especially after seeing the second "proof" video where they showed "she CAN flip without fin, tail is at fault!".
It looks very much like this little girl cannot swim. At all.
All she has learned to do yet is flip.

I guess I don't need to explain further to you finswimming guys what the real problem was.
Also, yes the water wasn't deep enough for flipping in a tail.
Some people :doh:

[Mermaid Menanna]

^^
The main problem here is that monofins for kids with or without tails are marketed as "kid's toys".
Which the businesses selling these products might think smart, but it's a moronic idea.

Fins and tails should come with a disclaimer (most tail companies have one), one should stress that these items are for experienced and confident swimmers and divers only, and that if they are given to children, extra caution is advised.

No idea how to get this out to the general public though, especially with all this social media craze.


I think it is time that we in the mer community start stepping up and writing to these companies about their marketing. They may feel they are protected from lawsuits because of their warnings and disclaimers, but I don't see any having given thought to what happens when bans are enacted all over the place and the market for their product dies in the process? Marketing fins as "toys" rather than "equipment" makes a huge difference and opens everything up for disaster, and we are just now starting to see the beginning of that. Why do we feel content to wait until tragedy strikes and it's too late before we get proactive? When used properly and safely the fins can be wonderful... but if perceived as toys we all know that isn't going to happen in the majority of situations, especially involving children. At present we have ground to stand on in regards to the safety issues people are blowing out of proportion, but since seeing that video and reading so many comments on fb over the past few wks... it makes me wonder, do these fear mongers have a valid point now, created by marketing these fins as toys? Sadly, I have to say they do. When I saw that video it made me shudder and I can't stop thinking about how many other children are out there and going through the same thing, or will soon... all because these fins are labeled as "toys". These are not toys and they can't be treated as toys and expect to be safe... and who knows this better than the people who use them regularly? We use them, we want them, we want this to remain a beautiful and wonderful thing for all... so how can we not act and start contacting these companies ourselves and ask them to change their labeling? Are we going to wait until it's too late and then just sit and complain about how none of us gets to enjoy them anymore? Are we going to wait until a child drowns and then try to battle and justify our own stance with an impossible fight on our hands?
We have the power as a community, we have a voice that is loud and thus far, being listened to. We need to start using it, for our own sake and for that of all the innocent children out there who are being put in harm's way by inappropriate labeling. This has happened with so many things over the years... it's long past due that we learn from the past and use it to make the future better.
We may not be able to change the greed that is out there, the focus on making money... but we CAN use that to help make our point. Disclaimers and warnings meant to legally protect these companies from lawsuits won't mean a damned thing if they end up with no market to sell them because they are banned everywhere. They would be helping themselves as much as everyone else by making this simple change now, before it's too late.

[Mermaid Menanna]

I will be writing a letter this week... I encourage everyone else to do the same thing. If they hear from enough of us we may be able to get this changed in time to save us all.

[AniaR]

Fin fun already did loads of media around it and released a letter. Finis has safety info in big letters on every box on their website
The fault isn't with the companies.

[AniaR]

Also finis and finfun directly worked with pools across North America to design swim tests! Go back and read their letter I posted earlier

[Mermaid Menanna]

Fin fun already did loads of media around it and released a letter. Finis has safety info in big letters on every box on their website
The fault isn't with the companies.

I said the same thing until I saw the amount of hype and comments going around the internet about how the companies call them toys, therefore the parents are viewing them as "dangerous TOYS".
I put up something of a rant on my fb page last night, trying to get through to people that monofins are not toys and shouldn't be considered toys. I woke up this morning to pm's from multiple people, all parents, all frightened by the fins, all saying the same thing. If they aren't toys then why are they being marketed as such? Along with photos of fins and packaging that clearly calls them "toys".

The general public is extremely impressionable, which is why the retail market spends billions every year on research into how to sway people's judgement and spending habits. Subliminal messages... the research/studies are out there, all you need to do is read them. It's already been proven. We went through (and still do) this same kind of issue in the aquarium industry for yrs. Little 1-5 gallon tanks that are only suitable for a few tiny species of fish and limited to 1 - 2 fish at that, warnings and instructions and disclaimers all in tact, but the companies put photos on the packaging showing 5 - 10 goldfish in these tanks. What do people try to put in them? Yep.... 5 - 10 goldfish, which can't possibly survive in such a thing. Then the customers come running back to the stores and call the manufacturers, screaming about their dead fish and how the company is to blame, they want a refund, etc. EVERY time I have asked someone why they would put 5 - 10 goldfish into such a tiny tank, being able to SEE that they don't fit in there... the answers were always the same. "That's what it shows on the box". I battled endlessly for yrs to get companies to change their packaging for this reason. I'm happy to say that some of them actually did, and once those pictures on the packaging went away, so did most of the problems with those particular lines of aquariums. Coincidence? All it took was to ask the customers, which I did... and got the same answers again, "that's what it shows on the box".

I'm not saying I agree with it. Personally, it makes me so angry that stupidity is what appears to rule supreme... but it is what it is and we have to work with it for what it is. People seldom read instructions anymore. People seldom do the proper research before buying/taking things home. And, the parenting groups out there have a lot of power to sway political decisions... at a time when the media jumps on the first bit of negativity they can run with and blow it up 100 times for their own financial/rating gains. We live in a time where parents are going to jail for letting 11 yr old kids walk home from school or go to the playground without an adult.

So in spite of warnings and disclaimers, these companies need to be responsible with their marketing too. That's their end of the deal, and in turn they thrive and make their money.
Your mention of the 2 companies addressing the media, but that doesn't account for the spin the media puts on their statements and intentions... just to create more media hype. You mention those 2 companies worked with pools across the country, but guess what? There are SO MANY they HAVEN'T worked with, so many who have never heard of them, so many who have never heard of a monofin or a mermaid tail... so all of those people who were missed in those media sweeps and attempts to work with pools... they are still left to rely on packaging that calls these fins "toys" and in turn, are classifying them as such. And the problem continues to grow.

Let me ask you personally... you have been doing this a long time. What do you think the end results are going to be for the pools and beaches that are restricting monofins (all of them) to crowded, designated children's areas only because they are "toys"? A 10 x 20 ft section of beach area where adults with the large monofins are restricted to swim with 30 - 50 children playing with all kinds of "water toys".. does that sound safe to you? And the alternative in places like this? No swimming allowed with monofins, at all... because everyone else has them banned completely.

I truly feel for the people of Edmonton who are battling this because I have the same battle happening right here in small town USA, but I don't have any help or support to fight it here. I'm a lonely mer in this area and being told at every turn "no, no, no". I can't afford a pool of my own or I would get one and be done with it. I am disabled and need to swim for my health, but regular swimming is painful and debilitating for me with my disability... so what options does that leave? Let's put it this way... I have been in the water once this yr, a tiny swim school pool where I was crowded out by children after only an hour. There is nowhere else for me to go at this point and it's getting worse instead of better. All of this bad media blaming the fins because they are being marketed as toys... the places enforcing all of these bans are taking notice and using it as their leverage to continue to enforce their own bans and to encourage others to do the same. The problem isn't just in Edmonton, they just happen to be the one place getting the media attention and support from the mer community. Please don't fool yourself... it IS happening, and it IS getting worse. :-(

[AniaR]

Ugh, honestly I think the mer community has to calm the freak down in how they're handling this because TOO MANY are giving them fodder to label us as freaks and crazies. And maybe people who aren't that experienced in it but just want the experience and are worried, should step back and let the people with the skills and experience speak on behalf of the community.


I said the same thing until I saw the amount of hype and comments going around the internet about how the companies call them toys, therefore the parents are viewing them as "dangerous TOYS".
I put up something of a rant on my fb page last night, trying to get through to people that monofins are not toys and shouldn't be considered toys. I woke up this morning to pm's from multiple people, all parents, all frightened by the fins, all saying the same thing. If they aren't toys then why are they being marketed as such? Along with photos of fins and packaging that clearly calls them "toys".

As I stated in my radio interviews: I am not offended by them being called toys. And as I stated in that interview and here, you have to realize that the fins made it big here country wide before the idea of pro mermaids. They ARE toys. They aren't intended for anything for professional level or even training. They're patented and marketed as toys. And toys for kids follow safety regulations, which finis and finfun do along with mermaid linden's new monofins. (I can't speak for other companies) Just because adult mermaids are put off by the idea of them being called a toy doesn't mean they're wrong in being called that. Adults don't like it because we view anything childish or playful as undermining hard work. When if you know a darn thing about me I am all about encouraging learning and growth through PLAY. So no... I don't have a problem with them being called a toy. There are LOADS of toy versions of adult things. "They aren't toys" is more the mer community being uncomfortable with the word. It doesn't mean that they actually arent toys, or that a toy can't also be a tool.


The general public is extremely impressionable, which is why the retail market spends billions every year on research into how to sway people's judgement and spending habits. Subliminal messages... the research/studies are out there, all you need to do is read them. It's already been proven. We went through (and still do) this same kind of issue in the aquarium industry for yrs. Little 1-5 gallon tanks that are only suitable for a few tiny species of fish and limited to 1 - 2 fish at that, warnings and instructions and disclaimers all in tact, but the companies put photos on the packaging showing 5 - 10 goldfish in these tanks. What do people try to put in them? Yep.... 5 - 10 goldfish, which can't possibly survive in such a thing. Then the customers come running back to the stores and call the manufacturers, screaming about their dead fish and how the company is to blame, they want a refund, etc. EVERY time I have asked someone why they would put 5 - 10 goldfish into such a tiny tank, being able to SEE that they don't fit in there... the answers were always the same. "That's what it shows on the box". I battled endlessly for yrs to get companies to change their packaging for this reason. I'm happy to say that some of them actually did, and once those pictures on the packaging went away, so did most of the problems with those particular lines of aquariums. Coincidence? All it took was to ask the customers, which I did... and got the same answers again, "that's what it shows on the box".

And the finis and finfun and mermaid linden all show appropriate things on the box. All appropriate use, all appropriate large font safety warnings, all appropriate and relevant information, and links for more information.


I'm not saying I agree with it. Personally, it makes me so angry that stupidity is what appears to rule supreme... but it is what it is and we have to work with it for what it is. People seldom read instructions anymore. People seldom do the proper research before buying/taking things home. And, the parenting groups out there have a lot of power to sway political decisions... at a time when the media jumps on the first bit of negativity they can run with and blow it up 100 times for their own financial/rating gains. We live in a time where parents are going to jail for letting 11 yr old kids walk home from school or go to the playground without an adult.

MER COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE TO REALIZE THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO EXPOSURE TO THIS STUFF APPROACHING PEOPLE LIKE THEY'RE "IDIOTS" DOES NOT HELP IN THE SLIGHTEST. This is our whole freaking world. For most people they barely glance it!


So in spite of warnings and disclaimers, these companies need to be responsible with their marketing too. That's their end of the deal, and in turn they thrive and make their money.
Your mention of the 2 companies addressing the media, but that doesn't account for the spin the media puts on their statements and intentions... just to create more media hype. You mention those 2 companies worked with pools across the country, but guess what? There are SO MANY they HAVEN'T worked with, so many who have never heard of them, so many who have never heard of a monofin or a mermaid tail... so all of those people who were missed in those media sweeps and attempts to work with pools... they are still left to rely on packaging that calls these fins "toys" and in turn, are classifying them as such. And the problem continues to grow.

The companies can't be held responsible for the spin the media creates. I did loads of interviews on this topic and covered ever area necessary. But the media still chose to only feature certain things. IN the article about them being not just for kids, I touched on every important topic. The articled used two of my quotes and they werent what the public needed to hear. I saw the information Finfun gave the same article. THEY GAVE THEM LOADS INCLUDING PHOTOS OF HOW TO USE THE TAILS AND FINS. The media did not use it. You have to STOP blaming others for what the media chooses to do because people using these things safely doesnt make for interesting news. Fear mongering does. You're basically demanding something impossible here. You want these companies to inform everyone. They've already spoken to pools, they've already sent out letters, they've got info on their packaging, they've got info printed right on the fins, they have info videos, info on their websites, they make facebook posts, they have info papers that come with tails, like I'm sorry. I think they're going above and beyond. It's a use at your own risk toy and they cant be responsible for people not taking the time to learn. If you look at historically what companies did to try to calm the fears about things like snow boarding and skateboarding they don't hold a candle to what these companies have done to promote safety with their monofins and tails. Hell, finis and Mermaid linden's body glove sponsor learn to swim events world wide. I dont ever see any other company for something dangerous involving kids do this kinda stuff. Not hockey related companies (of which there are far more deaths and injuries) that's for sure.


Let me ask you personally... you have been doing this a long time. What do you think the end results are going to be for the pools and beaches that are restricting monofins (all of them) to crowded, designated children's areas only because they are "toys"? A 10 x 20 ft section of beach area where adults with the large monofins are restricted to swim with 30 - 50 children playing with all kinds of "water toys".. does that sound safe to you? And the alternative in places like this? No swimming allowed with monofins, at all... because everyone else has them banned completely.

Personally? I don't like any of those ideas. I am uncomfortable with kids using them during public swim because they get crowded and even a skilled swimmer can hurt someone by accident. I don't use my tails during public swims. And I don't think they are doing it because they are "toys" at all. Long before the kids monofins came it was standard for any kind of fin or mask to not be used in many pools or certain sections of pools or only being used in designated areas. In my opinion you are waaaay too caught up in being offended by the word "toy" and it's making you lose sight of the important issues here. And it's like you didn't read any of the articles I've participated in linked here, or listen to the radio interviews I linked here, because the stuff you're bringing up I ALREADY brought up! (like my concern that kids would be more at risk because they were banned and they'd end up going to areas without lifeguards)


I truly feel for the people of Edmonton who are battling this because I have the same battle happening right here in small town USA, but I don't have any help or support to fight it here. I'm a lonely mer in this area and being told at every turn "no, no, no". I can't afford a pool of my own or I would get one and be done with it. I am disabled and need to swim for my health, but regular swimming is painful and debilitating for me with my disability... so what options does that leave? Let's put it this way... I have been in the water once this yr, a tiny swim school pool where I was crowded out by children after only an hour. There is nowhere else for me to go at this point and it's getting worse instead of better. All of this bad media blaming the fins because they are being marketed as toys... the places enforcing all of these bans are taking notice and using it as their leverage to continue to enforce their own bans and to encourage others to do the same. The problem isn't just in Edmonton, they just happen to be the one place getting the media attention and support from the mer community. Please don't fool yourself... it IS happening, and it IS getting worse. :-(

I'm not sure you realize we're well aware of the bans around the US! The only reason it's a hot topic here in Canada is because the tails finally just started being able to be bought HERE so more people have access to them and it's become a trend. Do you know how many people I've helped or who have posted here on mernetwork because they were banned? Loads! Eden comes to mind. and in the US it's more cities here and there banning them or even just certain pool districts. In canada we now have two provinces (the equivalent to two states) totally ban them. Not a matter of going to another pool... but needing to fly to another province to be able to swim.

Please don't patronize me about not fooling myself. I've been in this community for almost a decade fighting for the rights of mermaids and kids to swim and have their businesses the entire time. On this one battle alone I have personally contributed a huge amount. I personally wrote two books trying to raise the industry standard, along with given workshops and vlogs that focus specifically on safety and liability. Just because you don't see everything from your corner of the world doesn't mean loads isn't being done. You need to separate the issues of adults/professional mermaids and kids. Anybody seriously wanting to be a professional mermaid needs to have insurance. And when you have liability insurance- the pools can't turn you away. They may insist you make a private rental, but insurance is typically the deal breaking in them allowing you to swim. Any adult who wants to do it just recreationally can still find compromises by signing waivers and booking lanes/pool times. You can't act like the bans are totally unfair because they aren't. They're coming from a place of worrying about liability (hence why insurance makes a difference) and worried about the safety of the person (where swim tests and other measures help) and the safety of others (private or designated areas/bookings) coming up with solutions to those concerns are more viable than complaining and threatening companies who make the tails or fins. I just found that whole post patronizing because you basically ignored everything we've done so far and everything that has been achieved.

These companies have everything to lose if pools everywhere ban them. Their market goes down the toilet. So maybe you shoudln't fool yourself into thinking they go quietly and adjust your perspective a bit here. I'm not saying they can't improve- there's always room for improvement. But if you start sending off demands about this or that you're going to come across the wrong way and in doing so misrepresent the community. And right now misrepresentation is what the entire issue is here. We need less of it; not more.

The way to bridge this gap is through education. Educating pools in your area, I know of mers who have sat down and had meetings with their pools to find compromises.

I get you're passionate and you just want the chance to swim in your tail. That's what everyone here wants. But we gotta work WITH the system and we can't approach it like we're totally free of risk or problems. You seem like you're looking for someone to blame when in reality this just became a fad and there's nothing you can do about people buying them in droves. All we can do is move forward and try to educate people every way that we can and build working relationships with the decision makers.

This is why my company works. I sat down with every pool. I got insured. We fleshed out everything. And even before all that- before I was official- when I was just practising in my tail I booked lanes or timeslots or went to places like hotel pools. I'm not just magically allowed in with my tail and swim whenever I want and do whatever I want.

[AniaR]

I really honestly can't wrap my head around why you think not calling it a toy would make a difference. It doesnt change how dangerous it is. It doesnt change the fact that some people will read the safety and some people wont. But it does mean it wont be as subjected to as many safety testings and approvals. And it doesnt change the fact these specific fins are meant for kids for fun, and not for adults, and not for training. Finis makes a line of monofin trainers. They're called: the foil. the wave. the rapid. I dont know why you think this whole issue would be solved if they stopped calling them a toy? i see people blaming the fins because they bind kid's feet together and restrict mobility.

[AniaR]

Here's a little crash course reminder in what we've been able to achieve in a month since the original article came out:

My interview with Calgary Eye Opener (one of the areas that banned tail use at some pools)
http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/Alberta/Calgary+Eyeopener/ID/2667851010/

My interview with Radio Edmonton where the tails were banned:
https://youtu.be/52D2WGIMXPQ

INterview I participated in as a follow up talking about the use of tails as a tool for income:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/mermaid-tails-not-just-for-kids-say-adult-mermaids-1.3084473

Krista Rose gives an interview about the bans:
http://www.dinnertelevision.ca/videos/4274285972001/

Krista files a petition with the city and it's featured on the news:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2027850/mermaid-tails-make-a-splash-with-swimmers-but-some-cities-ban-them-from-pools/

A canadian girl is interviewed about the tail ban:
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Edmonton/ID/2666989623/

Krista's first article about the bans:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2002705/edmonton-woman-launches-petition-after-mermaid-fins-banned-at-city-pools/?hootPostID=688acb188396faf50b50e5252ba85a94

Finfun's letter sent out:
http://www.finfunmermaid.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/fin-fun-responds-to-cbc.pdf

Laura gives an interview about it:
http://www.theprovince.com/technology/Mermaid+tail+makes+flippin+where+allowed/11056715/story.html

I don't have a link but there was also a piece on CTV news on this past Friday night.

Not to mention my blog/status that went viral about it, and all the letters we've sent out to POOLS through the Canadian Mermaids groups. PLus the actual petition Krista was able to make. And the montreal mermaid school - though I can't stand her for other reasons- has been getting LOADS of positive press right now and people are using it as an example of how it can be done safely.


This being in the spotlight is not a BAD things because it forces everyone to consider safety. Loads of activities were banned when they first got popular but through education, demonstration, and hard work... the bans were lifted and safety protocols put into place. The same thing can happen here if the mer community doesnt feed into the hysteria and just continues to be advocates in professional ways.

To follow up on krista, the city of Edmonton offered her a job running a mermaid school which she turned down. They thought it would be safer to tether kids to the side of the pool to learn the mermaid swim. She disagreed (rightfully so) Edmonton bans loads of things. They banned sledding. This is not something they do to single out mermaids, it's Edmonton being Edmonton.

[Merman Chatfish]

Are there any interviews of any "experts" saying why tail swimming is bad?

[Mermaid Alea]

I thought I could add something, but really I just want to say I like the way Raina put it. :p

Mermaiding has been put under a microscope recently-ish(?) and this is probably just one of those things we will have to learn to deal with as it gets more and more popular. Luckily, the popularity might eventually make places give in and allow monofins perhaps only after the person with the fin goes through a swim test, etc. Right now is a turbulent time in the waters as people scratch their heads trying to take it in. For us it makes sense, but for some people it is hard for them to even comprehend wanting to have your legs together when you swim. All of a sudden people with fairly normal lives - a cat, a dog, a car, a job, some friends, maybe a scrapbooking hobby or a model plane hobby - and showing them that there is such a thing as being a mermaid or merman. That is a lot to take in for someone who doesn't really seek out things that are out of the ordinary.

[Mermaid Menanna]

Yes I am passionate, but at the moment I am very frustrated and very angry. I have spent the past 3 yrs here at the forum and various places online, reading, researching, etc. while saving enough money to get my first monofin, and now not only do I need a 2nd one if there is any hope at all for swimming in the lakes this summer AND still finding a way to get to the 1 pool that has said they "may" allow it if it has never been used outdoors, for colder or bad weather swimming, but my 1st one is now sitting on top of my piano collecting dust because I can't find anywhere to swim even to learn HOW to swim in it properly. It has exactly 1 hr's worth of use on it before I was crowded out of the only swim school pool around. Everywhere I try to go I am told the same thing... and they don't want to discuss it, don't want to negotiate. I tried the polite and professional approach, it got me nowhere except sitting here watching my neighbor's kids swimming in their little pool in their backyard.

I did not invest all of this time, energy, and money just to "have fun". I am trying to do this to save my health. At this point I'm not even concerned about whether or not I have a tail skin... I just want to use my fin... somewhere, so I can learn to swim in it and save myself. I can't just pick up and go wherever... I can't travel. So while I am waiting for everyone else to handle this their way, waiting and hoping that the area where I live will follow the positive happening in another country and lift all of these bans, my health is going down the toilet fast. I don't have a lot of options. I have spent the past 7 yrs listening to dr's tell me "start swimming or you're going to die". Normal swimming isn't an option anymore for me, so this monofin is kinda my last hope. If I have to wait another few yrs then I may as well throw it in now because I may not be around in a few more yrs. Nice thought, huh? Not so easy to "stay calm and not get so upset" when you have that haunting you every day as every place you have access to tells you the same crap. Now to be told that I can use it, but only in a dangerous situation that puts me and a bunch of kids at risk? That really helps. Not.

I am not knocking everything that has been accomplished. I am thrilled that progress is being made somewhere, but frustrated and angry that none is being made here where I NEED it.

And just to clarify, my issue with the fins being termed as toys... that has become the latest excuse for the restrictions and bans on them here. Because they are termed as toys that is the reason the beach is giving me for restricting me to a dangerous situation for using my monofin if I go there. Toys are not typically things that can easily kill you if misused, at least not where I come from. The word toy does not offend me and I could care less if someone claims I'm using a toy... that means nothing to me. What bothers me is that it's being used as an excuse to make these situations more dangerous and contribute to the dire situation I am facing here... and it's being used as an excuse to blame the fins for the irresponsibility of parents who don't read safety instructions and take precautions and make sure their children are protected.

I'm getting sick of so many people targeting me with their messages and tagging me in all of those awful videos, trying to prove their point to me... that this is too dangerous for me to be doing and shame on me for promoting it in any way by attempting to do it or defend it. Apparently, wanting to save myself, my health, using a monofin, just shouldn't be allowed by other people's standards, and being a lone mer in this area has made me something of a target for all of the controversy. I feel like I am fighting a losing battle and if I can't find some way to win it for myself, my only other option is to just sit here and wait to die.

So yes, I am getting aggressive in my fight, grasping at straws... because I am almost to the point now where I have nothing left to hang onto. For me this is turning into a life or death situation that I MUST take seriously and fight for as much and as hard as I can. What else am I supposed to do?

[Echidna]

Do as others have:
book lanes. Book time-slots. Go to hotel pools.
Sit with the pool managers and explain.
If you manage to go at times when it's not overly crowded, some pools will alow fins.

It sucks, but this is what all of us have to do unless we're swimming in money and can build a private pool :(

There are very few pools here that allow fins, and only if it isn't crowded.
It's hellishly inconvenient, especially if one is dependent on swimming for health reasons.
I am, but explaining that (and even bringing a physician's testimony) has done squat for me.
I have to find a time when the pool isn't crowded (or book a lane), or I can pack up my fins and tail and sod off.

[Mer-Crazy]

Question, just a genuine question because I'm from Australia and I don't know how American beaches work.

How can the beach tell you where you can or cannot swim? Is it a private beach or something? I mean all the beaches here are public beaches and I can do pretty much whatever the hell I want there. I mean it's 'recommended' I swim between the flags... But if I don't want to I don't have to. So long as I'm not breaking the law I can swim wherever I want, with whatever I want.

[Mermaid Menanna]

Do as others have:
book lanes. Book time-slots. Go to hotel pools.
Sit with the pool managers and explain.
If you manage to go at times when it's not overly crowded, some pools will alow fins.

It sucks, but this is what all of us have to do unless we're swimming in money and can build a private pool :(

There are very few pools here that allow fins, and only if it isn't crowded.
It's hellishly inconvenient, especially if one is dependent on swimming for health reasons.
I am, but explaining that (and even bringing a physician's testimony) has done squat for me.
I have to find a time when the pool isn't crowded (or book a lane), or I can pack up my fins and tail and sod off.

Booking lanes won't matter, they don't allow the fins in the pools, at any time. I have thus far found 1 pool that says they "may" allow my fin under the condition it has never been used outdoors, but the only times I'd be able to swim are during their family swim hours and that is impossible for me to get there at this point. Hotel pools... I have found 1 hotel in the area with a pool and they have said no pool use unless I am booking a room and staying at the hotel. I have offered to sign a waiver but was told their pool is for "hotel guests only".
I don't get to pick and choose what hours I can go swimming. I am home bound, can't drive to get myself anywhere. I have to rely on the times when my husband isn't at work so he can take me, which leaves me only weekends. There are no buses where I live and I can't afford taxi service. Booking lanes at the one pool that has agreed to let me use the fin is expensive (they only "book" for things such as parties, in which case you have to pay to rent the entire pool) I have been through all of this with them already. The decision over whether or not to allow my fin at all was left to their maintenance man and he was very specific... his pool, his rules, no exceptions, and he was not willing to negotiate. He was quite rude about it. You would have thought I had asked him to cut off his left arm or something... <sigh>
I had thought I finally found a beach until they told me about their restrictions to their children's area, which I know just isn't safe. When I tried to explain my safety concerns to them they stopped communicating with me completely.

[Mermaid Menanna]

Question, just a genuine question because I'm from Australia and I don't know how American beaches work.

How can the beach tell you where you can or cannot swim? Is it a private beach or something? I mean all the beaches here are public beaches and I can do pretty much whatever the hell I want there. I mean it's 'recommended' I swim between the flags... But if I don't want to I don't have to. So long as I'm not breaking the law I can swim wherever I want, with whatever I want.

Most of the beaches here where I live are regulated, in spite of being "public". They charge admission fees, are fenced off, usually run by the city park system, and they have specific rules that they enforce avidly. Thus far I have only found a few beaches that are pubic and not regulated so strictly, no lifeguards, etc. but they are all at least an hour or more drive away. They are also deeper lakes so the water temps are still too cold for swimming. With the weather we have been having, there may be very little chance to swim in those this year just because of the weather & water temp issues.

[Yulia]

"They charge admission fees"

For me that is so odd. Like crazy stupid.

[PearlieMae]

Most of the beaches here where I live are regulated, in spite of being "public". They charge admission fees, are fenced off, usually run by the city park system, and they have specific rules that they enforce avidly. Thus far I have only found a few beaches that are pubic and not regulated so strictly, no lifeguards, etc. but they are all at least an hour or more drive away. They are also deeper lakes so the water temps are still too cold for swimming. With the weather we have been having, there may be very little chance to swim in those this year just because of the weather & water temp issues.

In New Jersey, they charge you to go to the edge of the freakin' country! Every inch of beachfront is spoken for, and every beachfront township has some sort of pay system where you have to buy a pass to get onto the beach. Even the federal parks, where they are supposed to be free, charge you to park! Oh, if you want to find a place to park on the street outside the park, you still have to haul all your stuff at least a mile or two into the park to get to one of the beaches where you can swim...and even those beaches are regulated because there is protected species and dunes, you can only swim in lifeguard protected areas, and separate areas to fish (which you need to buy a license to do). I understand that these beach communities need to earn their seasonal income (not to mention how densely populated this area is - NYC metro), and the parks department isn't really high on being supplied with federal funding, I just hate that everyone has their hand in my pocket at every turn!

I JUST WANT TO SWIM!

---

Also, Raina, in the US, toys are safety regulated pretty strictly, and when something is called a 'toy', it's assumed that it's safe (i.e. "idiotproof"). If it were called 'swim equipment', the innocuous nature of being a 'toy' is removed and the perception is that it might not be appropriate for just anybody. Here's a correlation: The scene in Finding Nemo, where Marlin wants Nemo to play on the sponge beds with the babies (the sponges bed being a metaphor for toys), whereas Nemo wants to go hang with the bigger kids in the 'playground' area, where the corals and stuff could be considered 'playground equipment'.

Yeah, it's a fine line, but in so much stuff these days, perception is everything.

[SeaGlass Siren]

Also, Raina, in the US, toys are safety regulated pretty strictly, and when something is called a 'toy', it's assumed that it's safe (i.e. "idiotproof"). If it were called 'swim equipment', the innocuous nature of being a 'toy' is removed and the perception is that it might not be appropriate for just anybody. Here's a correlation: The scene in Finding Nemo, where Marlin wants Nemo to play on the sponge beds with the babies (the sponges bed being a metaphor for toys), whereas Nemo wants to go hang with the bigger kids in the 'playground' area, where the corals and stuff could be considered 'playground equipment'.

Yeah, it's a fine line, but in so much stuff these days, perception is everything.

^ THAT. i couldnt find the right words to say it. you basically summed up what i wanted to say.

[Fifi Tigg]

Wow, I will never take our Aussie beaches for granted ever again! We are free to swim where ever we like. :cool:

[PearlieMae]

Wow, I will never take our Aussie beaches for granted ever again! We are free to swim where ever we like. :cool:

You better have a place I can set up a cot, Fifi....I'm on my way!

[Talia]

Question, just a genuine question because I'm from Australia and I don't know how American beaches work.

How can the beach tell you where you can or cannot swim? Is it a private beach or something? I mean all the beaches here are public beaches and I can do pretty much whatever the hell I want there. I mean it's 'recommended' I swim between the flags... But if I don't want to I don't have to. So long as I'm not breaking the law I can swim wherever I want, with whatever I want.

Here in Spain is like you said too. We have lifeguards patrolling, and we have a flag code to determine if the sea is safe to swim or not - red flag is the worst, and usually entails strong currents and winds, so they really don't recommend that you enter the water in such circunstances, but they cannot stop you if you do it; you just do it under your own responsibility (you don't get to sue the city if something bad happens to you).

I wonder if different US states have different regulations for beaches. When I went to Virginia Beach it was mostly lifeguards patrolling, but no fences, no rules, no hours (you could go during the night if you wanted), and certainly no fees. Can someone comment on that?

[SeaGlass Siren]

i know here in toronto they set up a floating line and you cant go past it, and boats (small or large) can't enter it.

[PearlieMae]

In the States, the beaches are regulated by the beachfront towns and the particular state.

It's all bout money and potential litigation. Everyone wants to sue someone here.

[Yulia]

You guys are all welcome here, with the fabulous ALLEMANSRÄTTEN.

[AniaR]

In ns we swim wherever we want lol

[Echidna]

If it were feasible, I'd say we pick up Dan's idea and all buy a tropical island together.

Sadly, making a living there would be a huge problem (growing one's own stuff is physically demanding, and many mers have health issues).

About the only time a wish I had lots of money :p

[PearlieMae]

In ns we swim wherever we want lol

Yeah, when you can chop through the ice! :D

[AniaR]

We just coat ourselves in maple syrup it keeps us warm

[PearlieMae]

Mmmmm! Maple syrup! :shark:

[Triton-Mahtlinnie]

It isn't super regulated across the whole US. Here in Seattle, it is legal to swim anywhere you want as long as you are not more than 50 yards from shore. (to go further out, you must be accompanied by a boat). There are lifeguarded beaches (which do restrict "toys" like swim fins to the shallow area) but they are free to use, and no one is obligated to use them.

The only exception is areas marked "no swimming" either due to contaminated sediment, privately owned waterfront, or busy shipping lanes. (not that this stops people from swimming in the shipping lanes, but some people have no sense of self-preservation)

[Mermaid Menanna]

In New Jersey, they charge you to go to the edge of the freakin' country! Every inch of beachfront is spoken for, and every beachfront township has some sort of pay system where you have to buy a pass to get onto the beach. Even the federal parks, where they are supposed to be free, charge you to park! Oh, if you want to find a place to park on the street outside the park, you still have to haul all your stuff at least a mile or two into the park to get to one of the beaches where you can swim...and even those beaches are regulated because there is protected species and dunes, you can only swim in lifeguard protected areas, and separate areas to fish (which you need to buy a license to do). I understand that these beach communities need to earn their seasonal income (not to mention how densely populated this area is - NYC metro), and the parks department isn't really high on being supplied with federal funding, I just hate that everyone has their hand in my pocket at every turn!

I JUST WANT TO SWIM!

---

Also, Raina, in the US, toys are safety regulated pretty strictly, and when something is called a 'toy', it's assumed that it's safe (i.e. "idiotproof"). If it were called 'swim equipment', the innocuous nature of being a 'toy' is removed and the perception is that it might not be appropriate for just anybody. Here's a correlation: The scene in Finding Nemo, where Marlin wants Nemo to play on the sponge beds with the babies (the sponges bed being a metaphor for toys), whereas Nemo wants to go hang with the bigger kids in the 'playground' area, where the corals and stuff could be considered 'playground equipment'.

Yeah, it's a fine line, but in so much stuff these days, perception is everything.

Thank you PearlieMae, this echos what I have been trying to explain... all of it. Where I live we have MANY lakes, rivers, etc. but 90% of it is all private owned property, including the water access. Very few places allow the public water access, and those that do, most of them are strictly regulated, fenced, and admission charged. If they say no it means no, and they don't negotiate. Indoor pools are hard to find. I think I have found 4 or 5 total within an hour of my home. Of them, only the one with the really screwy hours will consider allowing my fin (along with that swim school pool that charges $10/person for 2 hrs and it's over crowded with small children) If I had the ability to get to the one near me at 5 - 6am on weekday mornings I could probably get a lane to swim in, but I don't have anyway to get there then (not to mention trying to swim while half asleep, lol). It isn't just the pools that are difficult with the hours either... even our grocery stores close early. In this town, by 8 - 9pm on any night of the week, everything is pretty much closed and people are home for the night. The only exceptions are 1 of the 2 gas stations we have, and the strip club in our small downtown area. Most stuff closes at 3pm, and it's considered "open late" if it's open until 7 - 8pm.

Location is everything and some places are beyond ridiculous. And PearlieMae, you said it well when you mentioned it being all about money. If you're not wealthy you have very few options anymore.

And I can't thank you enough for the way you explained about fins being considered "toys". I guess I did a poor job of explaining it, but you're right, perception IS everything. The word "toy" here is taken to mean safe, even if misused. If someone, especially a child, gets injured or finds a safety risk involving a "toy" it is quickly taken off of store shelves and either banned or more regulations are put in place. Sporting equipment, on the other hand, is different in it's regulations and the perception upon buying/using it is that there is some level of risk involved. When a "toy" is deemed dangerous or unsafe there are parenting groups all across the country who rally against them and usually win. They don't ask for more safety warnings and such, they ask for total bans. Sometimes they don't ask, they demand. They rally every politician they can find and have waves of support for their causes. So terming a fin as a toy presents MANY issues here in the States.

[Mer-Crazy]

America makes me laugh. To the laaaand of the freeeee! But if you wanna go in the water you're gonna have to pay!

[Mermaid Menanna]

America makes me laugh. To the laaaand of the freeeee! But if you wanna go in the water you're gonna have to pay!

The only things free anymore in this country are as follows:
We are free to pay our taxes, free to do/live as others dictate, and free to go to jail for any little thing. There is a lot of misconception about the word "freedom". Everything is free as long as you pay for it and someone else says it's ok. Our "free" public school system is no different... it used to cost me at least $300 - $500/yr for my youngest daughter to attend "free public school", which btw, is considering that attending school is mandatory. And then we are told to be grateful because it's free, grateful because we live in a country where we are free. Uh huh. Freedom was lost in this country way back when the first settlers came here and committed genocide against the Native people.

[Mermaid Wesley]

California is mostly free beaches. Actually the only beach that I can think of that ISNT free is this one by me that you need a membership for and its super exclusive. some beaches have perking fees but if you walk there its free.

[Mermaid Menanna]

It's much easier to find free beaches in coastal areas than it is inland...

[Ciriun]

And I can't thank you enough for the way you explained about fins being considered "toys". I guess I did a poor job of explaining it, but you're right, perception IS everything. The word "toy" here is taken to mean safe, even if misused. If someone, especially a child, gets injured or finds a safety risk involving a "toy" it is quickly taken off of store shelves and either banned or more regulations are put in place. Sporting equipment, on the other hand, is different in it's regulations and the perception upon buying/using it is that there is some level of risk involved. When a "toy" is deemed dangerous or unsafe there are parenting groups all across the country who rally against them and usually win. They don't ask for more safety warnings and such, they ask for total bans. Sometimes they don't ask, they demand. They rally every politician they can find and have waves of support for their causes. So terming a fin as a toy presents MANY issues here in the States.

This just became a big problem for me. My apartment complex had been allowing basically anything in the pool and had no issue with my fin the first two times I used it. Went to the pool today and found out that all "toys" are now banned. :( I talked with someone at the office about it (I'll admit, I cried a little even though I tried hard not to), and she said she would talk to someone higher up but to not get my hopes up.

Apparently what happened was some kid who couldn't swim well tried to retrieve a pool noodle from the deep end and... got stuck under it somehow? And needed to be rescued by a lifeguard. And this was the second toy related incident. So now there are mandatory swimming tests for kids under 18, a rope at the shallow end, and all kids have to wear color-coded bracelets to show if they can swim or not, and also the "toy" ban. I'm hoping I'll be able to work something out so I can still use my fin and someday a tail, but if needed I can look for other, more lenient pools in the area. Any advice for how to deal with this would be really appreciated.

[Mermaid Alea]

Maybe you could offer to do a swim test in your monofin to show them that you are a good swimmer even with the monofin on? Then you can show them how quickly you can take the monofin off in the water. It would be fair because you proved you can swim safely with the monofin and if someone thinks it is unfair that you get to have a monofin but other people can't have a pool toy or something then they can just do the same thing you did by showing they can safely use a pool toy.

To me it sounds like all the new rules are good except for the toy thing. For a kid who is not a good swimmer a pool noodle would be helpful in keeping them afloat. The wristband, test, and rope thing will help prevent another incident but I don't see how banning pool toys would help much.

Anyways I hope you can work something out with the local pool. If not I hope you have luck elsewhere. ;)

[Ciriun]

Thank you Mermaid Alea. I have offered to take a swim test, though I'm a little uncertain since I've only used the fin twice so far. I absolutely agree with all of the other rules, but they make the toy ban even more ridiculous. There is this stupid attitude that if an accident happens involving a toy, the toy is at fault. Also part of it is almost certainly a liability issue.

[Seatan]

Thank you Mermaid Alea. I have offered to take a swim test, though I'm a little uncertain since I've only used the fin twice so far. I absolutely agree with all of the other rules, but they make the toy ban even more ridiculous. There is this stupid attitude that if an accident happens involving a toy, the toy is at fault. Also part of it is almost certainly a liability issue.

Do they have a separate time for lap swimming? My local pool doesn't allow fins during "open swim" when you can swim all over the pool but allows you to use them in your lap lane. It limits you some but you can still get a lot of practice! This way there are a limited number of people in the pool and they are not crossing each other's paths--I think that is why they allow it then and not during open swim.

also how the hell do you get stuck under a pool noodle?!?!

[Ciriun]

Do they have a separate time for lap swimming? My local pool doesn't allow fins during "open swim" when you can swim all over the pool but allows you to use them in your lap lane. It limits you some but you can still get a lot of practice! This way there are a limited number of people in the pool and they are not crossing each other's paths--I think that is why they allow it then and not during open swim.

also how the hell do you get stuck under a pool noodle?!?!

I think they do, I've never tried it before since I'm a very slow swimmer who never got the hang of rotary breathing. I wasn't sure if you had to be able to achieve a certain speed for laps or not.

And yeah, the pool noodle story sounds unbelievable, but that is the jist of what I was told. It is possible she meant the child got stuck under the dividing line between the shallow and deep end while pursuing the noodle, but then the noodle is still not at fault.

[AniaR]

did a vlog on the topic in my tutorial style


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTifKTq4B8E

[seakaren]

Ugh, I'm so sorry that so many mers are dealing with unreasonable pool management. My pool has been lovely. Fins aren't allowed in rec swim but they're totally fine in the lane, and the lifeguards have been sweet and interested. If/when I get a tail they'll be used to me and I don't think it will be a problem. I want to work with them to develop a swim test and general fin/tail policy for the time when it's not just me and my kid with fins/tails, but I posted about that on the other thread.

[Nerdmaid Faith]

Hi friends!
If you didn't know, I am a lifeguard, swim teacher and avid mermaid that resides in Vancouver Canada.
I have spent this afternoon reading up on things (especially this thread) as I have been thinking about some of the credibility of mermaid schools, with thoughts on teaching my own classes. But that is all very far in the future, since I really want to be more qualified like Mermaid Kat who has a bevy of freediving certifications and other merfolk like Raina who have credentials in childhood development. It's kind of a thing in the aquatic industry to collect certifications haha. Anyways, I sent off an email to Red Cross with an inquiry about their thoughts on mermaid tails and if there would be a national policy coming out. Here is their reply:

"Thank-you for getting in touch with us about mermaid tails. They are quite the hot topic right now in the aquatic industry. We are in the process of writing up an official blurb about our stance on mermaid tails which will be posted with our new Health and Safety tip sheet in the New Year.

There is no specific standard nationally for the use of a mermaid tail or monofin. Each municipality will typically have guidelines regarding their use. Our general view is that mermaid tails can be fun for both kids and adults as long as the user is appropriately experienced and properly supervised as they can be dangerous if used incorrectly. We strongly recommend anyone interested in using them to contact their local facility to see if they offer mermaid tail classes.

You should see something included in the newsletter about mermaid tails soon.

Thanks again!

Lesley Anne Morley
Swimming and Water Safety Program Support Representative
Prevention and Safety "

So they don't seem to have the specific swimming skills laid out for people to know unlike my own policies which I have based off of a combination of Red Cross level 5, Mahina and FinFun standards. I'm a "better safe than sorry" gal and was wondering what your guys thoughts are. Also is anyone else lifeguard certified?

[AniaR]

Yeah this thread is a little old, there's a few more updated threads where we've discussed more recent developments. I am actually working with the life saving society right now in Canada on determining standards for mermaid swimming/classes :)

I'll see if I can track down the other more recent/up to date threads.real

Really awesome that you spoke to the Red Cross!

[Nerdmaid Faith]

Yeah this thread is a little old, there's a few more updated threads where we've discussed more recent developments. I am actually working with the life saving society right now in Canada on determining standards for mermaid swimming/classes :)

That's so awesome! I haven't seen anything from them yet but I'm so stoked to see what the standards are! Are there any more current update threads?

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