Advice for using an Alex Plus Tail

[Sea Pearl]

A while ago I bought a tail that was made of Neoprene with Alex Plus, and so far I have only used the tail once in the water for an hour or so. The main problem was being able to find a place that allows people to swim in a tail until recently. Lately I have heard people cautioning making or wearing a tail with Alex Plus in it and I wanted to know if it is actually dangerous to swim in a tail with that in it? Some people have gotten really freaked out when I told them I had a tail made with that in it :( Unfortunately, I am a little bit of a hypochondriac so after I had talked to those people and heard some of the stuff about Alex Plus tails I got freaked out a little. Are they safe to use in a swimming pool? And are there any precautions to take before/while and after wearing one?

I am sorry if this topic has already been discussed somewhere else.

Thank you!

[Gem Stone]

I have one and after two years mine is still fine. I've never had a problem

[AniaR]

I am the person who had alex plus show up on a blood test. Mainly because alexplus will UNCURE with repeated use (why they get all white) and I did not have neoprene in between my skin and it, I had neoprin that was either too thin or had holes. My doctor was quite shocked I was sold a material used for window caulking that says right on it not for underwater use and dangerous on skin. Further scans showed stress on my pancreas and a high white blood cell count. I stopped using it. It's important to note that I am a very sensitive person, so I am more prone to problems than the average healthy person. But yeah, that wasn't some random rumour or something. That was me.

Even when really talented people make alex plus tails, they tend to eventually turn white and wear out. Raven took her tutorial down because after repeated use her tails died too and she stopped using the product. She didn't want to endorse it.

So in terms of tips? What I have learned from having one and talking with others:

-Make sure the tail gets dried properly, but not lying out in the sun as that will continue to degrade it
-If it's white, that's uncured material and it can be potentially toxic (especially to pregnant women as discussed in the msds on another thread) OR if when the tail is in water, a white cloud is released or the water turns milky- it's uncured
-paint wont just stay on it, it'll scrape. So it's important that if you need to fix it you mix the paint WITH the alex plus and then paint it on and then HEAT set it
-if you're going to use the alex, be sure to wear a mask and gloves and work in a well ventilated area
-if your tail is made out of neoprin and not neoprene, I suggest wearing tights and socks underneath it to give your skin an extra barrier
-the monofin can become unglued. You can reglue it using any safe fast drying caulking regardless of the colour (since it'll be on the inside) by cutting a tiny hole in the fluke and inserting the nozzle, then spreading the stuff around from the outside being careful not to get it in the foot pockets, and then finally re-seal the hole.

Mine had many problems and I didn't even use it much. Raven's had loads, and she used hers frequently for her aquarium show.

This doesn't mean you'll have problems. SOme people never have a complaint about their tails. These are all just things to consider and watch out for

[Spindrift]

You should also keep in mind that you should also be considering the health of others swimming around you and those who will be in the water after you, too. After I finish upgrading my current tails I'll be soaking them in bath water and running pH tests.

[Sea Pearl]

Thank you for all of your posts everyone. I do appreciate the feedback.