Hello and questions :D

[Astheria]

Hello all Mers out there :D
This is my first post so i just want to say Hello and it's nice to be here and any tips and advice for tail making and swimming would be greatly appreciated.

So to start off, I've never made a tail myself before. I've had a tail once a loooonnnng time ago when i was younger and now that I have children of my own, I want to share that magical feeling with them too. So I'm making my own mertail for our youngest girl who is turning 7 next week. I've looked at a couple of quick tutorials and I've already picked up some material but with the bigger girls I want to go with better quality. (I have three step-daughters)

So I was wondering what everyone has found as the best materials for fabric tails, patterns, stitching, ect. Or just to chat about tail making experiences and photos are welcome too. When i get the first tail done (silver and teal) I will post it too. :)

[Mermaid Tula]

Hello and welcome! It really depends on how good they are with their clothing. If they can keep from rubbing up against stuff, not tearing, then a good sturdy fabric would work. If not, neoprene would probably work better.

[MermaidBrittany]

Thats really cool! Definitely would recommend neoprene (not neoprin) for many reasons, but mainly because it does hold up better, and because it just looks better. :) What type of monofin are you getting them?

[Astheria]

Im not sure, i saw some cool pink childrens ones for about $20-$30 but i think ill try making one first, get used to the process and to save money. Once ive tried making the first one ill make better quality ones for the bigger girls and myself, Tiri is still a bit too rough on her clothes for me to spend a lot on a tail. Lol
I think the monofins i found for sale were finis or something. Has anyone tries them?

[MermaidBrittany]

Yup! a lot of finis buyers here, including myself. I started with the wave which is great for beginners. Though it is not shaped like a mermaid fluke, I prefer it to the childrens merfin. You could check out the monofin threads, theres TONS of info :)

[Mermaid Dottie]

Hello Astheria! I would definitely recommend double-layering swim fabric for your older girls, especially if these are there first tails. I also would not advise you to attempt to make your own monofins for first time tail swimmers, mainly because the monofins currently out there are designed to teach a proper dolphin kick, but also because it can be so difficult, time consuming, and the end product can be much less durable than a professionally made fin. it can also be too easy to get the wrong materials, which can be dangerous.
Finis is a very good brand. and if you type mermaid20 in the promo code box at checkout, you get %20 off your purchase.

[Astheria]

Thanks for the tip and the discount code. :)
Ill def look into them. We dont get the kids for very long and i want to make theirs before we go camping this summer.