Hi Fellow Pods!
I taught swimming for years and have been asked how to get comfortable in the water as well as the mermaid kick. I put together a step by step guide for beginners if you are struggling to get your mermaid kick down. Check it out and let me know what you think! I haven't gone into how to swim with an actual tail but it's good to get these skills down first. Enjoy!
Beginner Guide to Swimming Like A Mermaid
way to go, awesome site and great post!!
Thanks so much! That really mean a lotI have been working really hard on it.
Excellent guide! As a swim teacher teacher myself I love how you broke it down to the progressions instead of just telling how to do the dolphin kick! Totally going to use this in the future - it is an excellent resource!
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Thanks so much! Great Youtube Channel by the way
If I could get some swimming advice I'd greatly appreciate it.
I learned the dolphin kick in a pool and then moved to a place without free access to a pool. After that I got my monofin and have made a few trips to the beach to use it. No matter how tight I make the straps on my finis wave to ensure a proper fit I always feel like I'm swimming crooked. Because of that I'm not going very far whenever I swim but once in a while I'll get in a good stroke. I feel like I'mentioned clearly doing something wrong so I'd appreciate any kind of input.
Hello Hydra1337,
Thanks for reaching out to me about this! Swimming crooked doesn't have to do with your monofin! It is very common as we usually have a strong side of our body. This is why swimming pools have lanes as well as lines on the bottom of the pool so swimmers are constantly correcting themselves. I did Triathlons for a long time and was constantly veering to the right in open water! One time I looked up and was 100 yards off. I tell you this so you know you are not alone.
What are your goals with swimming? Is it to get endurance? Swim better underwater? Better Dolphin kick? Let me know and I might have some better input. Thanks!
I've tried correcting myself but I guess the ocean water combined with my weak side is what's keeping me from getting anywhere. I'm glad that I know it's not my monofin. With that in mind my main goal is to swim better underwater. I'm thinking my dolphin kick could use some fine tuning too. Do you have any recommendations for dry land exercises that will help make the rolling motion more fluid like yours?
I actually would recommend getting a kick board!
Start with doing a dolphin kick with a kick board straight out in front of you, chin on the board, hands on the top (farthest away from your face). Really work getting the full body roll with each kick. This will build endurance as well as your motion of the kick. If you want to start with regular flippers that might help too. Once you get your endurance and kick down, hold the kick board at the back (closest to your face) with your face in the water, arm stretch out straight. Do the same with with kicking and come up for air when needed. This will help you become more streamline when you kick underwater. Streamline means more aerodynamic in the water. THEN practice your dolphin kick under the water with no kick board and see how it goes. I hope that helps!
Ooh good idea! I can't really afford a kickboard but I already have a kid sized boogie board. I know they're different in terms of size and thickness but would using it work for the time being? Also, while doing those drills would I just wear my monofin (can't afford flippers) or be barefoot for a while then add the monofin? Thank you so much for all your replies! I greatly appreciate it!
Yep all of those work! Boogie board will be fine. Just something to help you keep afloat. Doing the drills with our without Monofin will be good as well. Doing it barefoot will really help you get your endurance up and might even give you a good workout. Happy swimming!
Awesome guide! Thanks for all the wonderful advice 😄
great read!!!Originally Posted by mollythemermaid
thank you for this information
This has been really inspiring. Usually when I give "lessons" I actually hire a swim instructor, and together we teach a person/kids. I sort of handle the safe use of monofin/tail and the instructor handles the technique. I never felt right doing it solo because I have no certification.
Well we hired a new mermaid who is capable of certifying so she's training me and giving me the instructor test in 2018 so I can be a fully certified swim instructor. (however, until I gain more experience I'm still going to teach in a team!)
When I did my freediving training they said they believed foot and leg cramps in mermaids are more due to technique and less due to monofins. I wasn't sure I believed it but when I got to do some sessions with the instructors in my tail they sort of micromanaged my movements and holy sea-cow huge difference!
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