Altering Fin Fun Tails?

[Mermaid Claudia]

Hey all!

I'm sorry if this isn't the right place for this but after looking around I couldn't really find what seemed like the best place for this question....

Has anyone tried to alter a Fin Fun tail, or any commercial tailskin in general? I'd really like to add some more flowy bits to my red tail to look more like side fins, pectoral fins, etc. to get a little closer to my dream tail, but I haven't really seen anyone do this before so I'm not sure if this is a good or bad idea...
If I were to cut into it and try to sew new bits on would it ruin the structure of my tailskin? I'd hate to do a whole bunch of work on it then put it in the water to realize it's no longer swimmable or wonky in the water... :C

[PhaylennMurúch]

you'll be fine. I've seen people add flowy bits to their tailskins and they're fine

[Merman Storm]

I replaced the fin in the Fin Fun monofin with a stiffer one made from polycarbonate. It gives better propulsion.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I replaced the fluke on mine so I could use another brand of monofin.

[Mermaid Claudia]

@Merman Storm True... I might give that a shot some time, because I WOULD like more propulsion, but I really like how well the finfun monofin flows in the water... Maybe I can use a stiffer fin for rec swimming and use the regular one for photos and parties :D

[Serena Sydney]

Im sequining my fin fun tail and adding foam/cloth fins i made and maybe the actual tail to take away the knee.

[Dancing Fish]

I regularly patch the wear spots on my daughter's fluke tips with long dangly flowy bits. :). And I like to add a wider elastic waistband too. I plan to add some silicone hip fins to mine, too.

[Sophia Marie]

I've been thinking of altering my Fin Fun firstly by making it smaller as its too big for me and comes down when I swim. So I'm going to take mine to a seamstress to take in as I don't own a sewing machine. I'd love to add extra find to mine, but wouldn't know what material to use that wouldn't fray too quickly. Would also love a dorsal too. Can anyone tell me what kind of material they use to add fins etc?


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[Mermaid Jaffa]

I've been thinking of altering my Fin Fun firstly by making it smaller as its too big for me and comes down when I swim. So I'm going to take mine to a seamstress to take in as I don't own a sewing machine. I'd love to add extra find to mine, but wouldn't know what material to use that wouldn't fray too quickly. Would also love a dorsal too. Can anyone tell me what kind of material they use to add fins etc?


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I use swimwear fabric to make my fins. While you're at the seamstress, ask her to put in an elastic waistband. Its helps in keeping the tail on when you're swimming fast.

[Sophia Marie]

I wonder why Fin Fun hasn't by now offered to make side fins and a dorsal fin already on their tail skins? Might have to ask them.


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[Mermaid Jaffa]

Too many fins might be too heavy for the kids to swim in.

[Mermaid Claudia]

What sort of fabric have you guys used? I'd like to use a slightly sheer fabric for fins but I'm not sure how well that would hold up in chlorine...

[Mermaid Jaffa]

What sort of fabric have you guys used? I'd like to use a slightly sheer fabric for fins but I'm not sure how well that would hold up in chlorine...
I use swimwear fabric for all my fins. I found other types of fabric don't longer than 3 or 4 swims. Even with the special wetsuit wash that I soak the tail in. Non swimwear fabric breaks down faster than swimwear stuff.

[Merman Storm]

I added a elastic waistband to my Fin Fun tail. The results were very good. I'm use to having to pull tails back up every few minutes. (My measurements from my butt-line up are all about the same. I don't really have a narrow spot to hold the tail in place. I need to rely on friction.) With the waistband, the tail stayed in place for my entire swim, even when I pushed off the side of the pool and swam hard, in an attempt to make it slip.
36355

[Ciriun]

I think I may have asked this before somewhere else, but has anyone tried painting on a Fin Fun tail? I kind of want to take a green mermaiden tail and try to get it to look a little bit like my avatar, with the blue fade for the top half.

[Mermaid Alea]

I added a elastic waistband to my Fin Fun tail. The results were very good. I'm use to having to pull tails back up every few minutes. (My measurements from my butt-line up are all about the same. I don't really have a narrow spot to hold the tail in place. I need to rely on friction.) With the waistband, the tail stayed in place for my entire swim, even when I pushed off the side of the pool and swam hard, in an attempt to make it slip.
36355

I like how wide your waistband is and it looks very inconspicuous from the outside of the tail. Great job! I should probably ad one like that to my tail.


I think I may have asked this before somewhere else, but has anyone tried painting on a Fin Fun tail? I kind of want to take a green mermaiden tail and try to get it to look a little bit like my avatar, with the blue fade for the top half.

I haven't tried painting on a Fin Fun tail, but I am sure it is the same as painting a homemade fabric tail. You can use Lumiere fabric paint on the fabric which is a very beautiful paint because it is shimmery looking - it reminds me of Pearl Ex pigments that people use to color silicone. Here is where I got mine at: http://www.dickblick.com/products/jacquard-lumiere-acrylics/?AID=11424558&PID=3180309&SID=b-jacquard-lumiere-colors&Ref=CJ&source=affiliate&CID=2501290&Publisher=Colin+Harbut&Blick_affiliate=2501290
Here the topic where I first saw this type of paint being used on a fabric tail - http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?2548-First-time-tailmaking-Jade-s-attempt/page2

[swordwhale]

are you using that thin craft foam? I'm familiar with it from crafts stores... "thin" is actually about 1/8". I imagine that would make a neat stiffener, yet still flexible, for extra fins.