Flowy or Fast?

[Ashe]

Something I've always wondered when concerning other peoples' preferences on flukes.

I think I remember when MerBella was starting out, their main monofin was the Finis Competitor - which of course is very stiff but powers through the water like no mer's business. Now most silicone tailmakers seem to use smaller fins to create a much more flowy and photogenic look which many people seem to go for now.

Are there many mers who still prefer the stiff fins made for fast swimming? I personally still use my Competitor in tails because I'm much more of an ocean swimmer. I was in Hawaii with it and I was able to swim effortlessly against the currents and dive down really deep, which I know I wouldn't be able to do with a flowy fluke.

The only regret I have with that fin is that it looks really wonky and unnatural when you're idling in the water or trying to turn around in a small pool.

So what are your guys' preferences between flowy and fast flukes and why?

[Saelyyia]

I find myself really torn. If I had all the sand-dollars I could dream of I would ideally prefer one of each because when it comes to ocean swimming I find the flowyness of the fluke irrelevant because around here the ocean waters are too dark for it to really matter and so if I am swimming at a lake or in a pool I find that I prefer the flowy look as it is much more visible to any onlookers.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I like a mix of both. Taking into account my swimming ability, core strength and the depth of the pool available to me, I'd go for a small fluke (adult merfin size) with just a hint of flowyness and at the same time, I can still do zoomies around the pool.

[AniaR]

Having both I have to say, I swim better with a competitor. I found that learning to swim with a foil in a silicone fluke really set me back in my abilities. My tails with foil have measurably much more drag and are slower (actually tested that) compared to the competitor which was more streamlined and faster and exerted more force.

The reason I switched to the foil was so I would be able to transport my tail easier. Being able to fold parts of the fluke and fit it in standard luggage. With the competitor I always had to check it in oversized, and I ended up breaking one of my competitor tails when something got put on top of it at a pressure point. That being said, the competitor sucked for flips and turns but awesome for sinking, speed, and depth for me personally.

If I get another tail I would want something more in the middle. I've never tried the shooter but hear good things. Or- I believe Raven has figured out a good way to cut down the competitor without compromising the integrity so Maybe I'd do that.

I keep meaning to do a comparison video so people can see for me personally, how drastic the change is especially when it comes to drag/float. My foil tails literally float behind me and even when I put 15lbs of weight in the fluke it STILL floats up. Whereas in a competitor I can get perfectly parallel

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Having both I have to say, I swim better with a competitor. I found that learning to swim with a foil in a silicone fluke really set me back in my abilities. My tails with foil have measurably much more drag and are slower (actually tested that) compared to the competitor which was more streamlined and faster and exerted more force.

The reason I switched to the foil was so I would be able to transport my tail easier. Being able to fold parts of the fluke and fit it in standard luggage. With the competitor I always had to check it in oversized, and I ended up breaking one of my competitor tails when something got put on top of it at a pressure point. That being said, the competitor sucked for flips and turns but awesome for sinking, speed, and depth for me personally.

If I get another tail I would want something more in the middle. I've never tried the shooter but hear good things. Or- I believe Raven has figured out a good way to cut down the competitor without compromising the integrity so Maybe I'd do that.

I keep meaning to do a comparison video so people can see for me personally, how drastic the change is especially when it comes to drag/float. My foil tails literally float behind me and even when I put 15lbs of weight in the fluke it STILL floats up. Whereas in a competitor I can get perfectly parallel

Do one for your next vlog. I'm sure there are tons of people who are also curious how different monofins perform in a silicone tail.

[Ashe]

I keep meaning to do a comparison video so people can see for me personally, how drastic the change is especially when it comes to drag/float. My foil tails literally float behind me and even when I put 15lbs of weight in the fluke it STILL floats up. Whereas in a competitor I can get perfectly parallel
I'd really like to see that, too. I had one flowy tail but it was a cruddy neoprin tail I made years and years ago so I've never really been able to see the two side by side.

[MermaidLiara]

My ideal silicone tail would have a competitor monofin in a longer, more flowy shaped fluke - such as the Lotus, Lionfish, poseidon, etc... A fluke like this is ALWAYS flowy, I think: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/1a/57/ff/1a57ffcb8040ad51d2af1e140db47d13.jpg

I would also add fluke extensions and heel fins for extra flowiness. Best of both worlds, if you ask me.

[Mermaid Tula]

I have the specialfins monofin that's comparable to a finis competitor. I plan on doing a partial silicone with both flowy extensions and heel fins. I do love my finis wave though. I extended it so it is bigger. I like something that gives a bit of kick to it, and flowy, so I'm pretty torn.

[Mer-Crazy]

I feel like the Finis Trainer/ Trainer 2 are perfect monofins for tails (had it been an option Raven offered I would have taken it over a competitor in a heart beat). Competitors (especially ones used by professional mermaids) seem to have a tenancy to crack eventually (happened to Raina and Mermaid Jessica Pearl) off the top of my head) I own a trainer monofin (without tail) and it's beautiful. It's not as solid as the competitor but it certainly works perfectly well in the ocean, but you also retain a lot of that flowy-look that so many people like because it's not fibreglass. Because it's not so large it's also very agile, it's much much easier to do flips, tricks/ etc in a trainer without losing too much power that the competitor tends to provide. Also makes travel a lot easier since it's rectangular shaped and not as big (mine is about the same size as a regular pillow case (that's what I actually store it in) for reference)

[Mermaid Emeraldina]

I prefer fast. When I swam in my mythic tail the drag was just so unreal I couldn't believe it, I was so underwhelmed. I have been swimming in my merfin for the past 6 months and I really get on with it, it fits so tight and snug on me I can get real good propulsion with it. Floppy flukes look pretty but not very practical and I am a practical over pretty person. Merson ?...

Having a more stiff mono fin which enables me to swim fast and with purpose is the way forward for me. I think stiff flukes compared to real floppy ones look more fish/whale like to me. Flowy flukes are nice to look at, but not nice to swim in yourself *in my opinion* I love swimming and I love to swim fast. So definitely fast over flowy for me.

[Mer Coralia]

I actually prefer the stiffer flukes (the competitor); not a fan of floppy ones. Sometimes tails are just too flowy for me and that smooth line tends to be interrupted by the knees. I would also want to swim fast and potentially in the ocean where we do have strong currents so having a competitor seems like a safer option for me.

I asked a bunch of Finfolk mers whether they prefered the competitor or the trainer; most prefered trainers mostly for transportation and movability in pools. Granted I wouldn't be flying with mine anytime soon but I do have a mermaid tail bag that the competitor inside a fluke would fit (granted the entire fluke would fit nicely). Discarding the movability problem with competitors, if you had the transportation issue solved with a competitor how feasible is it?

(Please excuse my poor wording, it's hard trying to formulate the right question I want)


Also,
Raina, I was curious whether you've tried any other tailmakers besides Merbellas?