Honey, I'm home! FINALLY looking for a tailmaker with a few requirements. Help!

[Mermaid Whisper]

Hey all! I've been off the forum for a few months while getting my life together. Well, I left my awful job, got a new one this spring, got my learner's permit, saved a good bit, and went to Disney World and met Ariel (more on that later).

Today, I asked my dad (who pretty much controls my life, since I'm disabled and living with him for now) if my money was actually MY money, because sometimes it isn't. I asked if I could spend it any way I wanted, particularly on something I've been waiting for for ten years. He said as long as I don't need anything (which I don't!) I could do it, so I'm finally, FINALLY getting a tail after being on MerNetwork since 2012 and loving mermaids since 2005.

The only problem is that I'm so out of the loop for tailmakers right now since it's been so long...who would you recommend for these needs:

$160 (shipping included) or less
Size 20W (plus sizes) in bottoms
Size 11W in shoes (women's)
Fully swimmable, monofin included


If you've got someone, I'd love a link to their site. Thank you!

[Mermaid Whisper]

Also, how does one go about swimming when they wear contact lenses? Can I keep my contacts in? Thanks!

[Yoshiro Trance]

Go Fin Fun. Their tails are good, cheap, and a great start. As for the contact lenses, i recommend you not, as with salt water, it can cause quite the sting. Maybe in pools, but i don't wear contacts myself.

[Mermaid Arabella]

Just an FYI, if you go with FinFun, you'll need to request a custom tail, as their standard tails only go up to a women's US size 14. Their website says "Custom tails starting at 94.95" but I don't know what it would go "up to" and I don't know whether or not that includes the monofin ($59.95).

Frankly, you're going to have to request a custom size just about anywhere. I would suggest researching which monofin you'd like. You can then order a custom sized tail from retailer with that monofin, or get your monofin and find someone here on mernetwork or on etsy to custom-make you a tail - which usually has the added benefit of more fabric choices and other customization options, if you have the budget for it.

Good luck, and happy swimming! :)

ETA: I would not recommend swimming with contacts in (assuming you mean swimming with your eyes open underwater). There's a very high possibility of losing one/both in the water, plus salt or chlorine will absolutely burn. I'd recommend taking them out and/or wearing goggles.

[Mermaid Whisper]

FinFun it is! I just placed an order for a custom tail, used a quick lil coupon, and was able to get a deal for free shipping...all for $164.90!

I'm so excited for my first tail to come. Thanks everyone!

[Mermaid Jaffa]

You can buy prescription swimming goggles now. Its not like 20 yrs ago where if you wanted to swim, you had to go blind or miss out.

I'm using this one. http://www.eyeline.com.au/Shop/Product.aspx?pid=EYPQC_&cid=121 Because my eyesight hasn't changed in a few years. Goggles like this are more affordable if your pocket isn't deep.

If you need goggles where your eyesight changes every year, I'd recommend the Sportviz goggles. You just need to buy the goggle and the insert seperately. The inzert as they call them, is removable from the goggle frame. This brand, I had to custom order the insert as my eye powers are pretty high. Not the kind that you can order over the counter. Depending on your eye power, the insert price can range from cheap to expensive. Just have to email them your script and find out.
http://www.sportviz.com/inc/sdetail/aquaviz_ots_core/129

Overall, I'm pretty sure your country has similar types and brands. These are just what is available to me in Australia, that has my prescription ranges.

[Mermaid Arabella]

FinFun it is! I just placed an order for a custom tail, used a quick lil coupon, and was able to get a deal for free shipping...all for $164.90!

I'm so excited for my first tail to come. Thanks everyone!

That's AWESOME!! Way to hit your budget! :D Keep us updated once you get your tail! :)

[HamptonsMermaid]

I know not everyone can do it but I always swim with my contacts in, eyes open in both ocean and pool (though I try to limit exposure in chlorine pools). I've only lost a contact in the water 2x ever, and I swim and surf quite often. I even have fun colored contacts and they stay in just fine and look awesome in pics. You can test it out (with a pair of old contacts when you're ready to open new one, just in case) and see how your eyes take it.

[Theta]

I know not everyone can do it but I always swim with my contacts in, eyes open in both ocean and pool (though I try to limit exposure in chlorine pools). I've only lost a contact in the water 2x ever, and I swim and surf quite often. I even have fun colored contacts and they stay in just fine and look awesome in pics. You can test it out (with a pair of old contacts when you're ready to open new one, just in case) and see how your eyes take it.

Do you see any clearer than normal underwater with your contacts in?

Also, as someone who swims in the Great Lakes and as a general PSA- don't swim with your contacts in in Lake Erie. There's a bacteria that, if it gets trapped between the eye and a contact, will eat into the eyeball. (This is in the Buffalo area, so maybe if you swim farther away it's less prevalent? idk.)

[HamptonsMermaid]

My vision is not so bad, -2.75 in each eye. Underwater is still blurry, but not sure how it compares to without contacts since I wear them constantly... I have to wear them because I wouldn't be able to surf without seeing properly. And I just like to open my eyes underwater if it's clear enough and haven't had problems. If you're eyes were really bad I would think it would still help to wear contacts underwater than not.

I read that Hannah Mermaid tried some expensive underwater contacts (specifically for helping see underwater better) but she said they fell out right away and that she couldn't see so well above water. I'd be really curious to try them though since my eyes seem to hold contacts better. But I think they're way out of my budget! My dream is to be able to see clearly underwater when I mermaid!

[suzanne86]

Foggy goggles always make swimming underwater seem blurry. But unless you're in an ocean or lake and have to beware of detritus and/or obstacles, a blurry view isn't too much of a problem in a pool--as long as I can somehow seem the black line on the bottom of the lane. My biggest joy is swimming on my back with or without goggles, and looking up at the pool lights and seeing rainbows! :-)

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Foggy goggles always make swimming underwater seem blurry. But unless you're in an ocean or lake and have to beware of detritus and/or obstacles, a blurry view isn't too much of a problem in a pool--as long as I can somehow seem the black line on the bottom of the lane. My biggest joy is swimming on my back with or without goggles, and looking up at the pool lights and seeing rainbows! :-)

Easy peasy fix. Just put a tiny dot of J&J Baby Shampoo in each eye cup, add water, swish around and empty. As long as the goggles still have bubbles inside, it will feel a little slippery, that's what you want. It will keep the goggles fog free.

[PhaylennMurúch]

You may need to add elastic to your waist. I have a custom FinFun and they cut the elastic exactly to your measures which meant (for me) that it fit like a loose skirt. Fine on land but kept sliding down my butt as I swam. I ended up folding the waist and putting in maybe a foot of elastic so it stays up