Aquariuz monofin? Advice please

[Rayne Mermaid]

Hello mers! I recently found this etsy shop called Aquariuz...the owner's name is Trinity Gates,she makes and sells spandex tails and her own custom made monofins. I (hopefully) attached a picture of this monofin to see what you guys think and if you have advice,whether I should go ahead and order from her or not. All it says is,the monofin is made from "hard plastic" there is a video of a tail being swam in,and it looks nice and floppy (which I love) but I don't want to waste $130 lol
any advice is much appreciated!

[KateyMermaid]

I would not trust a homemade monofin. Th monofins strength and integrity is what your tails safety and usability relies upon. "Hard plastic" doesn't mean anything what kind of plastic? Solid? Corrugated? Flexible? You need more information.

This fin also just looks like foot pockets glued to plastic. I would pass it by. You can get better monofins for less money elsewhere.

Mahina fins are $100 at Walmart. Finis has adult find as cheap as $70.

[Rayne Mermaid]

Thank you Katey! That's what I was wondering...what kind of plastic? The $130 is for the tail and monofin,its a spandex tail. The tail itself,is what made me want to buy it...I've never seen anything like it! It suits my gothic/halloweeny personality ~ its a skeleton of a mermaid's tail :)

[PearlieMae]

I would not trust a homemade monofin. Th monofins strength and integrity is what your tails safety and usability relies upon. "Hard plastic" doesn't mean anything what kind of plastic? Solid? Corrugated? Flexible? You need more information.

This fin also just looks like foot pockets glued to plastic. I would pass it by. You can get better monofins for less money elsewhere.

Mahina fins are $100 at Walmart. Finis has adult find as cheap as $70.

I wouldn't dismiss a hard plastic monofin so quickly. A Finis Rapid is hard plastic, as is several of their other fins. My fins are polycarbonate and custom made to the client, and have a patent pending, but technically, since my studio is in my home, they are also home made. So much of this entire network is based on the creation of home made tails and fins, it's hardly fair to dismiss something out of hand like that.

[Rayne Mermaid]

I wouldn't dismiss a hard plastic monofin so quickly. A Finis Rapid is hard plastic, as is several of their other fins. My fins are polycarbonate and custom made to the client, and have a patent pending, but technically, since my studio is in my home, they are also home made. So much of this entire network is based on the creation of home made tails and fins, it's hardly fair to dismiss something out of hand like that.

I am so happy you responded to my post PearlieMae! I hold your opinion's quite high,by reading other people's posts :) So thank you very much!! I am a new mer...don't have a tail YET...but will be ordering the one I'm speaking of here or another fabric tail within the next 2-3 weeks. MY worry with this monofin is,not knowing what kind of plastic it is (will it snap easily) and the way the foot pockets are attached (will the fall apart) That is why I posted this ~ for advice,because I really don't know very much lol

[KateyMermaid]

Pearliemae: you are certainly right! My post was that "hard plastic" can mean a lot of things. The seller needs to specify WHAT KIND of hard plastic. Because hard plastic can be a lot of things. Good and bad.

[Mermaid Arabella]

Anyone else concerned over the hard point cut into the center?

And yes, not knowing the type of plastic would concern me too, and I'd also ask what the footpockets are made of and how they're attached. I'm not saying this is a bad monofin, but more info is definitely needed. I'd suggest sending the seller a message.

[Merman Storm]

The hard cut at the center is a major stress concentration area and may be a problem, depending on the type of plastic. For some types, like plexiglass, that will be where a crack starts. Other plastics will stretch a little right at that cut, spreading the stress over a larger area. The chance of failure there are reduced. Polycarbonate is better, polypropylene is even better. But even so, its just good practice to avoid cuts like that.

[Rayne Mermaid]

38233

*Stretchy black spandex tail is hand painted with soft durable fabric paint in a killer bones and ligaments pattern. Fabric paint stretches with the fabric.
*Thick 1 and 1/2 inch elastic waistband fits snugly and securely at waist.
* Bottom of fluke opens and closes with hidden Velcro for easy access to monofin
*Included with the tail is a hard plastic monofin of my own design. I am very proud of my monofin design, I think it has a fuller shape than most available out there, and so fills out the fluke shape very nicely and naturally looking. It has two netted foot pockets with adjustable ankle straps that cinch down, and is reinforced internally with two steel rods that give rigidity and help propel you through the water pretty well.

If you would like to see how the monofin works, as well as see an Aquariuz tail in action in the water, you can go to my shop's [about] page, and watch the video of how easily the monofin goes on, how well it works, and how pretty the tails are in the water!

This tail is a women's size small, to fit these approx. dimensions:
Waist: 25"-28" (inches)
Hips: 34"-37" , although, the spandex has a good stretch to it, and would still accommodate a size slightly different than these dimensions.

Here is a pic and the makers description of the tail and monofin ~ I just love it! But I'm getting more and more leary...

[Mermaid Aika]

It does look cool, but with that shape fluke I don't see why they need the monofin to have such a hard cut in the center. :confused:

[KateyMermaid]

That tail skin looks so cool!!!
I agree though, with that fluke shape, why the sharp "V" in the monofin? I modified a finis wave with a similar shape years ago, and almost immediately it started to crack at that point.

I wonder if the maker would sell you a tail skin only? You could always buy a finis monofin and cut it yourself to a stronger shape.

[Rayne Mermaid]

That tail skin looks so cool!!!
I agree though, with that fluke shape, why the sharp "V" in the monofin? I modified a finis wave with a similar shape years ago, and almost immediately it started to crack at that point.

I wonder if the maker would sell you a tail skin only? You could always buy a finis monofin and cut it yourself to a stronger shape.

Katey ~ That's a great idea!!! I will send the maker a message and see if I can just omit the monofin! Thanks sweet pea :)

[Aquariuz]

Oh wow, i just found this thread. I can talk more about the monofins, sure. Originally, i was using steel rods in the monofins, which actually worked quite well for reinforcement, but on some (and i say some, but not all, which i never figured out), the steel rods would wear out/ start popping out of the heel area, underneath...it seemed to be a gradual process. So, since then, i have instead been using thick plexiglass inserts sandwiched between two layers of flexible white plastic. I like this combination, because the insert provides the needed power, but the insert does not go all the way to the tips, thus the tips are still flexible and realistic looking, when in the water. The foot pockets are not glued on, no part of the monofin is glued on. I have an extremely heavy duty Union Special industrial sewing machine made for sewing sails, and that machine is actually what makes it possible for me to make these monofins. The foot pockets are sewn down, and, additionally, the white flexible plastic sheeting is also sewn together. It is sewn with a heavy duty thick upholstery thread and then sealed with silicone. Someone mentioned the sharp cut at center. So, ive never loved those fluke shapes that had a weak or ill defined center, thats why i make them this shape, because i just think theyre prettier...if this monofin was paired with a thin tailskin that had no seam reinforcement, then i could see that maybe it might affect the fabric, although, the edges are not sharp anyways, so maybe not. In my tails, that particular area is heavily reinforced before the velcro closure even goes in, the reason being that i dont want any rumples, or dimpling of the fabric to occur by riding around that ‘V’ shape. You can check out some of my other photos and see that none of the flukes that fit this shape have this problem: its a pet peeve of mine. Also, since this thread was started, i switched foot pocket materials: i am now using a flexible woven waterproof vinyl for the foot pockets. Hope this helps with any questions, if anyone is still following this thread. My IG handle these days is @AquariuzMermaidTails. Im also on Etsy as just Aquariuz, and on Pinterest as AquariuzMermaidTails. Let me see if i can attach a more updated photo of the monofins


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