Ugh!! It's so dumb! maybe after being in there a few times, I'll sneak in with it. And tell them my life depends on it! Haha do you at least get to wear your monofin?
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Ugh!! It's so dumb! maybe after being in there a few times, I'll sneak in with it. And tell them my life depends on it! Haha do you at least get to wear your monofin?
See I live in MI most of our lakes are "unsupervised" I guess you could say. They have little flags on Lake Michigan that tell people "your good to swim" "swim at own risk" or "you'll die if you swim" basically. So as far as lakes go, no one really says anything. Now as far as pools. Most pools around me do not want scuba gear (tanks if dropped, slammed, or even brushed against pool will damage the walls/floor) and I can understand that. I went to my old college to ask about swimming in my tail and/or monofin and the lady looked at me like I was crazy. I then explained to her and she had to call her boss to have him come out and me explain it all over again. They finally agreed that I would have to prove to them that I could first swim, then that I could swim in a monofin, then swim in a monofin 2 laps around the pool (to show stamina), and then and only then would they allow me to swim with a tail. BUT I couldn't swim when there were children around for fear that they would tie their legs together and try and swim.
I still haven't gone and done all my "proving" to them just because it will take a lot of time and they have so many restrictions. We will see if I can find a different pool (a friends private pool) or something else for the winter time.
@ sydthefairebrat:yes, I can use my monofins to practice ;)
Wow, so much just for wanting to wear a tail. -_- did you try the whole liability waiver thing?Fenecia- so then it's mostly just the tail thing, I guess. But swimming with the monofin should be a good workout, right? :)
Wow, so much just for wanting to wear a tail. -_- did you try the whole liability waiver thing?
Fenecia- so then it's mostly just the tail thing, I guess. But swimming with the monofin should be a good workout, right? :)
yes, it is :)
I know in Canada there are certain pools which ban flippers of any kind, mainly because they don't want kids to hurt other kids with them.
The places that I swim at have more then one pool and thus, allow the use of flippers as there are many lifeguards around. However if it gets too busy I have been asked to take it off and wait until it's not so busy.
I just need to make sure I read the pool rules before I head to a new one.
I'm a lifeguard so I can tell you there are reasonable means to outlaw mermaiding.
First of all, it's a hazard. You're binding your legs together. Obviously most mers understand this and know how to swim like this. But that doesn't mean everyone. I can just see it in my head someone in a mermaid costume for the first time flopping into the water and not realizing how to swim in it. Then they sink. Then if there's not lifeguard, you can drown and the place is known for the drowning mermaid incident. They might also get sued for not having a lifeguard. But if there is a lifeguard, then they have to save the drowning mer. Getting them to the surface of the water wouldn't be bad. But if they're unconscious and you have to pull them out of the pool. That's a challenge especially if they're wearing a heavy silicone tail (I can't even pick up Nerine's tail with out a challenge. I tried to at our meet up) Also, pulling someone out of the pool is a delicate matter for a lifeguard. You have to expect a head, back or neck injury in which you have to stabilize them and make sure they do not move their spine.
At the pool/waterpark I work at, we do not allow monofins as well. For the same reason. It's an obstruction in the rescue process and a possible danger for the one swimming in it.
Basically, places do NOT want to get sued for something like this. Which I understand. People sue over everything these days. So to avoid any problems, they just ban them. Easier said than done.
I'm just trying to give the other side of the story since I am a lifeguard and I've dealt with people in monofins before. It breaks my mer heart to tell them no but I'd rather keep my job and my waterpark not get sued or in the newspaper...
It's basically free diving but with a fancy costume, if you get my 'drift'....Fail xD.
Haha! I "sea" what you did there.Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnaAbyss
The lifeguard's job is to rescue anyone who is drowning, so why should it matter if they are wearing a tail or not? It is just as easy for someone who is an inexperienced swimmer going into the deep end for the first time to drown so why should you discriminate based on what you are wearing on your legs? A drowning incident could happen just as easily to patrons without a tail as those with.Quote:
Originally Posted by Blondie
As for when a pool doesn't have a life guard on duty, when wouldn't a public pool have a lifeguard on duty? If a pool didn't have a life guard on duty and someone drowned, they would be in a lot of trouble legally.
There are rules that a pool can put in place around tail swimming - for example all tail swimmers must be supervised, or must only use the shallow end of the pool (in which case you could just stand up if you got into trouble), or swimmers who have passed a swim test can be given wrist bands and only these swimmers are permitted to use their tails in the pool.
I realise it's just easier to make an outright ban but I think it's also lazy to do so. The demand and interest in mer tail swimming is only growing and becoming more popular so it is becoming increasingly unfair to those who wish to swim in tails to turn them away.
I'd like to know your thoughts on this (what I've said above) because having to deal with all these outright bans where pools are not willing to listen to our views on this at all is becoming really frustrating, and I'd really like to think that there must be a way to turn them around I just need to know what could help.
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Silicone tails are not heavy once in the water. If someone gets in trouble while wearing a tail, its because their legs are bound together, not because its silicone. A fabric tail can be just as much an issue as any other.
I have swum in 6 pools.Only one had a lifeguard; the park and rec pool. That one only allowed tail swimming because Sheores Entertainment had rented the pool. Normally, they do not allow it. The pools where no one told me I could not tail swim, and had no lifeguard, are: My home pool, a pool on a cruise ship, two hotel pools, and the pool at 24 hour fitness.
Reasons for tail bans: One is Lazy, sort of. It would increase the workload of the lifeguard, as they now have to pay extra attention to the tail swimmer while still giving the same attention to everyone else.
Next: Liability. Even if tail swimming could be shown to be safer than normal swimming, as soon as someone has an accident, the pool gets sued for allowing the tail. Even if they have you sign a release before swimming, they get sued for allowing you to sign the release!
Now, the other side. Say a child sees a tail and wants one. They are told that first they need to be a good swimmer. The child dives into swimming lessons, pays close attention and becomes a good swimmer. Now lets say the child was told tails are banned from the pool. The child does not pay attention in swimming class, does not become a good swimmer, and has an accident. Do the parents have a case that their child was injured because the pool banned tails?
Also: What do pools do when a monoplegic or paraplegic person comes to the pool? These are people who have only one, or no working legs. In the US, by law, they must have access to the pool. But I am not sure what limits pools put on them once they are in the pool.
I can see the conversation:
"Do you allow paraplegics in your pool?"
"Yes"
"And you allow them to swim, unassisted, even though they have no use of their legs?"
"Yes, if they can pass the swimming test"
"Excellent. Do you allow use of mermaid tails?"
"No, they are dangerous"
"Why are they dangerous?"
"Because when you wear then you do not have use of your.... er....ah......"
What happens next depends on the person; either reasonable conversation, or a massive drama bubble. They could also say the paraplegics are allowed to swim because its the law, and otherwise they would be banned as well.
Leomer and storm have either of you swam in a silicone tail before??? Your assumptions aren't all correct where do you get your info from??
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And PS we don't need to resurrect 4 year old threads when there are threads that already cover this newer. You're replying to members who aren't active
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I admit I haven't, and I have decided to retract my statement above about silicone tails. I misread the OP which was pointing out that mers with silicone tails are much harder to pull out of the water because of the weight of the tail. I still believe that it is more likely for someone who is new to mer swimming will own a fabric tail than a silicone tail, which don't have the same weight problems as a silicone tail.Quote:
Originally Posted by AniaR
Also I'm aware this is an old post and I probably won't get a response, however Blondie is a lifeguard and I am asking because I want to get a lifeguard's view on why they think tails are so dangerous. There seem to be legitimate concerns and I am trying to understand them.
Merman chatfish if a lifeguard and has weighed in a few times and so are several other active mers
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