Public Swimming Anxieties

[Requireminx]

So I've had my suntail for about a full year and haven't even swam in it yet! Every time I think about it I just get super nervous about negative reactions, people asking to use it (I personally would rather not let that happen), or accidentally hurting someone. I know the most common bad thing to happen would just be a lifeguard telling me I can't use it (although I would only go to pools that I am sure I can use it) and its so big, I don't know where to put it if I wanted to take a break from using the monofin!


Anyone else struggle with these anxieties or manage to overcome them? :$

[lotusauriel]

You are already going where you know you can use it, so you just dive in and do it. Do NOT let anyone else use it, because it's like a swimsuit or underwear, and that's just gross... lol. Use goggles so you can see, to not hurt yourself or anyone else. And yeah, just do it. Once you get in, and swim as a mermaid, you will never want to swim as a human again. If you do need to take it off, just put it with your other stuff, and keep an eye on it. Swim with people you know, so you have help if you panic. And allow yourself to enjoy it. You will be fine. You are a mermaid.

[shylittleshadow]

I had the same struggle at camp. I'd used my tail in a friend's pool alone before but I wanted to try the lake. I struggle with anxiety so it took a lot of courage. I had to just do it. There's no secret. You have to just dive in. I was amazed at how many people had positive reactions. You can do it. The fist time is always the hardest.

[Echidna]

You are already going where you know you can use it, so you just dive in and do it. Do NOT let anyone else use it, because it's like a swimsuit or underwear, and that's just gross... lol. Use goggles so you can see, to not hurt yourself or anyone else. And yeah, just do it. Once you get in, and swim as a mermaid, you will never want to swim as a human again. If you do need to take it off, just put it with your other stuff, and keep an eye on it. Swim with people you know, so you have help if you panic. And allow yourself to enjoy it. You will be fine. You are a mermaid.

all of this :thumbs-up:

if my tail/fin won't fit in the locker, I just put it with my bathing robe and stuff and keep an eye on it.
I also think people will refrain from stealing something as big and attention-rousing as a huge monofin/tail, but you never know^^

Just don't let stupid reactions get to you.
Kids will probably all love it, but you might also encounter that extremely dumb and jealous person who will try to spoil your fun.
Ignore that one and have fun with your tail, it's so much better than normal swimming!

[Auricle]

I'm also a super anxious person so I get where you're coming from, but if you go somewhere you know allows tails, you'll probably only get positive reactions! ' u ' that being said, do be super careful about leaving your tail unnattended!! Mine got stolen for a day (and then turned in thank goodness) because I was stupid and didn't keep a super watchful eye on it.

[Mermaid Wesley]

I find it was way easier to go for it when i was with other mermaids! Maybe try to meet up with someone locally!

[Requireminx]

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement!!! I did it and spent about 3 hours going back and forth haha.. And there was no problem of course, and a little boy even came up to me and talked about if he was a merman he would have a blue tail, it was so cute!! :^D

[Khaleesi Daenerys]

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement!!! I did it and spent about 3 hours going back and forth haha.. And there was no problem of course, and a little boy even came up to me and talked about if he was a merman he would have a blue tail, it was so cute!! :^D
That is so sweet. Kids are amazing.

[Nerdmaid Faith]

So many people ask me about this and my answer is pretty simple. I hardly have any anxieties about it anymore because I literally strut onto the pool deck like I own the place (helps because I work there) and do not give a ship about what anyone thinks. If they have a problem it does not matter to me at all.

Sent from my SM-G386W using Tapatalk

[NorthSeaAlaria]

Ramble Time!
I have the "fun" thing in the UK of having to negotiate with public pools to even be allowed to use a monofin, let alone a full tail yet. It's because it's so unheard of in the UK and health and safety are kind of baffled on what to do with us. I'm waiting on one pool that I might start doing events for to give a reply, and for now I have to travel about 40 minutes away first thing in the flipping morning for a chance to use my fin at another pool a friend goes to. I train with her and her daughter under strict rules from the pool (lane or small pool only, if someone gets in you get out etc) and hilariously EVERY SINGLE TIME a lifeguard will start obliviously giving us the "We don't allow monofins" talk so we have to tell them every time that we have the manager's permission. It's both annoying and amusing.

But when it comes to confidence? Yeah swimming feels a bit weird in public. Especially the one time I trained without the rest of my makeshift pod XD heard a good few kids go "Woah!" spotting our fins last time and I'm going to be SO nervous when we try full tails in that pool. Here's hoping it only attracts positive attention!

[TheChimera]

I know exactly what you mean, my first swim was in my self made fabric tail and my only audience was my then boyfriend. I moved to the coast about 4 years ago and I'm going to start mermaiding again now that things at work have calmed down. Looking at getting a magictail to go to some of the local beaches with but I'm so socially anxious [emoji32] so I totally get it. But I guess we just can't let our fears outweigh our desire to do what we really want to do


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NorthSeaAlaria]

I know exactly what you mean, my first swim was in my self made fabric tail and my only audience was my then boyfriend. I moved to the coast about 4 years ago and I'm going to start mermaiding again now that things at work have calmed down. Looking at getting a magictail to go to some of the local beaches with but I'm so socially anxious [emoji32] so I totally get it. But I guess we just can't let our fears outweigh our desire to do what we really want to do


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ooh that sounds really nice given your location :D don't forget to be careful in the sea, we don't want any accidents! But you're lucky, I bet South Africa's a fair bit warmer for swimming than the North of England.

[TheChimera]

Speaking of being careful in the sea, my partner and I took my stepson to be to the beach yesterday and I dove into a particularly strong wave and now I'm lying in bed with insane whiplash lol🤣 sea was a tad rough yesterday, that's what you get for being careless. Will have to be extra careful with a tail, I suppose it gets easier the deeper in you swim. Hehehe the North of England sounds fantastic, always wanted to take a trip to the U.K. And travel Europe in general, especially Romania, I'm not bothered by the cold [emoji2][emoji2][emoji2] we are very fortunate to have mostly temperate weather here though. What are your coasts like?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NorthSeaAlaria]

They’re absolutely bloody freezing XD I live only a few minutes drive from the sea which is wonderful, but most of the time it’s too cold for me to stand even walking along one of the many little beaches for how windy it gets! My mer friend who is a hell of a lot braver than me did a sponsored swim on Boxing Day in her tail and I watched and oh god I was nearly crying from the cold. It’s kind of not so bad on particularly hot summer days if we get any but that’s when everyone goes to the beach and I’d worry a bit about tail swimming then tbh.

[Merman Dan]

You have to find your own space. Even if the pool is crowded, go in there with the attitude of "I am swimming for me. I will have fun."
My local pool has swim meets all of the time. More often than not I am in a pool next to hundreds of teens. So yeah, I end up on Twitter and other social media platforms a lot. ;)
42777

[Nerdmaid Faith]

You have to find your own space. Even if the pool is crowded, go in there with the attitude of "I am swimming for me. I will have fun."
My local pool has swim meets all of the time. More often than not I am in a pool next to hundreds of teens. So yeah, I end up on Twitter and other social media platforms a lot. ;)
42777Legit you will make your own space. People WILL move. My pod will often inhabit one corner and no one will bother us or get in our space

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

[Ransom]

I've absolutely NO public swims under my belt. Guess it's more awkward if you're male -- I wonder what'll happen if I'm photographed and recognised :s

It doesn't help that over here, lots of lifeguarded pools really hate fins and tails.

Love Faith's vid on the topic tho - https://youtu.be/oG3ncOF3g20

[Slim]

As a male, there one key advice: Just do it! I always start off with a finis foil monofin and then do the tail on the 2nd visit.


I've absolutely NO public swims under my belt. Guess it's more awkward if you're male -- I wonder what'll happen if I'm photographed and recognised :s

It doesn't help that over here, lots of lifeguarded pools really hate fins and tails.

Love Faith's vid on the topic tho - https://youtu.be/oG3ncOF3g20

[TybeeMermaid]

You have to find your own space. Even if the pool is crowded, go in there with the attitude of "I am swimming for me. I will have fun."
My local pool has swim meets all of the time. More often than not I am in a pool next to hundreds of teens. So yeah, I end up on Twitter and other social media platforms a lot. ;)
42777

Wow, I've actually raced the girl that posted that video. If it's any consolation, I kicked her butt in the 200 and 500 freestyle. ;) I'm usually among the swimmers that take over a pool for a weekend for a meet. I've always admired the locals that brave the pool when we're all there. It's practically chaos! Props to you doing it in a tail! I've always thought about bringing my tail to a meet to get a funny picture in it. :lol:

[Ransom]

Wow, I've actually raced the girl that posted that video. If it's any consolation, I kicked her butt in the 200 and 500 freestyle. ;) I'm usually among the swimmers that take over a pool for a weekend for a meet. I've always admired the locals that brave the pool when we're all there. It's practically chaos! Props to you doing it in a tail! I've always thought about bringing my tail to a meet to get a funny picture in it. [emoji38]Haha my club pool has serious ex- and current competition swimmers using it after office hours, though it's thankfully lifeguard-less. Always wondered what it'd be like tail swimming around them [emoji14]

Another pool I can use has a wicked cool window that lets people in the parking area see in. Sadly, no tails or fins allowed, or even approaching the glass. Urggh :(

[Natametfin]

I’m jealous my pool only allows fins but no mono fin. Not to mention everyone in my town calls me girly and modern southern culture here is like you want to be a merman!no way in shell. My parents are getting a pool built for the house anyway but still. I basically have to wait till I move to really use a tail and it kills me.

[Slim]

Not to sound crazy but did you ask or did you actually show them what a monofin is? The average person doesn't know what a monofin is and will say no simply because they never heard of it. Just bring the monofin even if they tell you no. You don't have to use it but they'll at least see what it is. Once a place is used of you, the lifeguard are likely to change their minds eventually knowing that you are a non worry.

[Natametfin]

Thanks slim I asked over the phone my bad lol I’ll bring it in and see how it goes

[Merman Storm]

Pools seem to vary widely in their rules. The closest one to me for awhile said "no tails". With help, I talked them into allowing tails during lap swimming. But during free swimming, no pool toy, fin, float, or anything other than coast guard approved flotation device is allowed.

At a another pool where we've had some meets, monofins are not allowed during lane swimming, but are fine during free swim. In fact, at one meet a lifeguard showed up with her purple FinFun.

[Mermaid Alea]

I tend to really like the people who swim at the college pool I go to. Everyone is so focused on doing serious swim training or general aerobic exercise and I'm over in my lane blowing bubble rings and bubble hearts and doing tail slaps. :lol: I am pretty sure most of them are so focused that they don't realize there is a mermaid in the pool.

[TybeeMermaid]

I tend to really like the people who swim at the college pool I go to. Everyone is so focused on doing serious swim training or general aerobic exercise and I'm over in my lane blowing bubble rings and bubble hearts and doing tail slaps. :lol: I am pretty sure most of them are so focused that they don't realize there is a mermaid in the pool.

Haha yes! That's us! Usually we're so busy dying, the only thing we're paying attention to is the clock so our coach won't yell at us for leaving late! If someone does notice you, I'm sure seeing a mermaid would make them smile and envy getting to swim leisurely. I know I would! :lol:

[Seaspray Mermaid]

Just did my first pool swim recently, I was so scared lol. I just popped my tail over my one piece and knocked out laps like it was the most natural thing in the world. It helped that there was only one person in the pool and it was midnight lol.

[Mermaid Salty]

I use a mahina monofin in public frequently and have had overwhelmingly positive responses. The first and only slightly negative thing that has ever happened (just last weekend) was from a young man - one of his friends commented that "the thing was cool" and he said "Yeah, until someone drowns". I told him "Monofins have been used for 100 years and no one has ever drowned". The same day. I had kids yeling "YAY MERMAID TAIL" from the shore and another kid in a chairlift above the basin I was swimming in yell "I SEE A DOLPHIN!" haha. Yes yes yes to being mistaken for a dolphin. People are more curious than anything, in my experience.

[Merman Dan]

...and I'm over in my lane blowing bubble rings and bubble hearts and doing tail slaps.

Mermaids do not swim laps like muggles do. :)

[Mermaid Aura]

I'm super nervous about this too! I've only swam in my monofin at the pool once, but nobody even batted an eye. I don't think you could even tell I was using it underwater. Next time I'm going to break the ice with my full tail.. I'm hoping no one will pay attention, like last time. I think once I get into the water it'll be like anything else, I probably won't think twice about it after that! I've swam in my full tail at a lake before, with a crowded beach and no one seemed to pay attention or care, except a little girl who kept yelling "mermaid!! mermaid!!![emoji44]🧜" [emoji28][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]that was pretty cool! Lol!!

Sent from my [device_name] using MerNetwork mobile app

[TheChimera]

I'm super nervous about this too! I've only swam in my monofin at the pool once, but nobody even batted an eye. I don't think you could even tell I was using it underwater. Next time I'm going to break the ice with my full tail.. I'm hoping no one will pay attention, like last time. I think once I get into the water it'll be like anything else, I probably won't think twice about it after that! I've swam in my full tail at a lake before, with a crowded beach and no one seemed to pay attention or care, except a little girl who kept yelling "mermaid!! mermaid!!![emoji44]🧜" [emoji28][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]that was pretty cool! Lol!!

Sent from my [device_name] using MerNetwork mobile app

That's a super cool feeling hehe[emoji38] I'm also a bit shy about swimming with a tail but you just gotta do it. Went for a walk at our pier here and there was a little girl that commented on my bright red hair saying: " look mommy it's Ariel", with that wonderment so unique to children , and her mom was all like " no, no dear she's not a mermaid" [emoji52] hey hey listen here lady ☝️lol I think parents should encourage imagination not deny it. Einstein did say that if you want your children to be more intelligent, they should read/ or be read more fairy tales.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TheChimera]

@ Mermaid Aura, Btw what tailskin is that ? It's gorgeous [emoji102]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sammi_Ray]

So, before ordering my tail, my local pool said yes. So i placed my order. Took months and months. Finally she arrived in all her splender. I call the pool to let them know i would like to book a lane and they say NO.. turns out the other pool manager who said yes had left.. so all my happiness turned to sadness. They said it wad against pool policy (which can not be found anywhere) on their website or if i ask them to send me it.

After calling 25 (i poop you not!) I finally had a pool say yes! I had to pay £22 and had to find someone to take me as i don't drive, travel for 40 minutes and made sure i had a swim buddy. I had never used a monofin or swam in a tail. I walked in with my tail over my shoulder and the life guard looked at me like "same poop different day". The pool wasn't too busy and as i prepared myself, lubed up my feet and body, i still couldn't get my right foot into the foot pocket. At that point i was so out of breath, i just said "frick it, get me in!". It was like this beautiful comedy sketch that never made it to TV with my partner pulling, hes yelling push down! [emoji23][emoji23] but finally, i made it. I was terrified at first. But then it just disapeared. I felt so free, happy and alive. My partner was so happy for me and i was crying [emoji23][emoji23] (DORK!) But i loved every minute of it. Make sure you take a buddy with you for support or if you feel nervous, they can be great support and look after you!

Mermaid Sammi Ray [emoji7]

[Seaspray Mermaid]

I'm glad you took all the responsible steps and had a great time! This hobby can be daunting! It sounds like you're a natural.

[Mermaid Alea]

Just re-found this topic and wanted to mention the anxieties I get from swimming in public that I didn't say before -
While the last time I posted I said that at the pool no one seems to notice and it isn't a big deal for me there, when I go swimming elsewhere such as the beach or a spring I get butterflies in my stomach when I get very close to the site where I will be swimming. Once I have all of my gear and I'm carrying my tail to the water, I get really shaky feeling. Usually I will have a few random strangers watching me and striking up conversations with me because of the tail. When I first swam in my Finfolk fabric tail it was in public at a spring and people were crowding around me while I was sitting on the steps trying to get the tail on. It made me feel very nervous!

I'm a shy introvert (INFJ personality type) but I mostly set that aside when I mermaid. I enjoy random strangers asking me about mermaiding and I enjoy swimming up to little kids and saying hi. I have encountered so many nice strangers through mermaiding. I have talked to people who I wouldn't have really talked to if it weren't for the tail.

If I get a little nervous or anxious I don't care, because mermaiding helps get me through the mundane moments in life where I feel bored and question the point of it all, but then I go mermaiding and it brings me a special joy. :)

[Odette]

When swimming in a public space, i change with my tail under a sheet. Same at the beach. i get looks but i just want to focus on my new performance ideas or getting the right shot with my go pro. if youre anxious about the people, just understand that it really doesnt matter what they think. i work hard to entertain and even though it looks strange, its going to look great at the event which is all that matters to me.
I got over my anxiety with pools by exposing myself to it often, ususally with friends. Friends help a lot.
The only issue I have now is I don't like to take my tail off anywhere near kids so I will stay in costume till they leave sometime. :lol:

[Trade Winds]

Despite being a mermaid for so long, I still feel nervous sometimes. It's always better to swim w/ someone anyways, for the safety and the fun. Around here in Texas (where pools that previously allowed us have banned us), I first make sure I am even still allowed. Showing that you're respectful to the place shows you aren't there to screw around. One of my biggest concerns is when I take my camera to tape myself, I feel like people will think I am a pedo by taping underwater...I'm also genderqueer, so I feel like my physical appearance can make people question me. It's all stupid stuff I shouldn't be worried about. I only had one issue while in my tail, and that was when a pool we used to be allowed at kicked us out for using a tail, and my friend had just a monofin. Aside from that, I naturally keep boundaries between myself and others to make sure they don't get hit and if I feel myself brush against someone I always immediately stop and make everything's ok.

[Cerulean.Mermaidd]

I first swam with my tail at my friend's pool in her apartment complex and honestly I was a little nervous at first that I was going to swim bad cause I'm still learning, people were gonna think it's childish to swim in a mermaid tail, etc. Once I got there and started putting my tail on, the first thing that happened was a little girl saw me and her face literally went like [emoji33][emoji33][emoji33] and it totally made my day and made me feel like a Disney princess or something! Pretty much everyone in the pool was staring at me haha, but I was just in the mindset of "I'm a majestic mermaid." [emoji3385][emoji3385][emoji3385]I got a few side glances from some teens, but I think people were more just intrigued with seeing a mermaid in the pool. Later after I stopped swimming, the little girl came over to me and said "I like your mermaid tail! It's so pretty!"

Sent from my SM-G960U using MerNetwork mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=95032)