Not just a tail.. Something new?

[Meurgen]

I'm wondering.. Has anyone attempted to swim totally without their arms? I just had a random idea of a 'tail' that would go up for your shoulders/neck area, and encompass your legs AND arms to make you more fish like and streamlined..
Probably pretty dangerous, but I'm just wondering if anyone has tried anything like it?

I'm not suggesting anyone should by the way.. Haha.

[Echidna]

I'm wondering.. Has anyone attempted to swim totally without their arms?

Not sure what you mean with that.
Arms aren't involved in the dolphin kick movement, you either keep them close at your sides, or steepled in front of you.
Unless you're hovering, treading water at the surface, waving to people or something, you don't use your arms in normal tailswimming (exceptions would be butterfly, or practice strokes with monofin, but I guess that's not what you have in mind?).

[Seatan]

I don't usually swim with my arms when dolphin kicking, but it would make treading water tough...

[PearlieMae]

Sorry, but that just sounds dangerous as hell! :shark:

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

I've actually tread water using just my legs... it IS a challenge, but not impossible. I'm not sure why you would restrain your arms to begin with, though... wouldn't it be cooler to just add some sort of sleeve with arm fins to it?

[Meurgen]

I know it doesn't involve arms, but if you restrain your arms or simply not use them at all then it makes everything else harder excluding the actual swimming - like everyone else here as said, treading water etc.
As I said, I just had a random thought of a suit that was more like a fish, so it has the fins and everything, but your arms would also be inside :P

I just had an image pop into my head of it is all, I wondered if anyone has tried anything like it :)

[Odette]

That's a crazy idea, but I would love to experiment with that. Fish move pretty much by wiggling. The water is pushed from the head and flows along the sides of the body and closes in at the tail. That works because their bodies are made to be hydrodynamic. I'm not sure if our bodies would move fluidly enough to accomplish that even if covered.
If it worked, would you move faster covered or not covered? could be a neat experiment *shrug*

[Echidna]

The problem with this idea is that we have to surface for air, while fish don't.

Coming up for air and treading water at the surface to breathe will look pretty awkward when tied up in a sack,
so to speak. It'll also be quite exhausting.
Wouldn't recommend for deeper pools or open water.

It's definitely possible though, there's even a mer who does this (as bondage fetish), look up Trina,
she's underwater with her arms tied at her sides or back.

[AniaR]

lol are you asking has anyone encased their entire body up to their neck in something restrictive and tried to swim? lol. Well Trina does bondage stuff and swam all tied up if that counts.

[Seatan]

But as the fetish and BDSM community would be the first to tell you, SAFETY is the first rule (not to trump sane and consensual, of course), and I would only do something like that with someone who is an expert at both bondage and water play (actual water play, not the other water play that shall not be named.). If your costume was easy to pull your arms out of, like really stretchy spandex or something, you would probably be okay in shallow water with a swim buddy. Otherwise, leave it to the semipros. ;)

[PearlieMae]

But as the fetish and BDSM community would be the first to tell you, SAFETY is the first rule (not to trump sane and consensual, of course), and I would only do something like that with someone who is an expert at both bondage and water play (actual water play, not the other water play that shall not be named.). If your costume was easy to pull your arms out of, like really stretchy spandex or something, you would probably be okay in shallow water with a swim buddy. Otherwise, leave it to the semipros. ;)


You're killing me! :lol: First with "play that shall not be named", then "semi pros"! You are too funny!

Fish don't need to surface for air and their spines are made for swimming by moving their tails side to side.
If you dolphin kick with your hands by your side, palms on your thighs, you'd get the effect without drowning in a sack! :D

[Anahita]

How would you steer yourself in something like that? Even fish have pectoral fins that help with steering... I know when my betta comes to follow me, he swims up with his caudal fins, but his little pectoral fins are going crazy to turn him face-forward to me....

[malinghi]

Like most people in this thread I'm skeptical about how functional and safe it would be. That isn't to say it isn't possible though.

I wonder if it might be possible to design something that looks like the arms are restricted, but really they aren't. That might give the look you're going for but be safer.

[Spindrift]

Are you just interested in swimming in a fish costume? Like this?

http://www.destructoid.com/elephant//ul/8430-550x-seaman.jpg

http://www.segadriven.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/seaman.jpg

Because I almost died laughing when I remembered this game.

[SeaSister]

LOL that picture is hilarious.

You could always create a costume piece to make your arms look like fins. Like above-the-elbow gloves that has fabric going out from the top to form a triangle, you could make it look webbed and use silicone. Or something like that, lol.

[Anahita]

OMG Spindrift :rotfl:I had all but forgotten about that game (and the nightmares I used to have from it when my friend would pop it on while I visited). BAHAHAAA.

[Meurgen]

I was simply sketching random stuff and the nth e thought of a mermaid with no arms came into my mind, I guess Spindrifts pics would be closest, but somewhat less bizarre .__.
It would be interesting to see how Trina does then, I wasn't thinking of doing it, and it's certainly not a fetish of mine, but it did this sketch and just wondered if anyone had thought of doing something totally crazy with their mermaids. I like the idea that mermaids aren't so much as half human, but that it blends really well together. Hard to explain what I mean really, but the Harry Potter mermaids were a good example to me, of how mermaids can look more creature like.

Eh, eh, just brainstorming! But I wouldn't worry about my own safety so much anyway, as I'm a fully trained lifeguard, and and extremely strong swimmer. I currently have my own pool (which isn't that deep sadly), and I know it's of course possible to turn etc. Without your arms - it just takes a little longer and you can't move as sharply :)

with thy this suit idea though I was thinking there could be like little hand slots in the fins, so your arms are by your side, but your hands can still paddle you a bit if need be haha.

[Fun123joker]

i do swim with my arms. i dont need to be when i dont i swim with my arms at my side. I swim with my arms because my monofin is not as strong but even if it is i just like spreding my arms out,around, and to my side. it just feels and looks nautral

[Aziara]

I'm just wondering how you would steer without the help of your arms. Sure the monofin is the propulsion, and your arms aren't helping propel you forward, but how would you turn?

[Mermaid Curls]

As someone pointed out, fish swim side to side. What we know as mermaids swim like ocean mammals. Dolphins and whales have fins that maneuver them like our arms. The Harry Potter merpeople had arms, but tails were fish-like (side to side motion).