Silicone tails with large hip/side fins

[Dustweb]

To those with silicone tails with extra large hip fins and thicker cast silicone tails, do you have any problems with rolling the tail down to take it on and off?

I'm expecting my first silicone tail from FinFolk next summer, and I've been working on my design. I just love the idea of large side fins, but I'm worried about committing to them. I realize that silicone is much different from wearing a fabric tail. I've never worn or even seen a silicone tail in person, so I'm just wondering about the logistics of having these large side fins. Any advice would be appreciated!

(And I apologize if this information is already in another thread - I looked but didn't see anything specific.)

[Winged Mermaid]

Bryn has a beautiful tail with the huge lionfish side fins. At the last meetup I told her that when I first saw those I thought that it must be crazy hard to get on, and asked her if it was or not. She said it wasn't at all! I haven't seen any other mermaids with their large hip or side fins express any difficulty with it either.
I know Mermaid Lorelei has a big really thick dorsal fin, and she said it did take some getting use to, and that (at least when she first got it) that it was a little harder to roll down to put on- but nothing major. I saw her put it on, and it didn't look like she had too much trouble.

I think the main concern would just be to be conscientious of them when putting the tail on to make sure you don't pull on them too much or you could potentially damage them. But that's true with any extra fins.

As for tail thickness, it's not hard to roll down and put on or take off unless it's ridiculously thick. Like how the Mermaid Creations (Merman Jesse) tails were, or how some Mertailor tails have reportedly been.

All in all, do remember that silicone is a whole different medium, and that it does take time to learn how to put on the tail correctly, and then quickly. A lot of mermaids have posted that it took them anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour and a half to put their silicone tail on the first time. But then after that, they got the hang of it! It took me under 5 for my first time with no lube (in the water)- it all just depends. Just be patient your first several times.
Check out the "How to put on your mermaid tail" thread (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?5869)that Raina wrote for tips on that :) (Liked on the Resources page in the navigation bar for easy access if you want to find it later.)

[Dustweb]

Thank you so much, Iona. That's reassuring to hear!

I actually watched Mermaid Lorelei's q&a video on YouTube (her tail is one of my favorites), and that was what got me thinking about it.

I pretty much fell in love with my design, then got cold feet (fins?) when I considered that it may not be the best idea to have lots of fins on my first silicone tail, and if I was going to make things more difficult for myself by choosing to include them. This forum is such a huge resource for me, especially since I've never seen a silicone tail in person. Its all been kind of a shot in the dark for me! Are there any other mers here who have done that? Purchased a silicone tail having never seen one before?

I suppose if I love the design, there is really no reason not to go for it!

[Mermaid Tuwala]

I'm in the same boat as you, Dust! But my main concern is how delicate they will be. I've never worked with silicone before and would have no idea how to fix them if they did get damaged. And live in another country than where I'll be buying from so shipping back and forth for fixing would be way too expensive.

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[merwandering]

my tail is thick, and part of me is a little irritated because it is heavy, but in the end I think I actually like that it is thick. It feels very durable, and you can't see my knees or my heels or anything. It's a pain to carry around a lot, but I think I'd rather add a neoprene tail than have a thinner silicone tail. I *can* roll mine down, I don't have any fins- but I don't roll it down. It is pretty easy to just get into if I have a little lubricant- theobromine introduced me to some aloe vera from trader joe's which works wonders, and I also have some j-lube which works perfectly too. SO it might be that even if you have a ton of huge fins, rolling it might not be necessary:)

[Dustweb]

Mermaid Marie, that thought crossed my mind too! That I might damage my fins while learning how to take the tail on and off. Iona gave some good advice, and from the videos I've watched, it looks like most tail makers attach fins really well. I suppose we'll see! I haven't explored the tail making threads yet, but I'm sure someone there could give you some advice if you need to make repairs!

Merwandering, that's awesome - for some reason, I thought rolling was a requirement. Is it hard to remove the tail without rolling it down?

[merwandering]

the only hard part of putting my tail on is getting into the foot straps- wiggling my feet in and trying to have an arm in too and get the straps on:/ not horribly hard, just takes a couple minutes, and- probably remarkably unattractive, lol- just a weird position. But after that it goes on pretty easily- I think it is easiest to sit in the water to put on when I can, but I have also put it on just using a little aloe and a water bottle. I almost think you have to get some jlube just because it is so shocking how THE TINIEST BIT goes such a long way- it's crazy. Pure sorcery! but super convenient- it is a powder, and you can put a little in a small container or ziploc, or in the bottom of an empty water bottle to take with you.
But getting the tail off takes seconds- if I can pull my foot out of the straps, it doesn't take a lot to shimmy out of it.
If you do roll it, the best advice I got was to also lubricate the outside- it makes a huge, huge difference.

[Dustweb]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it - I know these are such basic questions. I read about the jlube in the how to put on your tail thread - I'll definitely get some!
It sounds like the fins are just something I'll learn to work around as I figure out how to wear the silicone tail - they'll definitely be worth it! Thank you again.