Kinda rambly monofin swimming experience

[Saren]

I'm honestly just rambling here and wanted to get it off my chest, especially if other mers are feeling or have felt the same way.

On my mermaid journey I'm trying to go as slow as possible. That way if it turns out I don't want to do it anymore or don't like it or whatever I can turn back and not have huge losses on my hands.

I've only been swimming in my foil monofin a few weeks, in water that doesn't get much deeper than 6' just in the very middle. I'm only allowed to swim in the lap lane. So this has gotten a bit repetitive and boring for me.

The indoor pool in my area is opening up, with a nice 12' deep end I can swim in as part of the lap lane. I don't know if that'll help.

It's just really strange. Sometimes when I'm swimming, especially if it's surface, it's a struggle. it's not fun, it's just a means to an end. But when I'm underwater...and I pause and look around when I slow down and glide through...and when I turn over and look up. it's the best. I just wish I could at least hold my breath for five minutes or something so i can enjoy that moment even more.

But I can't hold my breath for long if I've been swimming...something I'm slowly and safely working on outside the water, but at best I can get a minute.

I also I'm scared of just sitting in the water; we have a no breath-holding rule at the pool and I'm afraid if I'm caught pausing like that they'll think I'm drowning, breaking that rule, or worse and have me not use my monofin in the pool anymore.

While I won't be the first mermaid in Japan (Hannah or Melissa has performed here, there is a Japanese mer with a fabric tail doing pool parties and modeling, and there's a mermaid school in okinawa along with a photography business in Kobe), I will be the first on this base and in the area.

I think that if I got my tail most likely the ball would start rolling and I'd have more and more fun and do more things...but I don't want to be wrong and hate it later.

I love what mermaiding is about. I love the water and I love swimming. I love the power a monofin gives me and the ability it gives me to stay under even for a bit longer. Will stronger monofins/more powerful tails do this too?

Ahhhhhh......sorry for the babble. I don't get much support from my IRL humans...and I figured if anyone would understand this water girls blather it would be other mermaids.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Yes.
And there is nothing wrong with practicing in shallow water. Myself I only started swimming in the deep end, 2.08m depth, recently, after I moved house. So I practiced for a year in waist deep water with monofin only, though I did make my first tail back then I didn't wear it often as it felt heavy and felt like sinking! It will get better with practice. I now have lots of fun whenever I tail swim and dive deep. Its so relaxing underwater, away from the noise and screaming kids! I wish I can hold my breath longer too. I started with 5 secs breath hold, and am now up to around 30secs.

As for the pausing underwater, I just tell them I'm exploring a cave... Or diving for money.

[Saren]

Yes.

And there is nothing wrong with practicing in shallow water. Myself I only started swimming in the deep end, 2.08m depth, recently, after I moved house. So I practiced for a year in waist deep water with monofin only, though I did make my first tail back then I didn't wear it often as it felt heavy and felt like sinking! It will get better with practice. I now have lots of fun whenever I tail swim and dive deep. Its so relaxing underwater, away from the noise and screaming kids! I wish I can hold my breath longer too. I started with 5 secs breath hold, and am now up to around 30secs.

As for the pausing underwater, I just tell them I'm exploring a cave... Or diving for money.

Sadly they're crazy strict here. Being cute like that won't be funny or amusing to them. I was just treading water one day and I had one lifeguard panic and run over asking if I was ok and needed help. My monfin was touching the bottom I literally was only exerting enough energy to remain balanced.

I don't blame them, parents here are very irresponsible with their kids and pass their bad judgments to their kids, and since half the time the life-guards think I'm 12-16 (I'm 23) I guess that doesn't help either.

My biggest fear is being the person that gets monofins or tails banned at the pool, because if the lifeguards even THINK I can be a danger to myself or something along those lines, then monofins and tails could possibly be banned on all bases. Absolute worst case scenario, but it's something that I think about when I feel I've been under too long, or if I think I may look like I'm struggling to put on/take off my monofin.

[suzanne86]

Your story is similar to mine, except I don't have a problem with the situation--I just accept it as it is and am glad for it. I love monofin swimming, and don't mind swimming on the surface. I swim at a YMCA pool during lap swimming time, and no breath-holding, apnea, or beneath the surface swimming are allowed. I just love working out with the monofin--I start out using a kickboard and vary the hand grips--streamline position with head in the water; resistance grip using the kickboard as a bulldozer blade; streamline position with head high; and wrists crossed on the board with head high. Back kicking with arms in the streamline position and by the sides of the thighs are other variations. After I do all this stuff, THEN I do the monofin swim sets. It never gets boring! And I sing my favorite songs to myself as I do my kick and swim sets. Maintain a positive attitude, and the workouts just go great. :-)

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Worst case, just do surface swimming like suzanne86 said, and a snorkel, so you can do your laps without breath holding.

[Saren]

Snorkels are considered diving equipment and aren't allowed in the pools. niether are floaties, pool toys, etc. If a kid wants/needs a floatie they have to wear the life jacket ones the lifegaurds provide.

But I did talk to the director today and she's on the fence of me swimming in a tail. She says if I'm serious about swimming in a tail she'll think more about it. I'm hoping to prove I can be responsible in a tail to show her. We'll see after today's swim.

And you guys are right...maybe I am looking at it the wrong way.

[suzanne86]

As long as the pool folks are O.K. with monofin swimming, that's cool. Being O.K. with the tail would be an extra bonus. The important thing is to continue working out with the monofin--the tail is an aesthetic and psychological extra. :-) Good luck!

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Just tell them to think of all the extra customers, when people find out there is a mermaid swimming there.

[Saren]

Just tell them to think of all the extra customers, when people find out there is a mermaid swimming there.

Since it's a base pool, the pool is free to everyone on base, even visitors as long as their escorted. So "customers" doesn't really matter to them. They make the same amount of money whether or not the pool is full of people or completely empty.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Oh. Are there no places to swim outside? Like a nice beach?

[Saren]

Oh. Are there no places to swim outside? Like a nice beach?

The closest beach is an hour away by train which would cost $20 round trip, and it's too cold right now, and it's jelly-fish season. I do plan on going to one of the southern isles to swim this december where it's warmer and the water much more pleasant to swim in, but I have to save up for that.

The only places that are feasible to swim are pools at the moment, and only ones on base. i don't speak Japanese so speaking with any off base pools is out of the question.

I did talk to the director and she's willing to hear me out on swimming with a tail later on, and now that the indoor pool is open I have more fun swimming there since there's more space.

[Mermaid Alea]

To be honest, I feel like I can stay under longer when there is something to look at under water. My Grandma's pool I quickly realized is too small to swim in because it isn't long before I swim to the other side and that gets boring. The college Olympic size pool is better for tail swimming, but like I said when you are staring at a wide expanse of concrete or tile it doesn't make for very motivational scenery. When I went swimming in a spring over the summer I felt so much more free and I didn't really notice having an issue with not being able to stay under long enough. There was so much to see and I could do lots of fish watching and scuba diver following and it made it much easier to stay under. I guess it has to do with getting your mind off of the need for oxygen. It sounds like you don't have a local mer friend. I don't have one either but I suspect swimming in a pool with another mer helps as well.

I have never swam in a foil, but they are supposed to take more effort to swim in then say a finis wave or rapid since they are more floppy then stiff.

[Saren]

It sounds like you don't have a local mer friend. I don't have one either but I suspect swimming in a pool with another mer helps as well.

Yeah I don't. :( Turns out there are Japanese mers, but it's hard getting in touch with them, and I don't know where they are. They could be far south which makes visiting very difficult and expensive. I either swim with my husband, which is fun, or I swim alone.

[AptaMer]

Hi Fayrn,

You mentioned that you want to improve your breathholding ability, and like being underwater as much as you want, even if it's just with your monofin rather than a tail.

One way to get breathhold training in a safe environment is with a freediving club with proper AIDA training programs.

You might consider contacting the Japan Apnea Society ( http://aida-japan.com/ ) to see if there are any clubs near enough for you to go out to pool nights.

I found this video about freediving training in Japan very inspiring.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUV7zFKRGHc

[Saren]

Hi Fayrn,

You mentioned that you want to improve your breathholding ability, and like being underwater as much as you want, even if it's just with your monofin rather than a tail.

One way to get breathhold training in a safe environment is with a freediving club with proper AIDA training programs.

You might consider contacting the Japan Apnea Society ( http://aida-japan.com/ ) to see if there are any clubs near enough for you to go out to pool nights.

I found this video about freediving training in Japan very inspiring.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUV7zFKRGHc

Did it hurt when you fell from heaven? Because you're an ANGEL! Thank you! This is the kind of info I've been wanting!!! Ugh this is awesome! They're programs don't even take that long and that video was great!

Thank you so so so so much!!!

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