My name is Mermaid Luna (Abby)

[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

Hi I am from Granby Missouri we don't have a lot of people who like mermaids here except little kids, so my bestie Mermaid Ariel her name is actually Emily and we plan to change that Em and I are going to make our own silicone tails what tips do you have for beginners Merfolk?

Update:

We decided that we are going to buy our tails from Merrowfins any of u ever bought from him and it's a HYBRID SILICONE TAIL I feel so bad because all of u guys thought we were getting full silicone thank you for all the nicest comments this as been something I've been obsessing over since I was little I loved Ariel and I loved Aquamarine I loved h2o just add water and mako mermaids I always dreamed of being one

[Mermaid Kane]

Welcome to MerNetwork, Abby! <3

[Slim]

Welcome to the mernetwork. My main tip is to always swim around someone because you never know what issue may happen no matter how safe you feel in a tail.

[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

Thanks

[KayanatheMermaid]

First off, welcome to Mermetwork! Second dont get a silicone tail for your first tail go with fabric and start swimming with the monofin and then the tail.

[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

Well we have a four feet pool that we can practice in there

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[MermaidAiera]

Welcome to our community, Mermaid Luna!

I do have to echo Kayana's advice against going full silicone for your first tail. Check out this thread discussing why silicone tails are such a challenge for beginners/the potential dangers of not using caution.

https://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?7106-Why-we-don-t-advise-full-silicone-tails-for-your-first-tail

I advise finding a beautiful fabric tail to start off with. There are plenty of tail makers who can give you high quality realistic looks that are far less expensive and dangerous. You can use this list to browse sellers & find out which fabric tail suits you:

https://mernetwork.com/index/content.php?133-mermaid-tailmakers

Best of luck! Feel free to ask me any questions you may have, and please do extend our welcome to your friend Ariel :highfive:

[Denise]

Hello, Abby! I'm also new here. I hope we have a pleasant time on this forum!

[TybeeMermaid]

Hello and welcome! I'm sure you're excited to start diving in to mermaiding but making a quality tail that'll last and look good takes months of research and planning. Not to mention, a strong swimming ability. Before you think about putting a tail on, you should practice swimming without one. I've been a competitive swimmer for years and have seen my fair share of people who dive straight into a pool and end up nearly drowning because they can't swim. More recently, in mermaid tails. One of my friends even had to dive into a 3 foot pool to save a girl because she tripped on her fluke and couldn't get up to the surface. I cannot stress to you enough how dangerous mermaiding can be if you're inexperienced. Especially silicone tails. Silicone weighs A LOT. It's heavy and has a lot of drag in the pool. A lot of mermaids make it look easy to swim in because they're trained and experienced swimmers.

If you've never swum in a tail before, I reccomend wearing a pair of tights or leggings to get used to drag in a pool because a silicone tail's drag is only going to be worse. We wear tights a lot in swimming to get our bodies used to drag so when we compete, we lose the drag we're used to practicing in. And let me tell you from first hand experience, the drag is painfully noticable. It's a lot harder than regular swimming. Once you're able to swim comfortably and fast with tights on, you should add a pair of fins so work on extending your kick past your toes. It's really important that your ankles are flexable and pointed so the fins don't contribute to the drag your tights are already causing. Fins aren't meant to make it easier to swim, they're meant to make swimmers work harder since they have more water they have to kick with. Sure, with proper technique they can be used to swim casually in, but that only comes after swimmers understand that they aren't meant for casual swimming. (My coach even makes us take our fins off when we swim easy so we don't slack off on our technique.)

Being tail ready doesn't just happen over night or in a few days, it takes months of practice and disipline if you're inexperienced. I know you may not want to hear that you shouldn't swim in a silicone tail, but nobody starts off in silicone. Start off with tights, tights and fins, and then a fabric tail. Give it a year and really think about if you want to pursue mermaiding further. A silicone tail is a big investment, even if you make it yourself. You're putting your time, energy, and money into it. You don't want it to be an investment you'll regeret. Especially if you have difficulty swimming in it. Please give yourself time to practice and prepare for a tail.

[Mermaid Whisper]

Great post, Tybee!

On the artistic side, silicone has a huge learning curve (just ask the queen, Pearlie Mae) and takes a long time to not only develop your design, but to sculpt the idea, cast the molds, pour the silicone, have it cure in ideal conditions, put everything together, *and* be physically ready to swim in your new 30lb+ monster.

It's an incredible process that's well worth it for some, but it's also years in the making. Start small, a good fabric tail, and get a taste of how to swim and whether you want to invest this much time, money, and effort into your passion.


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[Mermaid Kane]

It takes practice too lmao.

Stick with a fabric tail for now.

[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

My bestie and will practice long time before we hop in and we plan on buying pure tails from Merrowfins thank u

Hello and welcome! I'm sure you're excited to start diving in to mermaiding but making a quality tail that'll last and look good takes months of research and planning. Not to mention, a strong swimming ability. Before you think about putting a tail on, you should practice swimming without one. I've been a competitive swimmer for years and have seen my fair share of people who dive straight into a pool and end up nearly drowning because they can't swim. More recently, in mermaid tails. One of my friends even had to dive into a 3 foot pool to save a girl because she tripped on her fluke and couldn't get up to the surface. I cannot stress to you enough how dangerous mermaiding can be if you're inexperienced. Especially silicone tails. Silicone weighs A LOT. It's heavy and has a lot of drag in the pool. A lot of mermaids make it look easy to swim in because they're trained and experienced swimmers.

If you've never swum in a tail before, I reccomend wearing a pair of tights or leggings to get used to drag in a pool because a silicone tail's drag is only going to be worse. We wear tights a lot in swimming to get our bodies used to drag so when we compete, we lose the drag we're used to practicing in. And let me tell you from first hand experience, the drag is painfully noticable. It's a lot harder than regular swimming. Once you're able to swim comfortably and fast with tights on, you should add a pair of fins so work on extending your kick past your toes. It's really important that your ankles are flexable and pointed so the fins don't contribute to the drag your tights are already causing. Fins aren't meant to make it easier to swim, they're meant to make swimmers work harder since they have more water they have to kick with. Sure, with proper technique they can be used to swim casually in, but that only comes after swimmers understand that they aren't meant for casual swimming. (My coach even makes us take our fins off when we swim easy so we don't slack off on our technique.)

Being tail ready doesn't just happen over night or in a few days, it takes months of practice and disipline if you're inexperienced. I know you may not want to hear that you shouldn't swim in a silicone tail, but nobody starts off in silicone. Start off with tights, tights and fins, and then a fabric tail. Give it a year and really think about if you want to pursue mermaiding further. A silicone tail is a big investment, even if you make it yourself. You're putting your time, energy, and money into it. You don't want it to be an investment you'll regeret. Especially if you have difficulty swimming in it. Please give yourself time to practice and prepare for a tail.


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[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

Great post, Tybee!

On the artistic side, silicone has a huge learning curve (just ask the queen, Pearlie Mae) and takes a long time to not only develop your design, but to sculpt the idea, cast the molds, pour the silicone, have it cure in ideal conditions, put everything together, *and* be physically ready to swim in your new 30lb+ monster.

It's an incredible process that's well worth it for some, but it's also years in the making. Start small, a good fabric tail, and get a taste of how to swim and whether you want to invest this much time, money, and effort into your passion.


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Thank u

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[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

How much does a silicone tail usual way

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[MermaidAiera]

D...did you just not read anything we all sent you?

Please do some research. We gave you information. You need to educate yourself on what you're trying to get into and re-evaluate your plans.

[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

D...did you just not read anything we all sent you?

Please do some research. We gave you information. You need to educate yourself on what you're trying to get into and re-evaluate your plans.
When our silicone tail is in making in merrowfins company my bestie and I will get our strength up for our tail thank u for all your nice comments

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[Mermaid Kane]

When our silicone tail is in making in merrowfins company my bestie and I will get our strength up for our tail thank u for all your nice comments

Luna. It's not just about strength. It's about drowning, wasting money on something you don't know you love, and being inexperienced. :eyepop:Did you already order the tail?

[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

No I didn't order it I don't have the money ill have the money in May / June

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[mermaid mazu]

Wow, everyone's comments seem a little bit hostile. I'm not saying you mean for them to, however that's how they read. These lovely mers are trying to help you. I don't know much about merrowfins but if it's full silicone it will be heavy, and difficult in the beginning which raises the safety concerns. Not to mention you may spend all that $ and decide it's really not for you. That was my concern starting out. I totally get the all or nothing mentality though. I've never had a fabric tail. Once I saw the real deal I knew I had to have it. Through tons of research on here I made my own hybrid tail with neoprene and silicone. It's much lighter than full silicone. My friends tail weighs over 50 lbs. My tails are 15-20 lbs, and even they tok getting used to. I got my monofin and swam with it while I waited for my materials to come in. The monofin was enough for me to know I was going to love it. I hope you do too. Welcome to the mermaid world, be careful

[Mermaid Whisper]

Best of luck to you, Luna!


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[Mermaid Kane]

Wow, everyone's comments seem a little bit hostile. I'm not saying you mean for them to, however that's how they read. These lovely mers are trying to help you. I don't know much about merrowfins but if it's full silicone it will be heavy, and difficult in the beginning which raises the safety concerns. Not to mention you may spend all that $ and decide it's really not for you. That was my concern starting out. I totally get the all or nothing mentality though. I've never had a fabric tail. Once I saw the real deal I knew I had to have it. Through tons of research on here I made my own hybrid tail with neoprene and silicone. It's much lighter than full silicone. My friends tail weighs over 50 lbs. My tails are 15-20 lbs, and even they tok getting used to. I got my monofin and swam with it while I waited for my materials to come in. The monofin was enough for me to know I was going to love it. I hope you do too. Welcome to the mermaid world, be careful

Thank you for pointing that out, Mazu.

You say what I've been trying to say much better then myself.

[mermaid mazu]

Lol I knew what everyone was trying to say but I didn't want to scare off a new mer.

[TybeeMermaid]

Please, please, please, please, PLEASE listen to us when we explain to you that a silicone tail is not a good idea for a first tail. I know they look nice and are more realistic than a fabric tail, but they are DANGEROUS. We've tried breaking it to you gently but it seems like you still think you're ready for a silicone tail. You are not. Silicone weighs A TON. Even the most basic of tails weigh more than 30 pounds and those Merrowfins tails look like they weigh a lot more than that. We want you to be safe while pursuing your mermaid dreams. Saftey is the most important part of any water-related activity. Of course, we all want to see you live out your dreams as a mermaid. But we don't want you to die because you're not ready for it yet. Sorry if it sounds harsh but we've all spent a long time around the water and know potential danger when we see it (or read it).

Mermaiding is a lot more than splashing around in the pool with friends. It's a lot of training and discipline. For one, you don't really want to touch the bottom of the pool, lake, river, or ocean for a number of reasons. The biggest is that you run the risk of damaging your tail. Just about any surface can damage a tail by creating punctures or wearing down the surface. Whether it's shells, rocks, concrete, tile, or just about anything else, you should always try to avoid resting your tail directly on it. (this applies to every type of tail, silicone, fabric, and sequin) When you spend a lot of money on something, you have to take care of it. Repairing it is always an option, but it probably won't look as nice as it did before.

Another big reason you don't want to touch the bottom is that it breaks the illusion of a tail. Think about it. When you see mermaids, do their fins rest like feet? No, they're always pointed. Breaking the illusion is a bad habit to fall into. Try to avoid it whenever possible.

A good way to make sure your ankles are comfortable being pointed all the time is to stretch them frequently. I always make sure I stretch my ankles before I put my shoes on and after I take my shoes off. It's a good way for me to know that I've stretched my ankles a couple times for the day. If you want to look at some good ankle stretches, I recommend visiting this link: https://www.runnersworld.com/health/build-stronger-feet-and-ankles. They list a lot of the stretches I do. In addition, you can also walk around your house on your toes. I used to do it a lot as a kid and now my ankles rest pointed!

I have no idea how long your pool is but I'm going to assume it's the average backyard pool size of 10 meters. I'll write you a basic work out that I normally give to the kids I coach during summer league swimming. Note that being a strong swimmer involves putting in work in and out of the pool. Getting good at swimming doesn't happen overnight but if you're consistent with your practice, you'll find yourself making progress in no time! Also, always make sure there is someone watching over you as you practice. If you and your friend are practicing, make sure there's someone else keeping an eye on you.
__________________________________________________ ___________
All of these distances are measured in meters and not laps.
If your pool is 10 meters, then a 50 would be 5 laps.
When you see an "x" in between numbers, it means repeat that distance for a certain amount of times.
(For example, 4 x 50 means you need to do 4 50s which would be 20 laps in a 10-meter pool.)

Main Swimming Set
- 200 freestyle
- 4 x 75 kick on your back
- 4 x 50 swim descend (getting faster each 50 meters)
- 4 x 25 swim sprint (as fast as you can go)
- 50 curl-ups
Rest 1:00
- 100 freestyle
- 4 x 50 kick on your back
- 4 x 25 swim sprint (as fast as you can go)
- 25 burpees
Rest :30
- 50 freestyle
- 4 x 25 swim sprint (as fast as you can go)
- 1:00 plank

Optional Training for Mermaiding
(complete while wearing tights
- 200 butterfly kick
- 25 underwater kick (no breathing)
- 25 quark screw
- 25 dolphin dive
- 25 quark screw (the opposite direction than before)
Rest 2:00
- 100 butterfly kick
- 50 underwater kick (no breathing)
- 50 quark screw
- 50 dolphin dive
- 50 quark screw (the opposite direction than before)
Rest 2:00

Optional Fancy Trick Training
25 back flips (in the water)
20 back flips into a quark screw (10 on each side)
25 front flips (in the water)
20 front flips into a quark screw (10 on each side)
25 back flips into a front flip
25 front flips into back flips

20 bubble rings (watch a tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjiaFJSGK_A)

I didn't leave any breath holding exercises just because everyone is different when it comes to training their lung capacity but you should try to work on that too.

Like I said before, being a mermaid requires lots of practice so if you really want to get into it, consistently train, do your research, be safe, and start in a fabric tail. It's better to spend $100 on a nice fabric tail and find out mermaiding isn't for you than to spend $600 on a silicone tail and find out you don't like it. We all want you to be safe so please make a smart decision and listen to what we're trying to say.

[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

Wow, everyone's comments seem a little bit hostile. I'm not saying you mean for them to, however that's how they read. These lovely mers are trying to help you. I don't know much about merrowfins but if it's full silicone it will be heavy, and difficult in the beginning which raises the safety concerns. Not to mention you may spend all that $ and decide it's really not for you. That was my concern starting out. I totally get the all or nothing mentality though. I've never had a fabric tail. Once I saw the real deal I knew I had to have it. Through tons of research on here I made my own hybrid tail with neoprene and silicone. It's much lighter than full silicone. My friends tail weighs over 50 lbs. My tails are 15-20 lbs, and even they tok getting used to. I got my monofin and swam with it while I waited for my materials to come in. The monofin was enough for me to know I was going to love it. I hope you do too. Welcome to the mermaid world, be careful
I think its a neoprene underneath yeah it is neoprene

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[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

Best of luck to you, Luna!


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Thank u

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[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

I forgot to say this but its a hybrid its got neoprene backing on the inside

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[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

Please, please, please, please, PLEASE listen to us when we explain to you that a silicone tail is not a good idea for a first tail. I know they look nice and are more realistic than a fabric tail, but they are DANGEROUS. We've tried breaking it to you gently but it seems like you still think you're ready for a silicone tail. You are not. Silicone weighs A TON. Even the most basic of tails weigh more than 30 pounds and those Merrowfins tails look like they weigh a lot more than that. We want you to be safe while pursuing your mermaid dreams. Saftey is the most important part of any water-related activity. Of course, we all want to see you live out your dreams as a mermaid. But we don't want you to die because you're not ready for it yet. Sorry if it sounds harsh but we've all spent a long time around the water and know potential danger when we see it (or read it).

Mermaiding is a lot more than splashing around in the pool with friends. It's a lot of training and discipline. For one, you don't really want to touch the bottom of the pool, lake, river, or ocean for a number of reasons. The biggest is that you run the risk of damaging your tail. Just about any surface can damage a tail by creating punctures or wearing down the surface. Whether it's shells, rocks, concrete, tile, or just about anything else, you should always try to avoid resting your tail directly on it. (this applies to every type of tail, silicone, fabric, and sequin) When you spend a lot of money on something, you have to take care of it. Repairing it is always an option, but it probably won't look as nice as it did before.

Another big reason you don't want to touch the bottom is that it breaks the illusion of a tail. Think about it. When you see mermaids, do their fins rest like feet? No, they're always pointed. Breaking the illusion is a bad habit to fall into. Try to avoid it whenever possible.

A good way to make sure your ankles are comfortable being pointed all the time is to stretch them frequently. I always make sure I stretch my ankles before I put my shoes on and after I take my shoes off. It's a good way for me to know that I've stretched my ankles a couple times for the day. If you want to look at some good ankle stretches, I recommend visiting this link: https://www.runnersworld.com/health/build-stronger-feet-and-ankles. They list a lot of the stretches I do. In addition, you can also walk around your house on your toes. I used to do it a lot as a kid and now my ankles rest pointed!

I have no idea how long your pool is but I'm going to assume it's the average backyard pool size of 10 meters. I'll write you a basic work out that I normally give to the kids I coach during summer league swimming. Note that being a strong swimmer involves putting in work in and out of the pool. Getting good at swimming doesn't happen overnight but if you're consistent with your practice, you'll find yourself making progress in no time! Also, always make sure there is someone watching over you as you practice. If you and your friend are practicing, make sure there's someone else keeping an eye on you.
__________________________________________________ ___________
All of these distances are measured in meters and not laps.
If your pool is 10 meters, then a 50 would be 5 laps.
When you see an "x" in between numbers, it means repeat that distance for a certain amount of times.
(For example, 4 x 50 means you need to do 4 50s which would be 20 laps in a 10-meter pool.)

Main Swimming Set
- 200 freestyle
- 4 x 75 kick on your back
- 4 x 50 swim descend (getting faster each 50 meters)
- 4 x 25 swim sprint (as fast as you can go)
- 50 curl-ups
Rest 1:00
- 100 freestyle
- 4 x 50 kick on your back
- 4 x 25 swim sprint (as fast as you can go)
- 25 burpees
Rest :30
- 50 freestyle
- 4 x 25 swim sprint (as fast as you can go)
- 1:00 plank

Optional Training for Mermaiding
(complete while wearing tights
- 200 butterfly kick
- 25 underwater kick (no breathing)
- 25 quark screw
- 25 dolphin dive
- 25 quark screw (the opposite direction than before)
Rest 2:00
- 100 butterfly kick
- 50 underwater kick (no breathing)
- 50 quark screw
- 50 dolphin dive
- 50 quark screw (the opposite direction than before)
Rest 2:00

Optional Fancy Trick Training
25 back flips (in the water)
20 back flips into a quark screw (10 on each side)
25 front flips (in the water)
20 front flips into a quark screw (10 on each side)
25 back flips into a front flip
25 front flips into back flips

20 bubble rings (watch a tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjiaFJSGK_A)

I didn't leave any breath holding exercises just because everyone is different when it comes to training their lung capacity but you should try to work on that too.

Like I said before, being a mermaid requires lots of practice so if you really want to get into it, consistently train, do your research, be safe, and start in a fabric tail. It's better to spend $100 on a nice fabric tail and find out mermaiding isn't for you than to spend $600 on a silicone tail and find out you don't like it. We all want you to be safe so please make a smart decision and listen to what we're trying to say.
Thank that really helps

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[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

It's something that I always wanted to do even in the pool without a tail I still swim with my legs shut together thanks for everyone has been so welcoming and so happy to help! I guess I forgot to mention that Merrowfins basic tails are hybrid tails backed with neoprene

[Mermaid_Auquita_123]

I thought they were too, but all the comments does help me get information

[MermaidAiera]

I thought they were too, but all the comments does help me get information

Apologies for coming off as hostile. This is extremely important however, since not only your safety but also the integrity of this community is put at risk when mers don't do proper research and put on tails outside of their abilities. We are a privileged group in that we have never seen a drowning due to tails, but with more and more people getting them that risk increases every day and affects the community, causing bans at pools and giving mermaiding a bad name. This also goes along with risks of far more minor injuries such as muscle strains, joint issues, back pain, etc. that often go unnoticed/unchecked because they're not immediately dangerous or detrimental.

You need to heed our advice and take this seriously. I am so glad that you're completely interested/invested in the mermaid community, it's always wonderful to have new people in our circle <3 Please go about it the safe way though. It's so exciting to get your first tail, I hope you make the right decision to start small and work your way up to a professional level.

I wish you the best of luck! :mermaid kiss: