Making my first Neoprene tail! (Design help).

[Mermaid Mads]

Hello fellow Merfolk. This will be my first tale and I was wondering if this design would be possible to make out of neoprene. I am ordering a mono fin and I will be cutting it into the shape as demonstrated in my picture. If you have any design advice please don't hesitate to tell me. Thank you very much. -Mermaid Mads

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[Dacora]

Needs more ice cream. XD
What type of monofin are you going to use? I think the long fins might cause a lot of drag.

[MerEmma]

Based on the drawing, to me it looks like a competitor. :P
But, I do like the design. Not sure how neoprene is going to look all flowy like you have drawn out though. It'll also have drag, but sometimes drag is okay. xD

[Mermaid Mads]

It is a Finis Competitor. and I don't plan to make the fabric over the mono fin neoprene. That would look kind of strange.

[MermaidDiaries1]

First, love the design. Second, long fins like that are gorgeous, but I've mainly seen them on silicone/latex tails because the silicone/latex sticks together. Fabric on long fins could be a good place for water to drag. Also, I have a tail where the fins are very long and wide(fabric) and when it swims, the sides fold up because of the stream of water going along you and it looks very unflattering. So, I would try not make the fins super long. Next, as a scuba diver I know about neoprene. Neoprene cause flotation, one of the reason scuba divers need weights, and too much neoprene might cause "bubbling up." Bubbling up is when a certain part of the tail if floating so to speak. It's very hard and undesirable to swim in a bubbled up tail. And if layering neoprene, it will be worse. You'd be created a second layer of air, which will make it even harder to swim in. Neoprene is a great material by-itself. So try painting on it( use acrylic or clothing paint) or put a layer of thin, not very think, fabric. I cut my monofin and never regretted a moment since.

[Mermaid Mads]

MermaidDiaries1 (http://mernetwork.com/index/member.php?1966-MermaidDiaries1): Thank you very much for that information I will take that into consideration. and thank you to everyone else who has taken the time to look over this design.

-Mermaid Mads

[ShyMer]

i personally like a longer body, and the competitor's shape works well with that. specifically I'm referencing how high in the tail the fluke starts. my favorite fluke shape starts lower on the foot. I think it's the proportions of the length of the body and the tail. i think it helps with the illusion. I'm not trying to change your mind about your design, it looks like you've thought this through quite well based on your sketch. i just wanted to point it out just in case you hadn't considered it.

something to consider also might be to use silicone to flesh the fluke more and hide the monofin shape. check out mermaid Shelly's recent work on Facebook to see what i mean. i think she used caulking for that part. it has a nice feel to it.

[Aquatarian]

Oooh I'm liking it so far! I would love to see some color on it. Are you gonna do any fins extra fins?

[Kanti]

Wow that is going to be one loooooooong fluke.
Looks good though! Certainly going to be a very flowy tail

[Mermaid Mads]

This is a slightly better idea of what I want to do. 9771

[MerAnthony]

I had a fabric tail that did just that.(bubble up) But what I had done to fix that was I put a few small holes along the seam an the tips for the air to exscape out to prevent that from happening. Looks great for what you have done, Can't wait to see it when finished.

[Lotus]

you might consider making the long parts of the tail out of fringe-type material rather than neoprene.
Also, it's probably smart to leave the end of the fluke open to put in your fin since you can't roll up a competitor. You can have velcro or a zipper or both there at the end to seal it up once the fin is inside

also, it shouldn't look strange with neoprene for a fluke.
who cut your fin for you?

[Mermaid Mads]

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sequin patterns

[MerEmma]

Beautiful sequins! Where'd you get them from?

[Mermaid Mads]

Hobbie Lobbie

[Aino Revontuletar]

I am making a tail with a very long fluke in a similar shape to yours, with a competitor monofin. I wont be cutting my monofin though. I will be using silicone, but I am really interested to see how yours turns out! Best of luck with it!!!

[MermaidIsis]

It looks fantastic! But one recomendation would be not to have the fluke start that far above the monofin because it probably wont be able to hold up the pattern of the fluke. Ummmmmm, make sure you use really strong thred and all that jazz so it wont rip at the seams. Also, be carefull when your cutting the monofin, if you dont do it correctly it may just crack. Good luck!!!!!! Be sure to post pics!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mermaid Mads]

My best friends father who is a professional master carpenter is cutting my monofin for me.

[Mermaid Mads]

I also got navy swim fabric instead of neoprene. I spent probably close to two hours with both in each arm deciding which fabric would be better for me.The reason I choose swim fabric is because it wasn't as thick as the neoprene and I decided that as beautiful as hand panted scales can be it would take a very long time. I love the look of sequins and how it is easy to layer them on in a scale pattern. What I have learned from this is that before you go out and order or buy a bunch of neoprene compare it to swim fabric. I do NOTrecommend spandex fabric. When I asked for a small square and tested it in the water it did not move well and there was a lot of drag. I hope that my research can help someone now of in the future.

[Mermaid Melusinah]

I also got navy swim fabric instead of neoprene. I spent probably close to two hours with both in each arm deciding which fabric would be better for me.The reason I choose swim fabric is because it wasn't as thick as the neoprene and I decided that as beautiful as hand panted scales can be it would take a very long time. I love the look of sequins and how it is easy to layer them on in a scale pattern. What I have learned from this is that before you go out and order or buy a bunch of neoprene compare it to swim fabric. I do NOTrecommend spandex fabric. When I asked for a small square and tested it in the water it did not move well and there was a lot of drag. I hope that my research can help someone now of in the future.

The only thing that is really going to be some thing you might find to be an issue is that the swim fabric is REALLY going to stretch. and it will likely not go back to its original shape. also, it may be hard for the lycra to support sequins (if you are still planning on that) you will quickly find that while the sequins are light yes, when you get many on there, they will add a decent amount of weight to the tail, which in turn could just generate more unwanted stretch.

I in no way want to discourage your ideas or methods, I myself am not a tail maker, but I am a diver and do have some sewing and seamstress experience.

let me also leave you with this video from Morticia Mermaid that compares the two. It really is a helpful little insight. <3


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=96smOaUUiY0

[Mermaid Mads]

I cut off a square of fabric I bought and tested a sequin pattern on the fabric and then tested the small patch in the water.

[MerEmma]

How did it work?

[Mermaid Mads]

That is the test patch. it looks really nice in the water and moves quite well.

[MerEmma]

Looks like it held up well. Where'd you get the sequins from?

[MermaidIsis]

make sure you put the sequins a little closer together than you think you needto so when it stretches there wont be gaps:)

[Ashe]

Looking good so far! I am totally in love with those colors :D

[Mermaid Mads]

http://youtu.be/UjdHVyPYb0Y

After seeing this I ordered a finis competitor mono fin! EXCITEMENT

[Aino Revontuletar]

I have a competitor they are fantastic!

[Mertara]

I love how flexible that is in the water! What is it though?

[Lotus]

http://www.sweammer.com/en/menu-principal/monopalme
There ya go! check it out. :)

[Mermaid Mads]

10248
This is my official tail design! Sooo much better than my quick drawings.

[maxinemermaid123]

Where did you order the neoprene?

[Mermaid Mads]

Oh my tail! I just ordered a Hydra Sweet Pink Mono fin and the order says it should be here on Tuesday! ahhhhhhhh! So excited. I will post about shipping. Its coming from Europe and I had to send a picture of my license to prove that I am the card holder and being the paranoid person I am I freaked out. But I did some online CSI-ing and they are a legit company. I even called the help line which is in fact real. Ahhh!! I am just so excited. I will post lots of pictures. WOOOOOOOOOOT!:lol::crazy::yay::clap::highfive::thu mbs up:

[inactive account]

I love how you swim :3

[Mermaid Momo]

Such an epic fin!How much did your hydra cost you? I've been to a few sites selling them but the ones I've been to didnt list a price ANYWHERE.

[AniaR]

The competitor is great, I really enjoy mine.

One suggestion (and I apologize if it's been made I didn't get to read all the replies) I have for you is that you have the neoprene closer to the monofin when you get to the fluke. In your initial design you have a lot of space on each sides of the monofin. If you want the fluke to be stiffer, it'll need to be glued down but even then if it's too far from the monofin it'll end up floppy. If you don't glue it down, it can end up filling with air and water, and also make the monofin very visible. When you look at neoprene tails like Hannah mermaids you'll see the neoprene comes very close around the monofin and is fitted, then uses embellishments like fringes to get the flowly look. I've swam in tails that aren't fitted to the monofin and it can be very difficult and not look great.

Just my two cents. Good luck!

[Mermaid Allie]

Looks great!