First time with my Monofin! <3

[Damica]

If this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it ^_^;

So I discovered mermaid-ing over two years ago. However, I lacked a monofin and kept coming up with reasons why I couldn't/shouldn't get one. My fantastic boyfriend, seeing me watch mermaid videos with envy, bout me my very own monofin as a a late birthday gift. I was ecstatic! However, while I tried it on now and again, the opportunity to take it swimming was more or less over as he got it for me right after public outdoor pools closed (I live where it gets very cold right after August). :/

Yesterday, I glanced over at my fin looking at me longingly from it's bag in the corner, and I finally snapped. I looked up where open swim was, told my friend we were going, and tonight after work I drove to the indoor public pool. I strapped it on, and after a few moments, I felt I was doing ok. I defiantly need more practice, but I have to say, I'm in love! :) <3

What was it first like when you put on your first fin and swam around. What was your first trick?

[Mermaid Saphira]

Sounds similar to my story, minus the boyfriend LOL. My dad saw me watching mermaids with envy so he offered to pay haft for the tail I now own. I couldn't use it for awhile because my grandmother's pool was being worked on so I continued to watch in evey @ the other mers. FINALLY we went swimming! It was so incredible I felt so free. No tricks yet though :)

[Damica]

I did one summersault and got water all up in my nose. burned, but I felt accomplished. I'm lucky my local pool have a deep well of 12+ feet. I wouldn't risk it in anything under 9.

And I'm so happy I'm not the only one who sat and gazed longingly at the monofin just wishing for the chance. My friends were starting to pick on me for owning something that expensive and not using it yet.

[Mermaid Miel]

I don't have a tail yet, just my Mermaid mono-fin. But I adore swimming with it already. It's gotten to the point where I feel so slow and weak without it. (with only 3 swims in it!) My mum shakes her head and is annoyed with me for having something so childish. (Yes it is the Kids Finis Mermaid Monofin and I'm an Adult... but it was the cheapest and it fits my tiny feet!)

I am having the same problem (water up the nose) when swimming. I was surfing the net for nose plugs when I saw this Link!

http://blog.swimator.com/2011/04/getting-water-up-my-nose-while-swimming.html

It's basically a how-to swim without water getting up your nose. I'm going to try out the exercises inside to see if it works for me. I'd much rather learn how-to close my nose than rely on an ugly nose-plug!

[Damica]

Yay for another tail-less mermaid! The link was very informative, and should help out a ton. I find I'm on so long as I'm not trying anything like flipping around. however, even since before the mono fin, I knew I was hosed if I did a summersault. I'll try to keep this in mind next time I head to the pool. :3 Thanks for sharing.

And your very lucky to have such tiny feet. I'm a size 9 1/2 in USA size, and since they no longer make the tempo, I had to get a rapid :/ My mother is also not thrilled with me having a fin. I think it's something most moms have to get over if they don't get it right away.

[kazekoh]

Haha, I feel ya on the large feet XD Its not very fair.
I bought my first monofin ( a Dol-fin) two months ago and have only been able to use it once so far. I do love it though. ;v; I hope to use it to make my tail though since I just found the perfect color fabric.

I might recommended doing tricks without your mono fin first though. I flip, spin and do summersaults on a regular basis so I can figure out how to do it without a plastic thing at the end of my feet... because I am talented and not strange enough in my swim class. xD;;

Learning how to flip turn might help a lot for not getting water up your nose. Also do you breath in through your mouth and out your nose? After I personally learned how to do both of those things, I haven't had much issues with getting water up my nose. Or maybe I just don't feel it any more lol.

Anyways, Congrats on your first swim and I am glad you had a lot of fun :D

[Mermaid Miel]

Well, I gave it a try today... and it sorta worked. It worked best if I still held my nose when diving and let go for the swim, but it failed whenever I tried to flip/somersault/swim on my back underwater. pout.
I dont know whether this is due to lack of practice, or because I usually only breath through my nose. (it reduces Asthma attacks during winter.)
I'll keep up the practice, but I'm going to be shopping for a nose-plug as well.

[Mermaid Saphira]

i like the nose plug i have it's a clear one and works great because i'm not a proformer, just another mer. <3

[Damica]

Went swimming with goggles today. Also went swimming with my roommate who life guarded for years, and actually knew what a monofin was without me having to explain. It was fantastic having him swim with me. He gave me fantastic pointers, and told me where I could improve. I found I wasn't being mindful of my knees, and once I brought them together, the flow of it all became so much simpler. I wasn't expecting to get back in the pool today, but I'm pleasantly surprised :)