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Thread: Lift the ban on mermaid tails in victorian pools

  1. #21
    Senior Member Pod of Oceania Mermaid Jaffa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Merman Storm View Post
    I'm wondering about the "quick release". I thought it took quite a bit of time and effort to get out of a silicone tail. Are you planning on having those banned? Also, my tail, made from the lunocet, it somewhat hard to get out of, because I have to get to the velcro strap on the shoes. I'm not very flexible, so its hard for me to do. I normally take it off while sitting on the steps, and it can take more than a couple of seconds. I'm not sure I could do it while floating in the water.
    If you can't take the tail off in a minute or less, either start practicing or find another type of monofin that has a quick release system.

    Those mers with silicone tails, they have mertenders and crew members, and even lifeguards, ready to jump in and rescue them.

    For the rest of us, silicone or not, we have to be able to get out of our tail really fast in an emergency. But sometimes the lifeguards can be really slack and not be paying attention or have gone for a walk leaving the post unattended.

    But anyhoo, its just safer to practice taking the tail off whilst swimming. In case the real emergency comes along, you know exactly what to do and won't panic. Well that's just how I see it. And its late... Prob time for me to go to sleep and not ramble on.
    Last edited by Mermaid Jaffa; 01-28-2016 at 10:21 AM.
    Formerly known as ireneho

  2. #22
    Member Pod of Oceania Mermaid Salty's Avatar
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    Okay, so I know I'm a little late to this party but the same thing has happened in Sydney. Since August 2015 I've been happily flipping my (mono)fins at my council pool. One day in January 2016 while swimming, a manager came up to me and said,

    "You're not allowed to do that here".
    I said "Do what?"
    He said "Use that thing".

    That THING. That perfectly designed swimming apparatus that he didn't even know the name of.

    "I've been swimming here for over six months with my monofin with no issue"
    "They're not supposed to let you"

    And that was it. My local pool was no longer a sanctuary. I tried to explain I was a strong swimmer, that I grew up swimming in the ocean almost every day of my life, that I can easily lap 1km WITHOUT swimming aides. That I can slip my monofin off underwater (first thing I taught myself). That I was an adult and that the safest place for me to be, in fact, was their very supervised, controlled pool environment. I even offered to prove my competence to them with any kind of demonstration they wanted. No dice.

    I've found a pool (a 25 minute drive away from my home) that I can get to on weekends - it is a privately owned public pool, because the last I heard no council owned pools would allow monofins, let alone full tails. This has been fine - not ideal but fine.

    I hope to have full tail in the next year.

    If anyone knows of mono/mer-friendly pools in Sydney, I'd love to hear from you.

  3. #23
    Senior Member Pod of Oceania Mermaid Adrienne's Avatar
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    Yeah, salty :/ I just had the same thing happen again. went to a pool who was perfectly fine with me using a monofin and then the next week it wasnt ok. I live in the country so its hard for me to find a pool that will let me.... I have to travel about and hour and a half now just to swim with the others and it sucks butt that I cant use my new silicone tail which is coming in a few weeks at my local swimming pool.

  4. #24
    Member Pod of Oceania Mermaid Salty's Avatar
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    It's a major concern. We really do require controlled environments to practice in and if our locals pools blanket ban us, which could potentially drive inexperienced mermaids to natural waterways instead, THAT is a much bigger safety hazard.

    When I visit a pool I always lap without a fin anyway to warm everything up and to get my heart going etc., but at the end, I wriggle into my fin and the feeling of gliding effortlessly through the water is the most amazing reward. It's so freeing. I dream of it. I've always felt at home beneath the surface (well, you know, apart from the whole no breathing deal). Is it really so much to ask for!?

  5. #25
    Senior Member Pod of Oceania Mermaid Jaffa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mermaid Salty View Post
    Okay, so I know I'm a little late to this party but the same thing has happened in Sydney. Since August 2015 I've been happily flipping my (mono)fins at my council pool. One day in January 2016 while swimming, a manager came up to me and said,

    "You're not allowed to do that here".
    I said "Do what?"
    He said "Use that thing".

    That THING. That perfectly designed swimming apparatus that he didn't even know the name of.

    "I've been swimming here for over six months with my monofin with no issue"
    "They're not supposed to let you"

    And that was it. My local pool was no longer a sanctuary. I tried to explain I was a strong swimmer, that I grew up swimming in the ocean almost every day of my life, that I can easily lap 1km WITHOUT swimming aides. That I can slip my monofin off underwater (first thing I taught myself). That I was an adult and that the safest place for me to be, in fact, was their very supervised, controlled pool environment. I even offered to prove my competence to them with any kind of demonstration they wanted. No dice.

    I've found a pool (a 25 minute drive away from my home) that I can get to on weekends - it is a privately owned public pool, because the last I heard no council owned pools would allow monofins, let alone full tails. This has been fine - not ideal but fine.

    I hope to have full tail in the next year.

    If anyone knows of mono/mer-friendly pools in Sydney, I'd love to hear from you.
    The pool I go to, loves merfolk! It is Ryde Aquatic and Leisure Centre. The lifeguards are chill about me and my tails. One of them, a redshirt, will even go so far as making sure no one bothers me when I go for a swim! Another pool that allows tails n fins, is the aquatic centre at Homebush. I've not been there yet as I don't drive, and my local pool (the Ryde one)is just 4 bust stops away.
    Formerly known as ireneho

  6. #26
    Oh dear, I didn't know this was the case... That they are banning them in public pools..
    I live in coastal QLD and neither of the pools have stopped me yet, but I was hoping to take the tail with me to Sydney next month.

    My partner who lives in Sydney always goes for a jog along Bondi in the morning, I was hoping to go for a swim in the Icebergs pool, does anyone know if they have stopped people swimming with tails there?

    Thanks


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  7. #27
    Member Pod of Oceania Mermaid Salty's Avatar
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    Hmm, no bans at Bondi as far as I'm aware. Pretty sure there's even a 'pay to swim' mermaid group that frequents the area.

  8. #28
    Senior Member Pod of Oceania Mermaid Jaffa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Karri3 View Post
    Oh dear, I didn't know this was the case... That they are banning them in public pools..
    I live in coastal QLD and neither of the pools have stopped me yet, but I was hoping to take the tail with me to Sydney next month.

    My partner who lives in Sydney always goes for a jog along Bondi in the morning, I was hoping to go for a swim in the Icebergs pool, does anyone know if they have stopped people swimming with tails there?

    Thanks


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    Icebergs allows tails and monofins. I called during early summer and they said, yes.
    Formerly known as ireneho

  9. #29
    Thank you Mermaid Jaffa we actually ended up going to coogee beach which was fantastic for taking photos .. No swimming though


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