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Let me make this said now. My tail is a sort of prototype for the seamless neoprene effect that Morticia was working. So this is a wonderful review, if you are seeking this option from her!!
Now to the review!
For starters, I LOVE my tail! She is wonderful! She and I designed it together every detail and step of the way.
I don't know how she made the neoprene so beautifully seamless, but she's done it! It fits me like a second skin, as if it were a natural extension of my own body. She HAND PAINTED the entire thing! Every scale and detail
We designed it to fit my finis Wave monofin. She was kind enough to make it with a zipper bottom so that way I can dry, train, and transport it with ease! While my tail is more of a "Skin" She DOES make sealed and monofined flukes as well!
Dry, I would say the tail weighs no more then 3-4 (and thats guessing HIGH) pounds, if even that.
Wet, no more then 10.
It dries quickly, as I am able to remove the monofin and turn it inside out.
The fluke is 3 layers of flowing fabric that look incredible under water!!
I am so in love with this tail! <3
Images:
http://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/h...76462731_n.jpg
http://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/h...82638997_o.jpg
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVSA43xjf1k
I approached Morticia Mermaid about possibly ordering my first ever mermaid tail-- a painted neoprene tail-- from her back in March of 2014, and paid for it in full in early May. I already had a design in mind, and was interested in getting a dorsal fin and two hip fins attached to the tail as well, something Morticia had yet to include on any of her tails up to that point. As we talked more about the design, we decided to alter the shape of the fluke, and she presented a few options for styles for the dorsal and hip fins to match.
For a few reasons (chief among them being the fin additions on my tail were something of a prototype) my tail took a lot longer to make than most of her other orders. This I was totally okay with, as she was always quick to update me with progress photos, let me know what was going on, and to answer any messages and questions I had. Since the fins were a new upgrade of hers, I wanted her to take as much time as she needed to experiment with the additions and figure out the best way to do them. The wait absolutely paid off, and my tail arrived in the mail on April 17th, just over 11 months after I paid for my tail.
So, let's break it down a bit:
Price: 5/5.
For my first tail, I wanted something more durable than a cheap spandex/fabric tail, but not as heavy or expensive as silicone, so Morticia's painted neoprene seemed like the best investment. My tail cost about $646 USD (~$725 CAD at the time), which was discounted somewhat as I was the first to get the added fins upgrade. Shipping came to another $80 ($104 CAD) and customs fees at the post office were an extra $91 CAD. So, all total, the tail came to ~$920. For a lot of people, this is a hefty pricetag for a first tail, but for the quality and detailing that I got on my tail (along with the extra goodies included-- I'll get to those in a moment!) it's absolutely worth it.
Communication: 5/5.
From the very start, Morticia was quick to respond to my many messages and questions, and once we got the ball rolling on my order there were loads of progress pics and such through Facebook. She always asked for my input before altering or adding anything onto my tail, and when she was first cutting out the neoprene she presented me with several options for the fluke, dorsal and fin shapes to see what I'd like the best. Whenever there were delays she was great about keeping me in the loop. She was always super approachable and really friendly in our correspondence, which really helped put me at ease!
Construction: 5/5.
After unboxing my tail, I was TOTALLY blown away by the detailing and just the incredible overall quality of my tail. There are some darker blue outlines going along the undersides of my tail's gold stripes that I hadn't been able to see AT ALL in any of the progress photos that Morticia had shown me (although that may have been more obvious to other people, as I'm dichromatic colorblind and have trouble differentiating color tones sometimes. :P). The sewing is sturdy and save for maybe a 1/2-inch at the top of the waist which tore the first time I tried it on (and that was moreso the elastic waistband than the tail itself), these seams are TOUGH. I'd gained a fair amount of weight since I sent Morticia my measurements so I was terrified I was going to tear the whole thing apart or that it wasn't going to fit me, but my best friend helped me find a way to get into my tail in less than five minutes (boyfriend and I took nearly 20 the first time!) and it fits like a dream. The fluke includes both velcro patches and a zipper for inserting and removing the monofin. When this baby's in action, you barely notice that any of it's even there! The hip and dorsal fins are all sewed separately onto the tail and are all incredibly well-built and sturdy. With all the tugging and wriggling around I've done getting into it, they haven't loosened or torn at all! Also, the hip fins stick right out when the tail is worn, which is adorable and I don't think the novelty will ever wear off ever. The fluke also has little individual spikes sewn into the sides, which are sturdy and also totally, totally badass.
Functionality: 5/5
I brought my tail for its first swim on the 3rd, and it. Was. AWESOME. I'd totally forgotten that bit with tails and how they suction to you once you get them in the water and it was a pretty wicked feeling. It was almost like I had officially transformed into a mermaid for the first time! I was a little clumsy at first, getting the hang of having my legs bound, but the tail and monofin were a lot more comfortable than I'd initially thought it would be and it wasn't long before I was doing laps back and forth in the pool!
The tail is a bit more bouyant than I'd expected, but for me that's hardly a problem at all, since the extra bouyancy is why I went with Neoprene in the first place (being able to float a little better when you're not 100% adjusted to having your legs bound isn't a bad thing, after all!) Besides, if I decide I want a bit more weight to the tail later on, I can easily add my own weights in the form of a belt or something. :D
Reception and Reactions: 11/5
My tail (surprisingly) arrived after only a week in the post, which meant I was able to debut it at the local Sci-Fi On The Rock convention here in town. I borrowed my friend's old manual wheelchair. Everybody LOVED it! People kept stopping me to ask about my tail, how it was made, who made it, and they were all just as blown away by the detail and construction as I was! I hadn't even been in my tail for more than 20 minutes at the con before a CBC NL rep stopped me to do an interview about my tail and mermaiding (I unfortunately don't have a link; it was a live video posted to Twitter using a mobile app called Periscope. The tweet is still up on @CBCNL, but the video expired after 24 hours so I never got a chance to see it myself! XD). Even since the con, I've still gotten loads of positive comments from people about my amazing tail!
GOODIES: 100000000000000000/5
Shortly after I'd placed my order, Morticia was selling some jewelery and I noticed a necklace that she'd made was a PERFECT match for my tail. So, naturally, I bought it, and we agreed to toss it in the box with my tail to save a little on the shipping.
And then I totally forgot about it, because of course I did.
But then, as I was opening the box, I realized there was an extra present put in there too! This was something she'd mentioned to me before mooonnnttthhs ago, but... Wellp, I'm forgetful. So when I opened it up and saw that it was a GORGEOUS seashell shoulder pauldron, I was ecstatic. This thing is incredible! Of course, I had to message Morticia afterwards and ask for help as to how I put it on (hint: you don't put it on anything like how I attempted to do it in my unboxing video, oops), but once I figured it out it was super easy! The strap across the chest is a bit big, so the pauldron tends to slide off my shoulder, but that's a matter of snipping it a bit and re-sewing it, which is easy as pie. <3
Overall, I am absolutely in love with my tail, and genuinely feel that I couldn't have made a better decision in contacting Morticia for my first tail. She is so easy to work with and confident in what she does, and the work she puts into her tails really is among the best in the fabric/neoprene tail market. My tail spends its dry days hung on a rack on my bedroom door, and every time I go past it I have to stop and admire it (and also hug it and pet it like an obsessive weirdo, because obviously). If you're considering getting a neoprene tail, whether as your first or as an upgrade from fabric, I can't recommend her enough. You won't regret it!
I can't wait for the summer heat so I can have an excuse to bring my tail out to some of the lakes and rivers in the area and have a proper photoshoot! <3
And speaking of photos...
THE GREAT UNBOXING VIDEO (warning for some excited swearing and general dorkiness)
http://i.imgur.com/9rabb7k.png
Top and bottom view of my tail.
http://i.imgur.com/gookz00.png
The dorsal!
http://i.imgur.com/fI3sLfO.png
The adorable hip fins I will never stop obsessing over
http://i.imgur.com/VWklDH6.png
DAT FLUKE.
http://i.imgur.com/10SvK25.png
Little bitty fluke spikes!
http://i.imgur.com/mu6ZL4C.png
Holding the tail. I never realized just how BIG the whole thing really was until I tried to carry it-- The fluke alone goes from my waist to the floor!
http://i.imgur.com/pqOlAFO.png
The matching necklace! Perfect for a mermaid named Starfrit. <3
http://i.imgur.com/vQamwfU.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/7TIXWKT.png
The amazing pauldron. Seriously, what an art piece. And it's swimmable too, if I remember correctly!
http://i.imgur.com/7bt9GF5.png
Quick photo wearing the pauldron. Held my shoulder up higher than normal to help keep it in place until I can adjust the chest strap. (also, this piece is surprisingly comfortable!)
I started talking with Mermaid Morticia in December about a Harley Quinn themed tail.
I ordered a tail in February, my final payment was sent March 12th with the general 6-8 weeks till shipment. At first communication was really good.
On May 8th she said that the tail would be finished by the end of the month and ready for shipping. Then she had some personal stuff happen and I didn't hear from her for two months despite weekly emails from me.
June 13
http://mernetwork.com/index/attachme...8&d=1450397429
July 17
http://mernetwork.com/index/attachme...9&d=1450397451
July 2 I hear from her and she said that the tail was painted and she was starting on the hip fins
July 20, just needed to finish the details, touch ups and finish the fins
August 14, she said that the tail should be ready to go by the end of 'next week'
September 2, she said she wasn't happy with the hip fins and was re-doing them
September 13, was doing the final coat on the black fin and then all she had to do was attach them.
http://mernetwork.com/index/attachme...0&d=1450397468
October 4, she had more personal issues but the tail would be finished by "next weekend"
October 24th, was told that she was heat sealing the paint, adding a waistband and the fluke zipper, then it'd be done
November 7th said her internet was cut off and the tail should be ready to ship by Monday or Tuesday (November 9th or 10th).
November 11, tail is supposedly ready and she's taking pictures to send to me before she ships
November 13th, couldn't ship the tail out because she had to take someone to the airport so she'd ship it the 14th or 16th
November 17th, she spiked a fever and didn't want to handle the tail while sick. Then her paypal card was expired
I got a finished picture on November 20th, the fluke spikes that are on Tieri's tail (she had told me were a new standard and that my tail would have them) are not there but I didn't want to say anything because lord knows when I'd end up with it.
http://mernetwork.com/index/attachme...1&d=1450397546
I got the tail November 23rd
When I put it on, I noticed that it was really really lumpy in the upper part, it was also really high. The hip fins were even with my belly button. The red side of the fluke is slightly uneven with the black side but that's not noticeable in water. The v at the bottom where the body meets the fluke happens like 3 or 4 inches after my feet end and it just looks funny to me.
When I swam it there was so much gapping that it literally slid down over my butt to the point where another mer went into the waist band and tightened the front so I would stop showing off my swim bottoms.
http://mernetwork.com/index/attachme...4&d=1450397569
I swam for an hour and there's parts of the fluke and body where the paint has rubbed off down to the white neoprene.
http://mernetwork.com/index/attachme...3&d=1450397559
http://mernetwork.com/index/attachme...2&d=1450397553
When I rinsed it in the shower the water ran gray so I think the black bled a bit
The monofin is nice though