Health Risks When Mermaiding in POOLS

[MermaidMichelle]

You have, by the way, just explained why the chlorine level in Leisure Pools is so high....

[Anahita]

I've picked up two at once. By the time I had gone down, picked up both kids on each hip, and put them up on the side of the pool, the lifegaurd just jumped in. One had fallen into the pool and the other jumped in to save him but the kid was too heavy and they both sunk. Both 5 years old. they were okay but 1 was quite traumatized.

Scary...

But those kids are always going to have a really special memory of a mermaid saving them from drowning. So it definitely worked out the best possible way a situation like that could have.

[AniaR]

it's not like the movies the only people who tend to even being paying attention and see the fact I've picked up a kid most of the time is Sean. Sean is always paying attention way more than the parents and lifeguards. At a wedding a little boy walked past the very steep drop off. He couldn't swim, and he went down like a rock. I had a kid on my back and couldnt get to him fast enough or get the kid off me fast enough. I screamed Sean's name and he was in that pool in a split second. The kid was 4. When Sean pulled him up from the bottom of the 9 foot deep pool he was vomiting water. Mom and Dad were having drinks, baby at their feet eating rocks, and when he brought them the kid who was shaking with blue lips, they laughed it off and said he probably wasnt paying attention and freaks out all the time. I was so angry I flagged down the bride and explained the situation to her.

It actually stresses me out a lot. it's not my responsability but I get over anxious when I realize parents and lifeguards aren't paying attention because it has happened so many times. I did a gig recently in a really deep pool where the lifeguards werent paying attention at all and doing some sort of training thing. The parents spoke very little English and didnt have their kids in life jackets. There was no shallow end, and kids would swim out too far and get tired. I think I spent the whole damn gig just dragging them all back before they could go under. It's hard on the nerves.

I try to be extremely clear about that stuff when people book me, but sadly cellphones seem more important than watching children

[Mermaid Jaffa]

that's why I try to keep distance to small kids by default, and anyone who is coughing, sneezing, or blowing snot into the water.
did you know an adult's cough/sneeze range distributes germs in an 8 meter radius?

it's just tricky if the whole pool is full of such lovable creatures (the guys picking nose and then dropping the loot into pool are also one of my favourites).
or if you have a gig of course.

EWWWW!​

[Echidna]

sorry!
I'm also curious whether people in different countries are just as disgusting when visiting pools, or if it's a German thing.
I also see many who won't shower. The guards don't care about that either.

In Iceland for example, you'd get an earful and possibly thrown out if you tried some of the stuff people here do unabashedly on a daily basis.

sadly cellphones seem more important than watching children

imo, such parents shouldn't have children.

but it's not surprising considered what kind of reasons people have children for.
(one of the most often cited reasons women give is "coz I want to have bigger boobs for a while", go figure.)

[MermaidMichelle]

I want to avoid the pridefulness of apparently being one of the only life guards who paid attention to everything, so I shall instead offer a small word of defense for those whom I am fairly certain are in fact inattentive and all-too-average life guards.

In that situation Raina described, an in-the-water perspective would have been better for noticing a submerged child than the life guard's out-of-water experience. However, that still would not fully explain how Sean was able to spot the child so easily (not to mention the fact that Raina was obviously preoccupied at the time)!

As for cell/mobile phones, I don't care much for them and have never owned one. I'm making myself sound old (in reality I'm two years too old to be a Millennial), but I'm glad I did at least a few of my nine years of life guarding at a time before such gadgets became ubiquitous. We live in a world of escapist distraction, but those who cannot spend a sufficient amount of time in reality should not take such life-changing real-world steps as having a child!

[Mermaid Danielle]

it's not like the movies the only people who tend to even being paying attention and see the fact I've picked up a kid most of the time is Sean. Sean is always paying attention way more than the parents and lifeguards. At a wedding a little boy walked past the very steep drop off. He couldn't swim, and he went down like a rock. I had a kid on my back and couldnt get to him fast enough or get the kid off me fast enough. I screamed Sean's name and he was in that pool in a split second. The kid was 4. When Sean pulled him up from the bottom of the 9 foot deep pool he was vomiting water. Mom and Dad were having drinks, baby at their feet eating rocks, and when he brought them the kid who was shaking with blue lips, they laughed it off and said he probably wasnt paying attention and freaks out all the time. I was so angry I flagged down the bride and explained the situation to her.

It actually stresses me out a lot. it's not my responsability but I get over anxious when I realize parents and lifeguards aren't paying attention because it has happened so many times. I did a gig recently in a really deep pool where the lifeguards werent paying attention at all and doing some sort of training thing. The parents spoke very little English and didnt have their kids in life jackets. There was no shallow end, and kids would swim out too far and get tired. I think I spent the whole damn gig just dragging them all back before they could go under. It's hard on the nerves.

I try to be extremely clear about that stuff when people book me, but sadly cellphones seem more important than watching children

That is horrifying! Part of my contract with the adults, depending on the age of the children, requires them to be in the water with the kids during the event. In the contract they sign, it says that if I ever feel the kids are unsafe in the water, or the requested number of adults are not in the pool with the kids, then I (regardless of how far I am into the performance) have the right to leave the water and/or end the event if I feel it is necessary, with refund left to my discretion. My thinking with it was that at the very least me leaving the water would attract the kids attention (and hopefully the parents) and draw the kids back to the edge of the pool where they could hold on to the wall. Maybe you could try something like that in the future?

[AniaR]

Yes I built that into my contract too but we have a hard time enforcing it. I'm open to tips lol

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[Mermaid Danielle]

Yes I built that into my contract too but we have a hard time enforcing it. I'm open to tips lol

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I'm not sure how long your contract is, but do you review it in full with the customer, in person, before the event? When I met with my last client, I reviewed everything in my contract with her. I strongly stressed parent participation while arranging the event with her online, and then again in person. It seemed to have helped. She was in the water the entire time, and within arms reach of her three year old the entire hour.

Another factor that I think helped was that I require my customers to pay in full *before* starting the event, with the understanding that after signing the contract and receiving the payment, everything is final and if they do not comply to the contract, I can end the event without refund.

I have no idea how that will affect me from a business standpoint, since I'm still getting started, but it covers me and my aid and helps us work around a potentially very dangerous situation.

[MermaidMichelle]

I can't say how that will affect your business, for I am taking Raven's advice and awaiting a tail before I take any business, but as a (former) life guard I can say that your precautions are both wise and necessary!

[AniaR]

Its great in theory but I couldn't possibly meet with every client beforehand and when I yell at them from the pool they can't even hear me and hard to threaten lol. Then again I've been at this for a super long time so more opportunities for problems! So it seems like a lot but in retrospect many happened earlier on.

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[Mermaid Raena]

i went on vacation to Cabana Bay Beach resort at Universal in Florida. I was basically harrassed for even ASKING if they minded if i put my tail on in an EMPTY pool to practice and see if my sister could take a few photos to see how it looked. I then taped my legs together to tick them off and still practice a bit and proceeded to swim and try to imagine the tail on.... didnt work but i proved i was a very capable and fast swimmer. plus i'm vindictive and might've given a bit of extra "kick" as i went under and soaked the lifeguard who was rude to me.. *looks innocent* after that swim... i came up physically sick for the rest of vacation, and had heat stroke TWICE in two days.... i'm still recovering from the side effects of that vacation.... idk what was with that pool, but within a few hours i had to call housekeeping to clean my bathroom because i had gotten sick all over, and then i did the same in the park later that day...... Just a word of warning. it might be "pretty" but cabana bay is not mermaid or health friendly.

[Echidna]

Pools in hot countries take extra care and measures to remain sanitized.
I don't trust hotel pools, any pools that smell, and pools that look as if they aren't much in use.

If in doubt, you could try and get a look at the chemical sheets they should keep.
If they refuse you, that's a big warning sign.

[TritonsGuard]

Don't know if anyone put this out, but after it rains, you should not swim in the ocean for at least a few days, especially if you do so near a river. When it rains, the rivers and creaks fill up and carry everything that has been in it for weeks or months out to sea. That includes garbage and rotting dead plants and animals. This stuff stays around for a few days before it clears up. Same thing probably applies to lakes, so it's a good idea to stay out of them as well. Surfers learned this tip a few decades ago when they noticed a lot of them got sick after storms.

[Mermaid Raena]

Don't know if anyone put this out, but after it rains, you should not swim in the ocean for at least a few days, especially if you do so near a river. When it rains, the rivers and creaks fill up and carry everything that has been in it for weeks or months out to sea. That includes garbage and rotting dead plants and animals. This stuff stays around for a few days before it clears up. Same thing probably applies to lakes, so it's a good idea to stay out of them as well. Surfers learned this tip a few decades ago when they noticed a lot of them got sick after storms.

totally true! especially in hawaii. look to the locals before you go in the water, dont follow the tourists. if you wonder why north shore is empty, chances are, theres a reason.... also. beware of ticking off sea urchins. they like shallower waters just after a rain.....the 12 barbs in my foot are living proof.

[AniaR]

One I talked about in my second book but forgot to put here (another mer just reminded me) is hot tub folliculitis. We call it "swamp bum"

basically sitting in a wet tail too long breeds bacteria which can give you a painful rash in the areas that are tight and on your butt. Usually need a lotion to clear it up if you're unable to clear it up on your own.

I found using the lysol wipes on the tail and trying to dry the inside of my tail while still wearing it before doing the out of pool portion of a party helped cut down on how much it happened to me.It happens to me less with a looser tail too

[Rymisky]

I've experienced ear infections and chlorine sensitivity from swimming regularly.

[Nate]

Chlorine can cause skin and eye irritation, and swallowing pool water may lead to stomach issues. Additionally, long periods in a mermaid tail can restrict movement and cause muscle strain. Always ensure proper hygiene and safety measures to minimize these risks. Also pools is always a slippery place so it is wise to have a good injury lawyer https://www.bergellaw.com/personal-i...hawa-accident/ in order to have a compensation after fall accident or another one.

[zonnenmart]

I was more concerned about a tile slip accident in the swimming pool. My friend used a monofin and didn't calculate the distance right. She is a novice swimmer. The pool is very deep, so she slipped and got injured. I found here the locations where and how to calculate proper medical expenses and get all the needed help in her case.