Tail weights?

[Echidna]

I'd like to move away from my weight belt (too obvious) and try to put weights in my tails instead.
I'm not sure which weights to use though, and how to put them in the tail so they stay where they are.

Any tips?

[Ilyena]

It has been mentioned before but those hand held ones and put them between your thighs. Or presently I'm coming up with a way to strap them to my thighs and behind my ankles for my neoprene tail, since dad makes his own fishing sinkers, we made a few shapes into wood of how I'd like the weight to look so it can be places inside the tail.

[AniaR]

I have had good luck with taking denser ankle weights and putting them in between my thighs but the velcro doesnt do all the way around so it took some creative planning. My tail has gotten a bit baggier on me as I've lost weight, so sometimes I strap em to my butt. In the video I posted recently, the montage of me swimming for the film crew, I had weight in my butt hahaha.

[MermanOliver]

I came across weight rods for scuba diving. They are called "bright weights" and are 500g a piece. They have a narrow section in the middle and a hole on one end, so attaching them is quite easy. I think they have longer and heavier rods for mounting along scuba tanks. Maybe they can be put between the legs in a tail.

http://brightweights.com/home.html
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[Mermaid Galene]

This is sort of a tangential question, but I am neutrally buoyant in my fabric tail and with just a monofin. I can swim high in the water column or on the bottom as I please. Will it likely be the same when I get my silicone tail? Or will I be more floaty and need weights?

[Echidna]

Some good ideas here, thanks all.


This is sort of a tangential question, but I am neutrally buoyant in my fabric tail and with just a monofin. I can swim high in the water column or on the bottom as I please.

Lucky girl! That must be so awesome. Can you stop and just chill without floating up too?

Silicone tends to be neutrally buoyant in water, so my guess is you won't have any problems.

[Winged Mermaid]

It has been mentioned before but those hand held ones and put them between your thighs.

I do this. I joke and call them my coochie weights XP With my silicone tail I can use 3lbs, with my old latex and neoprene tail I needed 5lbs. I always make sure I'm not in any danger and can take them out quickly, and always tell the people I'm swimming with I have weights in my tail, in case of any emergency for whatever reason.

[Mermaid Galene]

I haven't tried just staying put underwater. I can control where I swim in the water column by pointing my hands where I want to go and then leveling off. But I have no luck staying down while blowing bubble rings. I got beautiful rings on my very first try, but as I'm blowing them I float to the top! I think I haven't mastered how to expel enough air to sink while keeping enough air to blow bubbles.

[Echidna]

oh, and you probably shouldn't.
exhale diving can lead to lung squeeze even in a pool (depends on chest flexibility, but still).
also, there's the blackout risk.

when I practice bubble rings, I go into the shallow pool and hold myself under at the rim.
or I put on a belt with 10kg lead xD

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I decided against waist belts but have been looking at these for the feet. Seems its the fin that makes me super floaty, in that when I'm doing the swim technique, my legs are up in the air out of the water!

http://diveimportsaustralia.com.au/mcnett-ankle-weights/

[Mermaid Galene]

Oh, my, thanks for the clarification, Caltuna! I'll keep my lungs filled!

[AptaMer]

Otter Bay Wetsuits makes a Scuba diving-oriented neoprene mermaid suit ( http://otterbaysuits.com/Mermaidhome.htm )

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They make a monofin for it with two 1 lb (454 g) weights attached just below the foot pockets. They describe the construction and how they attach the weights here http://otterbaysuits.com/Goals.htm

Issues with ankle weights would be whether they let you put your ankles close together and whether they would cause bulges under your tail.

Some experimentation would be required to see whether a heavier fin would affect your dolphin kick?

[Mermaid Lily_Pad]

The Weeki Wachee mermaids are taught to raise and lower underwater, (at least that is what they say during their show when they do the demonstrations of their skills). Is there a technique you can learn?

[Mermaid Melanie]

You can learn to control you buoyancy and depth with your breathing - they use the hoses to breath from so they can fill their lungs to float up and empty them to float down - I your scuba certified you can take the PADI peak performance buoyancy course ( 1 dive where you work on fine running your buoyancy ) one of the most important skills in diving that often people find hard to grasp in the beginning


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[Echidna]

You can use breathing and sculling to raise or lower in the water column.

without scuba gear or an air hose, however, the breathing skills are of very little use for tailswimming/freediving.