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Thread: Looking for monofin/tail advice/suggestions

  1. #1
    Junior Member Euro Pod
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    Looking for monofin/tail advice/suggestions

    Evening (or morning/afternoon depending on time zone!)

    Just recently started mermaiding (intro post here: https://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?18511), and am really enjoying it so far.

    I've been looking into what sort of monofin/tail to get next - have been doing quite a bit of reading/watching of videos etc, and have a few questions, and was also wondering if anyone has any suggestions.

    As mentioned in my intro post, at the moment I have a 'uramermaid' monofin, which seems fairly similar to finfun monofins. I've been wondering about getting a finfun advanced monofin pro ('amp') since it's similar and offers a couple of improvements such as the reinforced bit between the feet and the reinforced tips.

    Do these improvements offer much advantage? I'm also not to sure about if it will fit my feet, as the finfun website says it fits mens UK shoe size 5.5 - 9.5 (I usually go for 10.5-11 in mens UK shoe size). (I did try contacting finfun to ask them, but the contact form on their website didn't work - does anyone know of an alternative method to contact them?)

    Other monofins/tails I've been looking at/considering:

    - Mertailor's fantasea monofin/tails - I really like the look of the fin, and love some of the tails (I think copper mint is my favourite at the moment). It seems to get really good reviews, the only two things that I'm not sure about from looking at the reviews is it's not as good propulsion as other fins, and also sand sticks to silicone (some of the places I swim at are quite sandy, so is this likely to be an issue? I did damage my toes slightly the other day, which I think was due to sand getting inside my uramermaid monofin!).

    - Mermaid planet's Atlantis prime tails/atlantis monofin - I like the look of some of these tails, and there's the advantage that they're in the UK where I am as well. The Atlantis monofin they have looks similar to a finfun monofin, but I'm not 100% sure as it doesn't say what size it is on their website. They also don't seem to sell the tails without the monofin, which would be a pain, as if I brought two of the tails I would have a surplus monofin. (I've tried emailing them via their website to check, so waiting to hear back.)

    - Mahina monofin, I quite like the look of this one as looking at reviews it's better propolsion, and is also very durable, so was thinking it may be better in open water. Main thing I'm not sure about is that Mahina don't make tails to go with it, so you have to get them custom made.

    - Linden monofin, have read a few good things about this, but still need to look into it further. From a quick look though, it seems like it's sold out though?

    Hope I haven't rambled to much above! Look forward to any suggestions.

  2. #2
    Hello, happy to see you doing some research. I do not own all the fins you've listed but I have a few and I have my thoughts so I figured I'd give it a go.

    So the FinFun monofin isn't one I specifically have, but I have basically the same thing that came with a tail I purchased on wish. It is utter trash. It barely propels me at all and it is flimsy and useless. I can't speak to the FinFun one in particular but I can't imagine it is much better. I don't know about the pro series one either but if you are serious about this hobby, I would say don't waste money and effort and space on a fin that doesn't lock your feet into place. There are products you can get to help stabilize your heels int hose fins, but it's just another thing to buy.

    Mertailor's Fantasea fins are amazing and gorgeous and they don't need a tail skin to look complete, especially if you have a nice pair of leggings. But,t hey are also (in my opinion) crazy expensive. And I believe I remember that you are not int he US so remember shipping for the bulky shape of a monofin will be pretty expensive for you. The Fantasea fins, any of them, are a great investment because you can get a tail skin that really fits it well. And the Mertailor fabric tails are gorgeous and sturdy and so much mroe then the cheaper versions you can find around. But I think even their most basic monofin and tail skin still comes out to $200 and moving into the third series is upwards of $500.

    I've never heard of the Atlantis, but after a quick search I would say all the same things about it that I said about the FinFun and my Wish fin. I would say it's not worth the cash.

    The Mahina is a fan favorite for sure. Tons and Tons of mermaids, especially ones who have been around for awhile have had or still have a Mahina. It was the first real monofin to be made specifically for mermaiding as a hobby \. There are not tails to fit it much anymore which is a major drawback but i am sure with it's continued popularity you could find someone willing to make you one. There is also a thread here where someone is asking if there is interest in slings for a Mahina and a few good posts about other places to find one. They are also popular enough that yo might be able to find one second hand.
    All that being said, I never personally purchased one nor do I like it much because the foot pockets are not adjustable straps. That, for me, is really important because I want to be able to control how tight my fin is. If you are looking to eventually put it in a silicone tail, a fin without adjustable is actually better because the width at the ankles doesn't have a lot of extra bulk and you really can't adjust much once it's inside the silicone anyway. So for that reason, I would personally only choose a Mahina for a silicone tail.

    Last up is the Linden which I am happy you saved for last because I LOVE IT SO MUCH! So all my stuff aside about every other fin, the Linden is my baby, my sweetness, the love of my mermaiding life. I've literally only swam in my Linden once and it is the most amazing most beautiful most wonderful thing I've ever put on my feet.
    Ok, all biases aside, I compared my Linden to the Finis Rapid I bought a few years ago. If you do not know, the Finis fins are actual freediving and snorkling fins, they are not meant for merfolk. But much like the Mahina, for a long time there weren't many options. You could decide between the shitty Finfun, the pretty Mahina or the competitor adjustable Finis Rapid/Wave. The Finis (and the Linden) are a rigid plastic so there isn't much bend to them (unlike the rubber of the Mahina) so they actually push the water very well. However the Finis (again) are not mermaid fins, so they are not shaped well for what we want. For that reason alone, the Linden was already better. But the foot pockets are so comfortable, it comes with booties for smaller sized people (which doesn't seem to be you :P but for me was great because my besty with hella small feet can have fun with me) and is shaped after the fastest fish in the seas. It has groves that help move the water around it (again making you faster with minimal drag) and it comes in more colours (which isn't important if you're putting it in a skin but...still noteworthy. Although I believe the Mahina comes in a few colours as well...) I don't believe Mermaid Linden makes any adult skins for her fin but it is one of the most popular fins on the market right now so I'm sure you can find some skins for it. I also tested my Linden in my shitty Wish tail and it does fit, it just stretches the tips and the colouration out. And here is a great video by The Mermaid Seamstress discussing putting a Linden in a FinFun skin. Again, it fits but it stretches it out enough that it probably wont fit the finfun fin again very well (but after you've swam with a linden you will wanna chuck away the finfun so damn fast) And it looks like the UrAMermaid skins and the Atlantis ones are about the same as the FinFun, which means they should also fit the Linden with a bit of effort.



    So. At the end of the day, yes I am biased. But I don't think I will ever purchase a fin unless I actually start freediving or I suddenly have an assload of money and want to test out and compare others. The Linden has my heart now and forever and I will never suggest anything else. (unless you are looking for a base for a silicone)

    I hope this wasn't too much. I think I might be a monofin nerd...
    The Magical Mystical MerFanc
    A Welsh Lake Monster with control of weather, water and water creatures.
    Resident sea monster, best friend of sharks and ducks, lover of the Deep Ocean.
    Known on all other social media as theAfanc

  3. #3
    Junior Member Euro Pod
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    Think I'm persuaded by the Linden after further research/watching various videos about it!

    It seems similar, possibly slightly better than the Mahina propolsion-wise, and quite like that it can potentially fit into finfun-shaped tails (seems to fit quite well in finfun tails on the videos on The Mermaid Seamstress and Nerdmaid Faith's channels). I'm also not sure if the Mahina will fit my feet, whereas it looks like the Linden will. Do you find that it's fairly sturdy?

    Just need to work out best place to buy one - it looks like it is still in stock on https://mermaidlinden.com/, I was just looking at one of the colours that wasn't in stock.

    Noticed that Mertailor sells tails designed for the Linden, so tempted to get one .... also still tempted by the Fantasea though, but possibly in addition to the Linden since they're two different types of fins.

    Thanks for the help .

  4. #4
    Absolutely! I'm glad I was able to sway your vote :P Mermaid Linden should make me an ambassador for the amount of people I've sent her way now XD

    I believe the Linden is also on Amazon, it's prime for me! Super shipping is always nice <3 Just double check you arn't accidentally buying the kids size XD But yes, I found it was very secure around me feet. I wear a European 41/ US mens 8/ Womens 9.5 I know your feet are larger then mine but the pockets are designed to fit a wide range so I am sure you will be totally fine.
    The Magical Mystical MerFanc
    A Welsh Lake Monster with control of weather, water and water creatures.
    Resident sea monster, best friend of sharks and ducks, lover of the Deep Ocean.
    Known on all other social media as theAfanc

  5. #5
    Senior Member Pod of Oceania Mermaid Jaffa's Avatar
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    I bought one of these in blue some time ago, from Ebay. I've used it fine in the ocean. It and the Finis Foil have become my fave fins, to use out of all the other ones I have.
    https://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...630140000.html
    Formerly known as ireneho

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