Your dream mermaid monofin!

[Firemaid]

Hey friends!

What would your dream monofin be like?

I am going to produce mermaid monofins and I want your 2 cents!

What is important to you in a monofin?

What would it be made of?

What colors would you want?

What do you like and dislike about the mermaid monofins that are out there already?

You can see the tread "Would you use this" in monofins to see my original design!

[MerEmma]

Currently I own an Oceanika and Churchill swimfins, so you have an idea of what sort of (limited) experience I have. I think it's SO cool you are going to make a new monofin and I wish you the absolute BEST luck with it! Obviously it's going to be meant for mermaiding, otherwise I'd recommend asking some pro freedivers too. :P

For me, the reason I chose the Oceanika was because I considered it to be "between" the Finis Wave/Rapid/Foil before going straight to the competitor. I liked the shape and the bright colors as well, but I thought it would be a nice step up from the Wave. The size was also a contributing factor, I liked that it was larger than the Wave. The price tag is only slightly hefty for a first monofin but that's all right, I was willing to pay extra for something I'd really love. Speed is good because I love to go faster and the Oceanika gives me that. I feel like I want a good mixture of being able to go fast if I want, but I also feel like a nice, slow, leisurely swim is important too. My main fear with buying any monofin really was that I would have to always use a deep body roll and this really deterred me at first from the Oceanika but is luckily not the case. (I'm afraid I'm kind of just rambling about pros/cons of my Oceanika...which may or may not be helpful to you and I apologize xD)... I know a lot of us on the forum like big fins. Big. Fins. xD

I'd say my dream monofin would probably be rubber or fiberglass. I love the way in my Oceanika it starts out really thick at the base but progressively gets thinner to the tips--this makes it pretty floppy but not TOO floppy. It gives it a sort of realism that I really enjoy. And as for the fiberglass, it's not *too* flowy but at the same time I don't like an overly flowy fluke that flops over onto itself. The rubber really seems to be in the middle and I really like that.

Colors...Blue. I think a bright lime green monofin would be really cool but that might just be me. xD Pink. A purple one would be neat. I think it would be cool to offer colors not currently offered by anyone, really. Purple and green as examples. Yellow, black, blue, pink are all used and of course a few others too.

I'm not sure what my likes and dislikes are, as I've only used one monofin before. Again, I love the research you're doing on all this! :D

[Mermaid Pickles]

akjsdfhsjk*brain died right there* That somehow killed my brain. My apologies. The big fin thing. What she (MerEmma) said. And wider.....stiffer is good for those who swim in water with fairly strong currents. Soo. yeah. Colors?random, but white. I don't know. something about white kinda just makes me go "Ooooohhh. unusual~." And that's all I've got right now.

[MerAnthony]

I have a Rapid plus a couple of others here. Now if you took a Rapid an made it a little bit wider an gave it more propulsion, But with the same flexablity that would be great. As to color, it makes no difference to me as long it is not hot pink. LOL

[Mermaid Lorelei]

First off, let me just say that this is a fantastic idea and I really hope you're able to go through with your plans! Now for your questions.

What is important to you in a monofin? - I'm most interested in realism. As much as I like my rapid and competitor monofins, they just don't move very realistically (in my opinion). I much prefer the fluidity and motion of the finis foil. So, no matter the shape or size, I'm mostly interested in realistic movement. The more accurate to fish or cetaceans, the better.

What would it be made of? - Honestly, anything pretty much, so long as it is a working monofin. I do like the idea of the top (section by foot pocket) being much more rigid than the end, like true fish. Honestly, I'd just try to get a material(s) that replicates nature, be that rubber, fiberglass, or a combination of different things. I will say though that I love having rubber foot pockets.

What colors would you want? - I think white would be nice, as well as some other unusual colors. I'd say white for sure, though, due to the fact that it would be the easiest color to paint or hide beneath silicone. And, if I let myself dream for a moment, a clear monofin would be TO DIE FOR. Just saying.

What do you like and dislike about the mermaid monofins that are out there already? - I absolutely hate straps. Hate them. It's probably my worst issue with the rapid. They're always slipping, loosening, or just plain falling off. I also don't like visible spines, like on the rapid. If you were to make the spines look more organic, then they would be awesome. I will say that I like the shape of more dolphin or whale like monofins, whether they were cut later or not.

Hope that helps. :3

[Mermaid Kelda]

What is important to you in a monofin?
Like Lorelei, I'm interested in realism. I want something that looks good no matter how I use it. Normal monofins are fine for putting into a tail, but if you don't want to use a tail, a merfin is a great alternative. As long as it's not too expensive (I probably wouldn't want pay more than $100 for a monofin by itself, unless it was something I really loved the look of) I'd definitely look at purchasing a realistic merfin.
As for shape, I don't think you can offer just one option. I'd have bought an Oceanika by now but for the fact that I really don't like the shape. Some mers like the wide, dolphin-style fluke, and others (like myself) prefer a longer, fishy fluke. I think you'd need to offer a few different "mainstream" types, to appeal to a greater audience. Maybe come up with a few basic designs that each embody something different about popular shapes.

What would it be made of?
I prefer floppy monofins, but that's because I'm not worried about propulsion. Some mers favour powerful swimming, some favour graceful swimming. It'd be cool if you could somehow combine both aspects into the one fin. I don't know anything about monofin materials though, so I don't have any suggestions!

What colors would you want?
I prefer muted and deep, or pale and pastel, rather than bright and flashy. But the mer community is so diverse that I think the best option would be to offer a great variety. Pastel, fluoro, deep/rich colours, strong/bright colours. There's a market for every colour out there. I'd also love a clear monofin, but from what I hear there can be issues with discolouring with age.

What do you like and dislike about the mermaid monofins that are out there already?
I love the idea of the Oceanika, because it's a monofin you can use even without the tail on top. But I don't like the shape or the colouring; it's too cartoony for me. I loved the 3D design you posted in that other thread! That's the sort of thing I'm looking for - a pretty and realistic monofin for practicing, or just for when I don't want to wear a tail.

[MermaidIsis]

For me whats most important in a mono fin is probably durability and size. Iv seen many monofins in the past that have broken and really broken their owners hearts. I like really big flukes, so a great, big monofin would help with that!
Id like a monofin made out of rubber or some other floppy material. Sometimes, when monofins are made out of a plasticy material, they make the fluke of your tail look a bit cheesy when its very clear that there is a monofin inside instead of having one flat fluke. Kind of off topic, but, if your looking into making/ selling monofins, make a variety of shapes that people can choose from do you dont loose customers because they dont like the shape of the monofin. I really like the original design you had. Along with that, i would recomend an orca shaped fluke as well.
Colors: hmmmmm, a variety of colors would be best, but if thats not possible, than i would stick with lighter colors so that, when inside a fabric tail, you wont be able to see the monofin through the fabric.
I dont think i really dislike any monofins. But i definetly like some more than others,. For example, i do not like the shape of the foil mono fin, but i like that it is still a little floppy-er than other monofins.
good luck with your monofin!i hope my advise was helpfull!

[MerEmma]

Something else I think most of us agree with: a monofin that hides the heels. Some do it better than others but the heels are something that really stick out with some monofins. Personally I don't mind the heels showing all that much but when you compare it to tails without the heels showing it adds a whole new realism.