Pools in The UK.

[Mermaid Emeraldina]

the lido is closest to me - let me know when youre going, would love to meet up!

[Jade Forrest]

It will open again in the spring I think so I will definitely let you know

[Dogfish]

I've recently been getting into mermaiding and before buying my first fabric tail, been trying to become a stronger swimmer - swimming at my local pool is fine but as others have been saying its tricky to get a solid reply on if I could wear a monofin or not. One guy said no, due to health and safety and 'being inable to get me out of the pool quickly in the event of a fire' (?) but another staff member said she loved the idea and would enquire. Needless to say, I've had no further replies to emails or calls.

It concerns me as I'd love to wear my tail more often, but I feel like I can't excuse buying one if I'm unable to use it often. Any further progress on this problem with you guys?

[Glinda Rose]

Hi,

I'm a UK mer based in the North of England (specifically, Leeds), but with strong affiliations with London. I don't yet have a tail but am swimming with a monofin for practice.

I am looking for other UK mers because I think I'm the only one in my area, and it's a really bad location in terms of swimming, pool access, etc. And far from a beach. I was wondering if there are any Northern mers with good ideas about where to go swimming, or if anyone wants to meet up?

I am currently on holiday in LA, California, where I have access to a really great pool and no one minds the monofin, but am sad to think that this is only temporary. I feel like California has so many more opportunities for mermaiding than the UK. If I could find somewhere that was half as good in England, I would be ecstatic.

[MerKatt]

I'm soooo glad to find this pod and thread! It's taken me about 3 months to find somewhere to swim, Mermaids of the UK your local council pool will only allow fins if you hire a lane! However where i live that seems to be impossible to do. All my local pools have turned me down. I've now gone to the local hotels with pools which also conveniently have gym memberships on offer, i suppose for travelling businessmen or something? Anyway. They're pretty reasonable and gets you full use of the pool. I have one hotel that's given me a solid yes, however there's one slightly closer to my flat who have asked me to come down with my fin so they can check it out and we'll go from there. I think what's more disheartening is there are 2 local mermaids i know of and when i asked them where they're able to swim i was given a big ole lecture about swimming in a tail and safety...

[SingingSelkie]

I'm glad I found this thread too. I live in Scotland and was worried that I'd encounter problems using the monofin and/tails as they are so strict here in public pools you can't wear goggles that cover your nose so I had a feeling they may have issues with something like a monofin. I have yet to buy and take mermaid gear to my local pool as I wanted to find out about this first and in the meantime have just been practicing without fins or tails. But knowing my local council I can see this becoming near impossible I would love to hear more stories on how people have gotten around it and or other locations to swim other than local pools. We are very low on public pools here.

[MerKatt]

I'm glad I found this thread too. I live in Scotland and was worried that I'd encounter problems using the monofin and/tails as they are so strict here in public pools you can't wear goggles that cover your nose so I had a feeling they may have issues with something like a monofin. I have yet to buy and take mermaid gear to my local pool as I wanted to find out about this first and in the meantime have just been practicing without fins or tails. But knowing my local council I can see this becoming near impossible I would love to hear more stories on how people have gotten around it and or other locations to swim other than local pools. We are very low on public pools here.

Oh a fellow Scot mer! I'm in Glasgow if you need help finding a pool and want a swim buddy! The local hotels are your best bet or you can hire lanes at local council pools

[SingingSelkie]

Oh a fellow Scot mer! I'm in Glasgow if you need help finding a pool and want a swim buddy! The local hotels are your best bet or you can hire lanes at local council pools

Yay, I've found another Scotmer!!! Or you found me rather! I'm in Perthshire and just starting out. I've loved mermaids all my life and only found out about becoming a real mermaid about a year or so ago as I didn't think it was a thing being the only one I knew who liked mermaids. Plus as you will know it's not a big thing in Scotland. I would love help in finding places to swim and possibly meet up for some in the future? X

[selkie13]

Yay, I've found another Scotmer!!! Or you found me rather! I'm in Perthshire and just starting out. I've loved mermaids all my life and only found out about becoming a real mermaid about a year or so ago as I didn't think it was a thing being the only one I knew who liked mermaids. Plus as you will know it's not a big thing in Scotland. I would love help in finding places to swim and possibly meet up for some in the future? X

If you find a place let me know! Perthshire isn't to far and I'll get the bus down. I've had no luck with any of my pools. They use to let me use my monofin and my fabric tail the once. but now I cant even use my monofin in the swim lane when it's quiet.


Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

[SingingSelkie]

If you find a place let me know! Perthshire isn't to far and I'll get the bus down. I've had no luck with any of my pools. They use to let me use my monofin and my fabric tail the once. but now I cant even use my monofin in the swim lane when it's quiet.


Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

Im going to start doing some looking into pools and policy's etc. In the next few weeks. Will let you all know how I get on. I refuse to let this stop me! Council may hate me by the end of this but oh well.

[Astridia]

Any pools in the midlands? (UK) I know Watermeadows hires out a lane to a small pod (i hope to join them very soon on a swim) and I live 5mins walk from my local pool. shall have to ask, if I can get info i shall update here. Any other mers in the derbyshire/nottinghamshire region?

[SingingSelkie]

Im going to start doing some looking into pools and policy's etc. In the next few weeks. Will let you all know how I get on. I refuse to let this stop me! Council may hate me by the end of this but oh well.

So I contacted my local live active centre here in Scotland via email and they replied

We wouldn't allow a monofin in a public session but as you have mentioned we would be able to hire a lane (or 2 depending on the size of the fin). We have had 'mermaids' in the pool before and have a risk assessment for those so I would imagine it would be similiar. You can call us for more details if you wish

So I was very excited about this. I have yet to find out how much it is to hire a lane but I'm glad there is somewhere so close to practice and possibly in the future use a mertail.

[selkie13]

That is brilliant! Hopefully it's not too much to hire out the lane. Let me know how it goes because I'd definitely be interested in coming down to use that pool. Which pool is it by the way?

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

[SingingSelkie]

That is brilliant! Hopefully it's not too much to hire out the lane. Let me know how it goes because I'd definitely be interested in coming down to use that pool. Which pool is it by the way?

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

I have a feeling the cost of hiring a lane will benefit more if there is more than one person sharing the lane at a time.
It's the Live Active Strathearn Campus. Not a very deep pool but good enough to practice.

[Mermaid.Mikayla]

Hey Everyone,

So recently I bought a monofin and had been using it in my local pool, but recently they have decided that I can no longer use my fin as it is a 'Health and Safety' risk to myself and others. So I ask this question: How did you guys get/find a pool that allowed you to use your tails and fins? I've tried calling the pools that are run by our local council but they all refuse the use of fins.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

I told my pool owner and the lifeguards that it was for swim training and is normally used by swimmers. It has to safety risk if used properly. And they allowed me to use it.

[MerKatt]

I have a feeling the cost of hiring a lane will benefit more if there is more than one person sharing the lane at a time.
It's the Live Active Strathearn Campus. Not a very deep pool but good enough to practice.

Good luck! My pools rejected it entirely. I use a hotel swimming pool to swim in and they're suuuper kind and flexible.

[selkie13]

I have a feeling the cost of hiring a lane will benefit more if there is more than one person sharing the lane at a time.
It's the Live Active Strathearn Campus. Not a very deep pool but good enough to practice.

I think I should be able to come down so long as I'm not working and we can split the cost. Can also wait and see if anyone else will join us ^.^

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

[SingingSelkie]

I think I should be able to come down so long as I'm not working and we can split the cost. Can also wait and see if anyone else will join us ^.^

Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

Sounds like a brilliant idea xx

[Dogfish]

Update! So I just replied to a similar thread for this in general, but seeing as its the UK one here I'll pop it here too -
I have finally been able to find a pool that let me wear my mono fin. I emailed ahead of time but got no reply, so after much thought, I just went in with it. I didnt use the skin (its a finfun) but didn't hide the monofin from view, just didn't mention it. Said hi to the life guards, got in, did a couple of normal laps then put the fin on - no one said a word. Perfect!
I did swim in the adult-only evening portion of the pool times so perhaps that helps? I can see why they wouldn't want things like that when it's busy or around kids, in case it encourages them to bring in things that are similar which perhaps are not as safe. In any case, they really didn't seem to care. One of the ex-staff members I knew had told me he thought they'd say no but they had been known to allow scuba flippers, so perhaps that's part of it?
He said, weirdly, it's the bright colors on the tails that put them off. In that they see it as purely decorative, so a black monofin seems far more legit, and they can see your legs too.

[Glencoco93]

Any pools in the midlands? (UK) I know Watermeadows hires out a lane to a small pod (i hope to join them very soon on a swim) and I live 5mins walk from my local pool. shall have to ask, if I can get info i shall update here. Any other mers in the derbyshire/nottinghamshire region?

I just got my first tail and monofin (mermaid kat, in green) any details on this pod that meets here? Im in Liverpool myself but that seems like the closest one so far

P.S. If there are any mers in or near Liverpool let me know! we could try together :P