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Thread: Ide's New Silicone MVD Tail!

  1. #1

    Ide's New Silicone MVD Tail!

    Courtesy of the amazing AlohaMermaid, I have recently come into possession of a MVD silicone tail! Being relatively new to this world (not performing, or mermaid mythos, but mermaid swimming) and having only had experience with an extremely lightweight and low-maintenance magictail fabric mermaid tail, this is really mind blowing. And exciting? Have I said exciting? I can say it a few more times, but I'll spare you.

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    This could go in the review section I suppose, but I hope to ask a lot of questions that perhaps more experienced merfolk can answer, and ultimately, I doubt I will stay on-topic enough to make this thread stay mostly a review.


    The weight markings on the box (which was by and large, the tail and packing peanuts) was a whopping 60lbs, a good deal heavier than expected. It easily weighs the same as one of the futons in my living-room, and that alone will be something to learn how to deal with. I was very relieved to find that, indeed, in the water it is weightless and infinitely more pleasant to wear as a result. I can carry it around by myself, sure, but wearing it, if I lie down on my back flat the fluke pulls my (fairly flexible) feet into an arched toepoint.


    When I finally managed to slip inside the tail, it was with the assistance of both my partner & coconut oil, in a belly-down pushup position, backing into the tail. I've since used this same position to get into the tail in shallow sandy water without much difficulty. It fits like a very heavy glove *laugh*. It's delightful, a comforting squeeze (a bit intense on the bonier knees ankles & feet, but damn near perfect everywhere else).


    It's beautiful, and feels remarkable to the touch. I wore it at a nearby lake today and even though it's a weekday, the heat brought the crowds, so I was mobbed by adoring children (something I'm used to, because I'm a faerie princess at work). I kept to the shallows, and had a very fun time.
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    My difficulty, and perhaps this is typical of MVD monofins (please let me know), is with my feet. My toes and up to about the front of my arch sits encased in a hard-shell monofin (envision a very slim cowbell shape), while everything beyond it (arch & heels) is in the flexible silicone. What this means is that when I kick the tail (which still has some umph & real water resistance to it, weight-wise) the pressure of my kick & propulsion is almost exclusively coming from my toes pressing into the hard-case part of the monofin, something that cut open my foot almost immediately. I am going to try swimming with it with some sort of booties on to see if that will aid in the pressure, but what it meant was I had to kick very slowly. Kicking hard & fast wasn't really an option, with enough gusto I'm certain I could break my toes.


    I initially thought my toes just weren't far enough into the tail, but upon further examination, it seems this is an err in design, and not in sizing - the width is a bit snug in the feet, but that is not the issue, the issue is the structure of the monofin itself, my heels were in the correct place. Does anyone else have an MVD tail and a similar experience? I've read some tails have foot straps, but I can't imagine that helping with this particular issue.


    Should I just try to focus how I use the ball of my foot more, and expect not to make quick movements? I can work with it as is as long as I'm not kicking hard, or wearing the tail for too long at a time (I was in the lake at least 30min today, nothing crazy but a nice first-time to get a feel for it).


    My (lightweight) monofin for the fabric tail is more like a shoe, the material that goes over my toes is the same that wraps around my heels, and it is somewhat flexible. The silicone tail's monofin however, is partially rock-solid.

    I love it for it's looks, can contend with it's weight, and feel that (aside from the tight-feets issue) it's a remarkably good fit, but any insightful advice about my toes would be vastly appreciated.
    Last edited by ide; 08-24-2011 at 04:49 AM.

  2. #2
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    Aloha!

    Your photo looks amazing, and I'm so happy that you were able to slip into the tail with the help of coconut oil and your husband! And happy that you discovered its weightlessness underwater. I think Mike's silicone tails offer the perfect bouyancy, and I can go much deeper in his tails that I could in latex tails (which seem positively bouyant to me).

    The foot pocket is Mike's invention in each of his tails. It's a single pocket with both feet going side-by-side, and the pocket only goes up to the ball of your foot. I have heard that some mermaids use thin dive socks with it, but I found that this makes the feet too slippery.

    It actually helps with undulation or dolphin kicks because it forces you to make your leg a single unit. But it does take some getting used to ! When I first got this purple tail, it had a Finis Competitor in it, but I couldn't reach down to get the ankle straps on. So, Mike changed the fluke to one of his monofins. But it turned out the whole tail was too tight for me overall. . . . so I'm happy that you are enjoying it, because the fins he put on the tail plus the colors are masterful.

    xxoo Aloha! xxoo

  3. #3
    Wow!!
    That looks amazing!!
    Hope to see more of you soon!

  4. #4
    It looks beautiful.

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  5. #5
    Looks amazing! Also, try kicking less with your feet and roll through your body more. I don't have an MVD tail but when I hurt my ankle (and still swam in a monofin...not smart) it was easier for me to really go through the motion than worry about kicking through my feet. It hurt a lot but that helped me to get the swimming motion down
    Mermaid Jewel

  6. #6
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod
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    so. jealous. not gonna lie. Haha. I thought about purchasing it too just before I hired my new tail maker- but purple I dont think would suit me. It looks amazing on you. You're totally making my waiting game so much harder. Hahaha

    So excited for you, also you have the most amazing hair. I tried to turn my red hair into what you have- and I think I got Gaga hair instead. XD

  7. #7
    Gorgeous! I love the colors!

  8. #8
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    Raina, I love your red Ariel mermaid hair! xxoo

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by AlohaMermaid View Post
    Aloha!
    The foot pocket is Mike's invention in each of his tails. It's a single pocket with both feet going side-by-side, and the pocket only goes up to the ball of your foot. I have heard that some mermaids use thin dive socks with it, but I found that this makes the feet too slippery.

    It actually helps with undulation or dolphin kicks because it forces you to make your leg a single unit. But it does take some getting used to !
    I hear you, and I'll work on getting a less ankle-centric technique. I just look at say, your avatar picture, and know that if the heavy fluke pulled the tip of my foot that hard by the ball above the arch, well, my foot can't bend that way. Is the tail you have on in that picture constructed differently so you can lift the fluke beyond a pointed-toe position? Or is your foot just above the bend, rather than in the bend itself?

    Gosh, I bet my language here is unclear, thanks for bearing with me. This is extremely educational. Dolphin kick has been my leg-stroke of choice since I first learned how to swim when I was four, but I do also move my ankles, which I suppose is bad form.

    Thanks so much everyone for the insight, support and kind words! I am quite euphoric about this tail business, it's really delightful!

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by AniaR View Post
    You're totally making my waiting game so much harder. Hahaha
    I'm excited to see your tail too! You've made sure that everyone on the forum is right there with you in this curious waiting game. Misery enjoys company? Haha! It's going to be gorgeous. You'll look spectacular, I have no doubt.

    I was thinking of being a goldfish too, but then this came along, and, well, I certainly can't complain about the way it looks! I think it's a good match for me.

    I'm really enjoying having hair this short, it never has been before (it just barely covers my nipples, for length reference). I had the first haircut of my life just a few months ago, before that, it was down to say.. a little further than 1/3 down my calf (so past my butt, but not to the knees). Now it's so nice & low maintenance! It's also blonde now, and it was white/grey for a good long while, I may start toning it that way again...

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Mermaid Jewel View Post
    Looks amazing! Also, try kicking less with your feet and roll through your body more. I don't have an MVD tail but when I hurt my ankle (and still swam in a monofin...not smart) it was easier for me to really go through the motion than worry about kicking through my feet. It hurt a lot but that helped me to get the swimming motion down
    Very good advice. I will be working on it! I want to go swim again today, but it's time to pack for Burning Man, I'm leaving on Sunday... Man, life is exciting right now!

    Shall I not expect for the fluke to ever lift higher than an equal plane with my calves (bent knees) while swimming? It has a tendency - the way I kick now, to want to lift my toes beyond an arched point and into the realm of I-don't-have-a-joint-there, which puts a lot of pressure on them.

  12. #12
    Member Undisclosed Pod
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    Aloha!

    My turquoise MVD silicone tail in my avatar (and in my Profile photo album) has the same footpocket and monofin as your purple tail. The photo in my avatar shows me diving in the ocean on a calm day and I'm at about 10 - 12 feet below the surface. My feet are in the footpocket as far as they'll go. I'm swimming with my stomach and upper legs more than my feet or ankles.

    xxooo

    Quote Originally Posted by ide View Post
    I hear you, and I'll work on getting a less ankle-centric technique. I just look at say, your avatar picture, and know that if the heavy fluke pulled the tip of my foot that hard by the ball above the arch, well, my foot can't bend that way. Is the tail you have on in that picture constructed differently so you can lift the fluke beyond a pointed-toe position? Or is your foot just above the bend, rather than in the bend itself?

    Gosh, I bet my language here is unclear, thanks for bearing with me. This is extremely educational. Dolphin kick has been my leg-stroke of choice since I first learned how to swim when I was four, but I do also move my ankles, which I suppose is bad form.

    Thanks so much everyone for the insight, support and kind words! I am quite euphoric about this tail business, it's really delightful!

  13. #13
    Junior Member BengalTiger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ide View Post
    The weight markings on the box (which was by and large, the tail and packing peanuts) was a whopping 60lbs, a good deal heavier than expected. It easily weighs the same as one of the futons in my living-room, and that alone will be something to learn how to deal with.
    Holy crap! I'm 93 pounds... I wouldn't even be able to pick that up!
    "Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean" <3

  14. #14
    Senior Member Euro Pod Toxotes's Avatar
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    That's a very beautiful tail.
    I hope you can solve this problem with your footpocket.

  15. #15
    Oh my gosh! What a beautiful tail! Beautiful doesn't even cover it! Those colours are so perfect for you! I can't wait to see how my own tail will look like!

  16. #16
    Thanks everyone! I'm back from Burning Man and eager to get in the water again. I have a photoshoot in my new tail on Friday, and I can't wait to get some better images of it.

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