The Official Underwater Tricks Thread!

[MermaidAine]

Does anyone have a picture of one the have made? Or can someone draw what it would look like?


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[Seatan]

Buy a cheap weight belt with quick release like this one on Amazon.

Here is a REALLY lousy photoshop sketch:



Basically you sew little hackie sacks with wights in them then sew a strap to slip through the quick release weight belt.

[MermaidAine]

Ah ok! Thank you Seavanna!


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[Seatan]

By the way, this is not how to make PRETTY weights, LOL! That is a much more complicated task that involves hiding weights behide shells. I have tried making shell shaped silicone covered weights, but they didn't turn out too well and I never tried again....

[MermaidAine]

Yeah I really want to purchase one from Nerine but in the mean time I need something to practice in.


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[Seatan]

Do you know how to use resin? If so, you can buy lead shot and wrap it in cellophance multiple times to fit in a clam shell (this way if the shell breaks the lead shot will not end up in a pool). Then sew a strong material circle about a half inch to an inch wide (like the kind of material used for weight belts). Put the circle in the shell then push the baggie of lead weights inside the circle so that with the shell laying face down there is a handle of material sticking up. Make sure everything fits within the shell then mix the resin and pour it in the shell until it has covered the lead shot and is almost to the very edge of the shell. Allow it to cure. You now have a seashell weight! If the resin isn't bonding to the shell well, pop it out and use E6000 to bond it or if it won't pop out then bond it at the edges. (You can get all of the things you need at your local craft store). Put it on a weight belt and attach some netting or greenery to hide the actual belt. Yay, seashell belt! You could also pour lead shot and resin in one of those twisty type of shells or conch looking shells, but you would have to figure out another way to attach it to the belt, so it would be a little more complicated.

You could also make a velcro belt where you do the same as above but E6000 velcro to teh back and add velcro to your belt. Then you don't need a quick release belt as you can rip off the velcro weights.

[MermaidAine]

I have never used resin, but it is something I am wanting to learn in the very near future. They carry it at places like JoAnn's or Michaels?

[Seatan]

Yes, they do. Or they have it at Hobby Lobby... Not sure about Joann's They have a section with molds and stuff. It will be there.

http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/...-epoxy-840645/

http://www.michaels.com/castin-craft...=resin&start=1

It's not hard to use, especially for stuff like this. Creating molds is harder than doing this because you have to create a negative image. This is basically just pouring goop in a shell and letting it set. I have seen some resins that will bond to whatever they are up against and others that may pop put (I have used a LOT of different resins), but for this purpose whether it sticks or not to the inside of a seashell doesn't matter as you can always glue it. Just imagine it like making Jello, only it turns out hard!

[MermaidAine]

Awesome, thank you so much!


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[MermaidAine]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions!


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[Mermaid Jaffa]

Hm... Those flips and turns I've been doing are so much harder to do in my merfin. Whenever I did them, I could hear cracking noises underwater! Whether it was me or the swimsuit stitches or even the merfin, I really don't know! I'll stick to using my foil over winter and hopefully, by the time summer comes along, I can do those tricks again in my merfin.

[A_Koi_Mermaid]

I practiced the "PUH" method for bubble rings lately with great success! Thanks to all your tips and things!

Bubble hearts on the other hand...

[Yulia]

When I was in Spain I trained tricks everyday in the pool, the last trick I learned was horizontal bubble rings (more like bubble squiggles right now)

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Another deep water trick, is to float upside down, lift your fluke/monofin, flap it like you're waving.

[Mermaid Strega]

I've had a good week- learned bubble rings and mostly hearts. My next goal is to do flips gracefully- im awful. That and that trick I think I saw in this thread with the scuba diver knocking over rocks with a bubble.

[Mermaid Alea]

Has anyone been able to jump out of the water in their tail? I have been extremely fascinated with this youtube video of a guy wearing a monofin jumping out of the water. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z09RmuaPyVU

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Has anyone been able to jump out of the water in their tail? I have been extremely fascinated with this youtube video of a guy wearing a monofin jumping out of the water. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z09RmuaPyVU

Yes. Not very high. In rubber fins only, Merfin and Finis Foil. And done both, in tail and in fin. I must say, its hard work getting up the speed especially since I'm still less than 1% core strength!!

But its so much fun to keep trying it!

[Mermaid Alea]

How deep did you go to do the jump?
I never think to try a jump when I am in my tail or my fin but I really want to. If only one could jump constantly like dolphins do that must be super fun.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

How deep did you go to do the jump?
I never think to try a jump when I am in my tail or my fin but I really want to. If only one could jump constantly like dolphins do that must be super fun.

I've tried 2 ways to build up speed...

Both times swimming arms in front style and going fast as you can. And just as you reach the surface, make cups with your hands and scoop the water (bring arms downwards) at the same time, like you're separating a curtain. That way you'll get a little bit more height, and keep wriggling your body like you're still swimming to get that realistic out of water fish jiggle.

My breath holding isn't good so I can't do from one end of the pool to other, let alone 25m or 10m mark to get the speed.

What I can do are just little fish hops. Not a mega jump like Monofin Guy.

First way, is swim down the lane sideways and then turn towards the deeps then turn again and aim for the surface.
Second way is to go down to the bottom of the pool (2.08m depth), turn around and swim upwards in a straight line.

When landing back in the water, try to lean backwards. If you don't and end up going in straight or face first, water will go up your nose and it'll will be very painful. If you're not used to water going up your nose, it'll sting for several minutes. I wore my other goggles that day, and cried in it for 5 mins, it hurt that much! That feeling of water in the brain too, is not fun.

Adding too, not recommended for bikini, seashells, or other wearers of two pieces. Leaping out of the water will unleash your parts...

If still insisting on said garments, just before you land back in the water, cross your arms tightly over your chest and pinch your nose tightly so the water don't rush up there upon landing. I wear a snorkel mask and a one piece suit, but I still cross my arms. Water pressure makes things jiggly in a very revealing way. Might not be the case if you have an underwire swimsuit, but better to be safe than super embarrassed!

In any case, it will attract everyone's attention. You'll have the lifeguards eyeballing you from the other side of the centre...

I'm thinking the best way to build up speed for when I do have that core strength is to do laps in circles, facing inwards so the turns are easier to do and won't hurt my back. After getting the speed, do a sharp turn, one that aims for the surface, and use speed and buoyancy (I'm super floaty!) to get that extra height.

[Echidna]

I've never been able to jump out of the water in a pool.

I just cannot get the necessary momentum- I need at least 6 or 7 metres to build up enough speed, and no pool is that deep.
Going horizontal and then trying to jump is not going to work in my experience, the best you can get out of that is a little breach of the upper body, and the tail coming out when your chest has already submerged again.

I did a full jump once in a lake, I didn't have a line though and thus don't know how deep I was, but I estimate 7-8 metres.
I got out all the way somehow, no idea how it looked because no one was filming it.