Manatee Silicone Tail

[Mermaid Lanier]

I've been running through some different ideas for silicone tail design lately. A few are pretty straightforward, but one concept has stumped me. How would one make a realistic manatee tail?

I figured it would be pretty powerful with minimal fluke drag (not that manatees are known for powerful swimming) but it would be hard to take a human (especially a stick-thin and boney one like me) and make them look much like a manatee. It might rely entirely on coloring and fluke shape.

There's zero rush or "all my hopes and dreams pinned on this" here. I'm just curious as to your guys' concerns, ideas and trouble-shooting for such a tail.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Grey spandex or silicone, a monofin with a roundish shape, maybe a Wave or Rapid, Foil would be to skinny. Matching grey swimsuit?

[Mermaid Livou]

"It might rely entirely on coloring and fluke shape." plus I would add: texture. As silicone can capture so micro-macro details, and most who make tails doesnt utilize this capability of silicone ( i dont mean only the tiny scales or weins but a surface itself, like if u put silicone on sg metal, it will looks like metal with the right color, if u put on wood, will look like wood etc). Usually people use a top layer of color or clear ( for coloring and/or to close the surfce, the shineier the surface the less dirt/bacteria can sit in wich is practic, but takes away the character of the surface)
Like the belly(?) of a blue whale ^^ or that pink river dolphin, or the skin of that dolphin, wich if scarred or scratched leaves a light colored scar, so by time the got more and more patches and become brighter in colour.
And i wouldnt be concerned about imitating or bring together with its body shape unless would be used in a movie; coz still need to be practical -
And those animals skin is so different, to capture that, could make the trick I wrote a bit hectic hope it make sense would totally make one manatee-inspied tail ^^

[Mermaid Lanier]

Good advice with the monofin, Jaffa!

Livou, you make a fantastic point. Manatee skin has a unique texture, often with scars, scratches, ridges, and lots of algea growing on their fannies. That could end up looking really cool!

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Another option for a rounded monofin is, https://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...838.0.0.CfNhOY

[Mermaid Lanier]

Would it be better to go with an option like that, or to buy a much larger monofin and cut it to the shape I want? I'm not sure how much the extra bit of silicone used to round out that monofin would affect swimming, if at all.

[Mermaid Fenicia]

The Wave and Rapid are based on a manatee-fluke

[Mermaid Lanier]

Good to know, Fenicia! I (hopefully) have a Rapid on the way, so I might even be able to try with fabric in a few month's time. I wonder what could be used for algea...?

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Good to know, Fenicia! I (hopefully) have a Rapid on the way, so I might even be able to try with fabric in a few month's time. I wonder what could be used for algea...?

Waterproof puffy paint. If none, then some kind of 3D waterproof fabric paint.

[Mermaid Mia]

I have for sure thought about doing this! I hope your experiment goes well
My idea was to use my wave monofin, get grey spandex and paint it with the scars and stuff, use e600 to attach scatterings of floral moss to the back, and cover it all in a thin silicone layer (especially to help trap in the moss). I really like your point about carving into the silicone!


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[Aurelian]

I think it's really cool that you're doing a manatee design! I've never seen one based off of that before, and from what people are saying it seems like it could look really nice!

[Mermaid Kiba]

I've been dreaming of a manatee fabric tail for years. I've got a Wave monofin. I haven't drawn a design yet, but I'm thinking gray spandex with green and brown algae sponge painted, mostly on the back.

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[Mermoviemedic]

I saw Mermaid Livou mention our "Pink River Dolphin" (Her name is "Pinky") yea I know not a real original name but we are very protective of her. You all know she had a pink calf this year? ok back on topic... The manatee tail sounds really awesome, has anyone found a brand of marine safe puffy paint that does not crack or peel / fall off from a tail? from what I have been reading / reasearching no one (self included) had any luck.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Another thing you could add for a fabric tail, is sew on some tiny patches of green yarn, then fuzz it up with a felting tool to make it look like algae is growing on your skin.

[Mermoviemedic]

Another thing you could add for a fabric tail, is sew on some tiny patches of green yarn, then fuzz it up with a felting tool to make it look like algae is growing on your skin.

That is an Awesome Idea! The fuzz will move with the water just like advanced algae does!