ABOUT MERNATION MerNation
MerNation

Manufacturer: MerNation

ABOUT MERNATION:
MerNation Inc. is based out of Tampa, Florida and sells full silicone mermaid tails


themernation.com
Etsy Shop
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themernation@gmail.com



RULES FOR REVIEWS:

1. Do not post a review until after you have received you tail, and used it at least once.
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Due to abuse of the system, you MUST provide proof of purchase within your review. This can be a photo of you in your tail, or a photo of your tail with a piece of paper with "MerNetwork.com" written on it, placed on or near your tail so it can be clearly seen in the photo. This photo can be embedded (see instructions on how to do so below), or the photo can be linked to via url or hyperlink in the review. If you do not include this, your review will not be approved.
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Discuss the item's color, texture, weight, quality and shipping condition. You also may wish to describe the tailmaker's customer service and delivery time. Describe how it worked in the water, the process of getting it on and off, and other useful information.

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Deliberately false or misleading information in reviews will not be tolerated.


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Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: MerNation

  1. #2
    Senior Member Rocky Mountain Pod Mermaid Dottie's Avatar
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    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation

    This is a review for a swimmable mermaid tail purchased from MerNation, Inc. They can be contacted through their facebook page, or their website, http://www.themernation.com.
    I paid $2900.00 US dollars, plus$90-ish shipping from FL to UT. This review expresses my personal views, only, and does not reflect the views of Mernetwork.com or it's admins.



    PURPOSE
    I purchased this tail for swimming, modeling, performing at events like Ren Faires, and the odd birthday party. It's intended to be usable for both swimming, and dry events,but its really heavy, so until I get a little stronger, it's probablygoing to have to be primarily used in the water. (Which I'm totally great with. I could use a little more muscle.)



    APPEARANCE AND ARRIVAL
    My tail is shiny, not as metallic as I had hoped, but I have since changed my mind about wanting to be reflective, as this would hinder the tail's suitability when modeling. It's blue, light blue, and green in the body, with black spots, and has a yellow fluke and fins, which all have spots on them as well. I have two sets of ventral (belly-side) fins, and one smaller dorsal (back) fin, which is located on my calves.
    This coloration and design was based on a Bear Lake Cutthroat Trout, a more rare than most fish species native to my area.
    It came well packaged in large black garbage bags to prevent sticking, a large sheet of bubble wrap, and a securely duct taped box.


    ORDERING PROCESS
    I spent a very long time discussing my order with them prior to ordering. When I finally did order my tail,I first sent them a message to let them know I was ready, and then they sent me an email with relevant information, and a customer agreement for me to sign. Micheal (their Lead Man) then messaged me saying my design was incredible, and there was nothing he could do to improve on it. I was sent an invoice for the total we had agreed upon, which was paid in full, and then, after a little more discussion, I was told I was next in queue. My tail arrived less than a month from having paid my invoice.




    COMMUNICATIONS
    I began communicating with MerNation about possibly making my tail on May 25th, 2013. I decided shortly after that they were who I was going to go with. It took nearly a year, but communication with them remained stellar. I was given feedback on my design ideas, and one other ideas I had that didn't pan out, and was always treated kindly. After I ordered, I was updated to say I was next, and then was given almost daily PHOTO updates on my tail's progress. I was asked to give input, which I did fairly often (that must have been frazzling) and was told the day before and the day of shipment, and given a tracking number.


    WHAT I LIKE, AND WHAT I'D CHANGE
    This tail is beautiful, and looks identical to my sketch, but better. It is EXTREMELY heavy, which I am going to attribute to my big booty. When looking at the pictures from my first swim, I noticed that my blended waist is much too pale, an error on my side. I really thought I had sent the appropriate paint swatch. :/





    Being the clumsy, paranoid mermaid that I am, (after discussing it with Michael beforehand) I have ordered some trial-sized dragonskin silicone to put a very thin layer on over the top of my fluke in order to preserve the spots a little better. [I recommend this become a standard with more intricate designs.] The fluke silicone is also really soft, and I think a harder silicone would be more suited to the project.



    My dorsal is thick, as are my fins, but my fins are flat on the back side. I thought it was a little weird,and maybe would have preferred double sided, but at this point,that's such a minor thing that it doesn't even matter to me. I'm sure if I had asked, they would have accommodated me. They also reinforced my waist because it's so much smaller than my hips, which I found to be thoughtful. Although it does make it a little harder to put on, the extra strength will be worth it, later.
    Please note; as I know that swimming in this tail is going to cause me to lose weight, I have set aside a large sum of money in order to have that done later.


    CONCLUSION
    Overall, I love my tail, and I love the experience I have had, and continue to have with this company.


    I give MerNation Inc:


    For Customer Service



    For Speed



    For Accuracy


    For Communication


    For Product Quality

    I only took a little bit off because I'm worried about the spots coming off if I don't seal the paint job.

    I LOVE my tail!

  2. #3

    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation


    I had a wonderful experience with MerNation. Here is a quick rundown of my experience.

    I received my order instructions on 1/3/14. We exchanged lots of emails regarding design. On 1/5/14 they sent me a drawing they made of the design I had asked for, which was really helpful in visualizing how the tail would look. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...6&l=5e03538821 They worked with me on altering the fluke shape of their current mold. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...1&l=223256c9c0

    I mailed my duct tape dummy on 1/14/14, they received it on 1/17/14.

    They were very thorough in making sure I got just what I wanted. Lots of emails exchanged, they were very detailed in making sure they did it exactly the way I wanted, they were even more nit picky than I was on getting the details just right, so I gave them some creative liberty.

    On 1/24 got an email with pictures of the fluke in progress to check how much floppyness I wanted. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...9&l=8773a52027


    They also emailed me when they discovered I had made a mistake on my measurements, thanks to the duct tape dummy they were able to catch the fact that I had forgotten to list one of of the measurements.

    1/27/14 I got a picture of my tail painted, to check if I liked the paint job. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...8&l=b4cb6fbf88 I requested that they have the white go all the way to the waist, so they did it! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...8&l=ce08bafacc

    The tail was finished on 1/30/14, just a month from my initial order email! I'm not sure if that is because they were slow or they just have a great system, but I got my tail fast! My husband saw the box and said "that can't be the tail you just ordered?!?!"

    The tail is really beautiful, dare I say, perfect! It fits like a glove! There are no imperfections in the silicone, and it's really well made. They made it thinner than usual so it would be easier for me to use with my health conditions, but they kept in thick in the important areas, like heels, knees, and waist. They also put some mesh fabric handles inside to help aid in pulling the tail up. However, I find they don't help me as they are too low inside the tail. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...6&l=5ecb2e7ea3

    The blue was a little lighter than I wanted, but the tail still looks great. They did a great job of blending the colors from white, to blue, to black. Texture is great, there are no imperfections in the silicone like some other tails I've bought.

    The tail swims great! I mailed them my blue finis monofin to use inside the tail and swimming is a breeze in this tail. http://youtu.be/miV-XvSwM5k

    The only thing some people may not like is that the underside of the front fins is not textured, it's left flat. Most people won't see it, but I know little kids love to touch and play with my little fins, so I hope I don't have to explain that. LOL They are pretty well re-enforced inside the tail. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...8&l=a0eabcc98c

    If you know me, you know I have a lot of tails. With all my experiences buying tails, this is one of the best tail buying experiences I've ever had. I would highly recommend getting your tail from MerNation!

  3. #4

    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation

    Overview:
    From start to finish this was a great experience. Mernation was very fast and prompt with the emails/texts. I had sketch 32 tails and the 33 one I sketch was the one I fell in love with. I emailed them in June 21 2014 and with in hours I had the first response about how much they liked my design and would love to work with me. From the first email until the tail arrived was 30 days. They worked hard to make sure they got the colors and the exact design of the stripes and the dorsal.
    They ask you to make a duct tape dummy of yourself so they can have a mold of your body and then measure 3" up from the floor so they have all the measurement they need. We also discussed mono fins and I wanted a stiffer fluke so we did a FINIS Trainer mono fin, which is a new mono fin for Mernation to use. I am the first Mernation mermaid with this mono fin so I will keep everyone posted!!

    Cost:
    The tail alone was $2500, I added a tattered dorsal and a scale top to match all that together with shipping was $2990.

    Purpose:
    I wanted a silicone tail b/c I am starting a mermaid business and decided that I wanted the most realistic mermaid look I could get!


    Appearance/Arrival:
    The box was big and heavy. The tail/top was well wrapped and protected. The color was AMAZING. Michael was having some trouble capturing the color in the pictures but he kept reassuring me that the color was what I wanted. The color is supposed to be greenish/aqua with purple and a silver tiger stripes with a purple/silver tattered dorsal and it is everything I ever wanted!! The color was perfect and the dorsal was a beautiful tattered (Splash inspired) dorsal! The tiger stripes and everything shine in the sun b/c I asked for a lot of metallic paint. I want the tail to catch the sunlight all the time! The top was colored just as the tail and we made it a halter with some netting, it is beautiful!!! I also asked if they could me scale bracers for me and they said they didn't offer those, but I opened the box and I had a big surprise of 2 scale bracers to match my tail!!! I was so excited!! So I now have this beautiful tail/top/bracers to match and swim with!!! PERFECT

    Ordering:
    This only took 30 days to come to life from a sketch to my tail in my house! Mernation responds so fast and we had such a great line of communication that the process happened so fast!!! From the time the had the mold ready to go and the first spray of color on the tail I was getting texts to make sure I was happy with it all. I could tell that Michael and I were on the same page the whole time, we collaborated all day about different ideas. We changed a few things and made tiny color alterations and the tail was really coming together. The top started out very long in the torso area so we kept cutting a few scales away at a time until the length did over bear my short torso!! The had wonderful models trying it on for me so I could see how short it was getting and when I was happy they finished painting it!! Wonderful to communicate with!

    Conclusion:
    I am over the moon with my tail. I will say that it is heavy weighs 35lbs dry and it is very awkward to carry when you are only 4'11" but I am very strong so it is like carrying a bag of horse feed to me! My little surprise scale bracers was just wonderful and very unexpected and made me smile like a kid!! That was so sweet of them! The whole team over at Mernation was a joy to work with and I am sure we will be working together again in the future!! I am very happy with this company and I knew they were a small company just up and coming in the mermaid world. I had seen and spoken with some of their clients and they seemed so happy with them that it felt right that I joined in!! They estimated 60 days for the tail and it was here in a month! They are defiantly worth the time and I am so happy!!!!


  4. #5
    Senior Member Pod of Texas Sherielle's Avatar
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    4 out of 5 rating for MerNation

    My Mernation Fabric tail review
    I purchased a performance spandex tail from Mernation's Etsy store. They contacted me immediately and got my measurements and color choices. They were very fast in making the tail and it arrived much sooner than I expected. They were very responsive with my emails and made sure that I was going to get the tail I wanted. I ordered it in blue with a blue and green dorsal and a the same blue and green fabric in a 6 inch fringe on the fluke. The blue dorsal/fringe fabric has glitter on it, which in hindsight I won't get again because there was glitter EVERYWHERE in the pool after I swam in it the first time, lol. I love glitter, but I don't think the other swimmers appreciated it in the pool. It was also a little plainer than I had imagined, but I plan on fixing that with some paint and more fins that I'll add later.
    Looking at the monofin, I was disappointed at first. It's not a name brand monofin, but a shaped piece of lexan with two diving shoes bolted down to it. Then I swam with just the monofin to get used to it and my attitude towards it quickly changed. It is lightweight, stays on my feet well and I don't need any swim socks to keep from getting blisters. And boy did I swim FAST! I loved it.
    Next was swimming with the fabric tail and monofin. The first time I put on the tail, it seemed a bit big in the hips and in the length. I'm not sure if that's how they are normally fitted. I could easily gather up two inches on each seam (four inches total around my hips). I was worried that it wouldn't stay on when I swam in it, but it stayed on just fine with the elastic band they sewed in. I had to get used to the drag of the fabric since I was already used to the speed of just the monofin. It does seem that I am slower in my fabric tail than in my silicone tail. I'm guessing it's the dorsal fin and fluke fringe (say that three times fast).
    I'm going to have to add some closure Velcro to the fluke because it keeps coming open at the end. No big deal for me since I'll be adding more to it anyway.
    For the most part, I love it. It's really beautiful in the water. I'm not quite sure it's worth the $300 I spent for it, but it is a lovely tail.
    Last edited by Sherielle; 09-08-2014 at 12:27 PM.

  5. #6
    Junior Member Rocky Mountain Pod Merman_Kalas's Avatar
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    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation

    Hello, everyone! Merman Kalas here with my personal review of Mernation Inc.
    Now, I have had a lot of customer service over the years as everyone else in the wo
    rld has. But none compare to the service that MerNation provides. While I haven't been in contact with them for very long, they went above and beyond what I have ever experienced during the entire ordering process. Respect, kindness, understanding and support. Whatever the star grade, 5 out of 5, 10 out of 10. It's 100% in whatever they do. Complete perfection in service and product. The tail fits like a glove. A second skin. The detail is AMAZING and completely satisfactory! Not to mention that the entire experience from order to delivery took less than a month!!! I couldn't have gone with a better tail maker. Whatever your dream, as far as mermaid or merman tails go. MerNation is the company to go through!! Thank you guys so much!! <3



  6. #7
    Member Chesapeake Pod Tom Cardwell's Avatar
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    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation

    Here is my MerNation tail review after owning it for 5 months.

    This is actually my second tail, my first tail will be made later by FinFolk after meeting them at NC Merfest 2015.
    After contacting FinFolk in early January I started looking around at other tailmakers and completed tails. I ran across SeaVixen's tail and knew if I wanted a backup tailmaker then MerNation would be it. Here is SeaVixen's review http://mernetwork.com/index/showthre...ce-and-review! . Then Mernation on January 28th dropped this beauty on their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheMerNatio...type=3&theater . At that point I knew I needed this tail, a pink tail for breast cancer awareness in memory of my grandmother who passed 12 yrs ago. FinFolk got back to me 2 days later saying it would be almost a year till they could make my 1st tail so I pulled the trigger and bought the MerNation tail in the interim.

    Communication was awesome, many times replies with 8-24 hours.
    Paid for my tail on February 13th, 2015.
    Made my duct tape dummy and mailed it off and received February 19th.


    Cost: Around $3,500
    Upgraded to a competitor monofin like this one.Its a beast.

    Added dorsal fin, pectoral fins, hip fins, and ankle fins.

    March 10th it began, here are the progress pics:







    On the last day of winter, March 22nd, my family and I drove down from Charlotte, NC to Tampa, FL to pickup my MerNation tail. (My wife was in a huge rush to get food and get to the beach I didn't get any meeting pics)

    Here is the 1st pic of my new tail at Clearwater Beach, Florida.




    A pic hanging out with Mermaid Shannon at the YWCA in Charlotte on April 27th.



    Myrtle Beach, SC, at Ocean Lakes Campground Pool, May 15th 2015 with my kids.




    Here is a video by Merman Dan of my tail on August 5th at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
    https://video-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hv...35&oe=55DBD862

    My tail weighs 30 lbs, its a beast. It fits perfectly.

    Wear and tear: I've scooted on my dorsal fin too many times and put a hole in it. I got a tube of sil-poxy and if was fixed in 20 minutes, no problem!



    So much chlorine in the pools that its eating at the clearcoat on a few scales, not a big deal. Its rough when you walk into the local indoor pool and the chlorine is so strong in the air it burns.




    Then kids stepping on my tail caused a few of these wounds...grrrrr




    I swim about once a week in my tail then put it up in my rack to dry.




    Its an awesome tail, gotten a lot of complements from breast cancer survivors and plan to take it with me on the breast cancer awareness walks in October.

    I would highly recommend MerNation to any friend. They are a solid and steady tail maker, don't think they want to be like the top in demand tail makers who "oh and ah" everyone then are saddled with a full year turnaround. Great Job guys!
    Last edited by Tom Cardwell; 08-24-2015 at 10:06 PM.

  7. #8

    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation

    Intro: So after getting a rather crumby tail (finspo) and getting some of my money back from it I decided that I should get what I really wanted. A professionally made tail that I could swim in and be proud of for years to come. I also wanted something that I could swim in a few times before the summer. I did A LOT more research this time so I would not be cheated again. I decided that I was going to go with mernation since they all look absolutely beautiful, they are rather durable with thick silicone, and while they still cost a lot they are one of the more affordable professional tails around.

    Ordering process/design: After me and my tattoo artist friend talked and did some sketching together we came up with this design. I’m unfortunately not good at drawing so MAJOR kudos to Jen Kempton if you are reading this. I wanted to base the look of my tail off a Marlin/billfish since I’m kind of a speed demon and love to go fast, they are beautiful fish and somewhat masculine if you ask me, and I did not want to go with a reef fish. She also helped me with measurements and making my duct tape dummy. Erin at Mernation was amazingly quick in her responses and It only took her about a day to get back to me. I was shocked that she said it would only take 4 weeks or so to make my tail. They also were extreamly nice and modified their summer deal so that I could get a free hip roll or “hip fin” like the mermaids in Disney instead of a free top with a tail. Would look rather silly to have a merman with a sea shell top. http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/x...siksvm4yh.jpeg

    Purpose: Im big into swimming and have been swimming with my finns monofin for about a year now. Mermaids and merfolk have always had a place in my heart. For along time it was kind of a dark secret of mine for most of my life. Hope to do volunteer and payed work in it if I can. Don’t know how many requests there are for a merman in the Midwest lol.

    Cost: 3300. Was a lot but I decided that’s It what I really wanted. I saved, sold a lot on ebay, and budgeted for it.

    Communication: No one better to do business with if you ask me. Erin and her team at Mernation communicated with me often and would send updates and ideas of what they thought would work best. Above all else they want to make their customers happy and making tails is a real passion for them.

    Arrival and appearance: It came in a large box right on time. I felt like the kid opening a N64 on Christmas morning but refrained from screaming “ITS MY TAIL!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!” :P It was very neatly folded in plastic and had a few papers on care, putting it all on, and a thank you letter from Erin and the Mernation team. The tail itself is everything I could have dreamed for. It’s a bit heavy but it just a way to get stronger. Getting into it takes some time but MAN does it fit like a glove. They also looks like some sort of fabric (reminded me of what they use for surgical stents) lines the inside for extra strength/durability. The tail itself is insane if you ask me. The quality of the work is top of the line. I will let the photos speak for it. In the water the tail is in its element. I have only swam in it twice since getting it but it oddly feels like I’m swimming faster in it than when I’m just swimming in my monofin.




    Conclusion: I cant say enough good things about my tail and mernation. I kind of want to maybe get fin bracers or something from them in the future. They easily get a 5/5.









  8. #9
    Junior Member mermaidmerchelle's Avatar
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    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation

    As there are no tail makers that I could find in the UK, I looked to the bigger companies in the US to get my first silicone tail. I listened to a lot of feedback and did a heck of a lot of research into tails and tail makers and these are the reasons I chose Mernation:
    - The tails all look BEAUTIFUL! Every single tail is painted beautifully and the standard of the artistry looked second to none.
    - The quality of the build and the dragon silicone was raved about in several reviews.
    - Their website and social media sites are thorough, clear and concise, very reassuring as you're going to spend a lot of money on your tail. I knew exactly what I was buying and all the informations is easily accessible.
    - Their customer service is phenomenal! My main contact was Erin, she was so friendly and answered every question quickly and thoroughly. I felt very reassured and decided this was the tail maker I wanted to use.

    I had a time restraint on getting the tail (one of the deciding reasons that now was the time to get a tail) and Erin was brilliant about this! I was astounded how quickly the whole process took! Just a couple of weeks!

    Once I had made the payment, I sent Erin a run down of what I was after (a very realistic looking tail, green in base colour but with shimmery iridescence.) I also sent her some pictures of rainbow scales I found on the internet. Erin then sketched up a design and after a slight tweak from me (she was amazing about feedback, I didn't feel guilty at all about making small suggestions) she began to create the tail.
    I received photo and video updates through the whole process which was absolutely amazing! I saw the tail take shape and the colour design really come to life!
    It was soon finished and before I knew it, it was on it's way to the UK.

    Now here was the only issue...PARCELFORCE! Mernation like a lot of companies use USPS and they by either agreement or default use an English delivery company called Parcel Force, or Parcel Farce as I now call it. Once the box was posted I was given a tracking number and through the USPS site I attached my email and was sent updates every step of the way. The package spent about a day in the US, then as soon as it arrived in the UK and into the hands of the UK's Parcelforce things ground to a halt for 9 days! No fault of Mernation at all, Erin was so reassuring when I messaged in a panic that the package seemed to have disappeared. I won't ever be using Parcel Farce again and would rather pay extra and use a different delivery company in future. (I could go on about the problems with Parcel Farce but don't want it to spoil the review.)

    The box did eventually arrive and wow! The tail surpassed my wildest dreams. The colour was so much more beautiful than the pictures could capture! It was packed really well and survived the transit. With the tail was a lovely letter welcoming me to Mernation and some fantastic information on tail maintenance that has been beyond helpful! Another thing I just loved was that 'thank you' was written on one of the box flaps, I just love small touches like that!

    The same night I was taken by a film crew that filmed my unboxing to a swimming pool for my first swim. It took about 10 minutes, a lot of hair conditioner and a helping hand from the director to get into the tail but once I was in and swimming.......I was in heaven! The tail fit to perfection and swimming was just amazing! I learned that in future it's important to tighten the ankle straps pretty tight as they slipped half an hour into the swim but for a first swim it wasn't a problem.
    I got some photos and the tail looks even BETTER under water! It's here that the iridescence comes to life! I also noticed that the body of the tail catches various lights differently and has photographed green, teal and blue!
    I have more filming coming up and I can't wait to use the tail at every opportunity. I really can't speak highly enough of Erin and Mernation! I wish all companies could have such a high quality product and phenomenal customer service.
    I would recommend them in a heartbeat!





  9. #10
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod
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    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation



    Cost:
    Cost of the tail - around $2,680.00
    Cost of the top - $180.00
    No delivery charge since we met in person.

    Purpose:
    Does midlife crisis count? LOL. Truthfully, I would love to do birthday parties and visits to hospitals. Anything to make someone smile.

    Appearance/Arrival:
    Because we live close to each other, I got the unique experience of meeting the makers in person. The tail was perfect. No box, just laid in the back of their SUV. It was sparkly, bold, and heavy as heck LOL. They explained and showed how to get it on, how to clean it ect. They also gave me an envelope with a personalized letter thanking me for choosing them and care instructions for the tail.


    Ordering:
    Ordering was the easiest part. I sent an inquiry through FB messenger and they got back to me a few minutes later. I showed them pics, they made suggestions and showed me color swatches. First design was this:


    After speaking to a few people however I sent with darker shades.



    They met me in a parking lot to do the duck tape dummy, which was funny as heck. I told Michael that it must look like the weirdest kidnapping attempt ever.




    They sent me several color and fin idea pics while they made the body and we nailed down colors which she sent me a sketch of.



    and progress pics.






    And finally the finished products!




    I then met them once again in a parking lot and got my tail and top!

    Conclusion:
    I am so glad I picked MerNation! I ordered my tail on the 10th and picked it up on the 22nd! You can't beat 12 days! They were incredibly nice, patient, and they seemed as excited about my tail as I was! They made me feel comfortable, and sent me tons of pics and updates! I could not be happier!

    If their is 1 con about all of this it would be that the Rapid Monofins straps keep slipping, but that is more of the Rapid maker issue then the tail maker. I ordered booties and I think that will help greatly. The tail is about 30-35 pounds, but doesn't feel like it at all in the water. It photographs beautifully! I scrapped it a few times my first attempt at getting it on and swimming. I was so worried I damaged it, but nope! Not a single nick. The silicon is really thick, especially around the waist, but it's to make sure you dont punch your fingers right through it getting it on, which I probably would have LOL.

    All in all, I love my tail, and would totally order from MerNation again.





  10. #11

    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation

    I paid $2600.00 for the tail with pectoral fins. $255.00 for the top and scale bracers $35.00 and shipping 175.00 due to a shipping error or it would have just been 110.00ish? So no shipping errors! So all together my tail, top and bracers was $3065.00


    PURPOSE
    I purchased this tail, custom top and bracers so that I can continue performing in a tail that was believable in performances and events. I use it not only for that but for underwater photography and modeling.


    APPEARANCE AND ARRIVAL
    When I opened the box, everything was neatly wrapped in individual bags to help protect the tail. It was in a rectangle box and wrapped tightly with clear tape. It was just as glossy and the colors were accurate as the pictures that were sent in the correspondences.





    ORDERING PROCESS
    They were ready to start long before I could come up with my concept design for the type of fluke. At the time the dragon fluke was new and the tail I originally came up for would have been way too heavy and so we decided on a new design with the same color scheme. I loved how my cloth tail colors showed up and I wanted it to be unique. We discussed the colors and design in detail and I started drawing different concepts.




    COMMUNICATIONS
    It took around two months for everything to finish but could have been done in 2 weeks.

    WHAT I LIKE, AND WHAT I'D CHANGE
    I love everything about it and if anything I would make it go up a little higher. The details of the top are subject to tear if you’re not careful but that’s with anything thing and silicone most likely. You can’t see my leg impressions through the tail so it’s perfect.




    CONCLUSION
    It was everything I could have ever dreamed of and will most likely order from them again.

    I give MerNation Inc:

    For Customer Service
    5 out of 5


    For Speed
    5 out of 5


    For Accuracy
    5 out of 5

    For Communication
    5 out of 5

    For Product Quality
    5 out of 5

  11. #12

    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation

    Here is the full review of my Mernation experience!

    I had emailed Mernation back in April of 2016. I wasn't ready to order, but i wanted to get started with design ideas as well as know how much a tail was going to cost me. Mernation was answering all of my questions thoroughly and they gave me their honest opinions about what would look best on my tail. After they had answered all of my questions i told them i would email them once i had all the funds. Once i had all the funds, i emailed them on August 19th, telling them im ready to order, but i had changed my mind about which design i wanted. So once again they emailed me back very quickly and we discussed which fluke i wanted, which fins, color, etc. I was being so indecisive about what i wanted and they were so patience and so understanding. Once i was certain of what i wanted, we discussed payment. My tail ended up costing $3200 (including shipping). The tail itself was $2750 and it was $350 for pectoral fins and a dorsal fin, and shipping came out to be $100, adding up to $3200. I had a cashiers check made on the 25th of August. There were some problems that popped up with the bank, so my check ended up not getting sent to them until the 12th of September. I sent them my duct tape dummy on August 29th and they received it on the 11th of September (NOTE: I live on the other side of the country, so shipping packages takes forever with standard shipping.) They finally received my check on the 20th, so they could finally start on my tail!

    Here is the sketch of my design, next to my measurements.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BJpeA1fg...mermaidbrianna

    They Officially started on the 21st of September! And they were ready to paint by the 22nd! They put the base colors on the 22nd, and on the 23th, they had started to blend! They even offered to add extra glitter to the tail, free of charge! On the 25th, they sent me a video of the blended fluke and the glitter! There was SOO much glitter, it was so beautiful! At this point i couldn't contain my excitement! On the SAME DAY, they sent me a completed photo of the tail, and told me they would be shipping it out the next day! Once they shipped it, they sent me the shipping info with a tracking number, it was estimated to arrive on the 3rd of October.

    The day arrived! The afternoon of the 3rd, the USPS guy knocked and i sprung up and rushed to the door! My tail came in a big white box and it was SUPER heavy!
    Here is my unboxing video!
    https://www.facebook.com/brianna.par...34807943034373

    I was so excited! Mernation only took about 1 week to start, and finish the tail! and it took about 1 week to ship it! so overall (not including how long it took for all my stuff to ship there) it took about 2 weeks for me to get my tail! They have to be, by far, the fastest tail makers out there!

    Here is a photo of me wearing my tail for the first time!
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BLHfpffA...mermaidbrianna

    HERE IS MY REVIEW OF THE TAIL ITSELF:

    So putting on the tail for the first time was NOT easy, but i wasn't expecting it to be! My tail feels like it weights around 35-45 LBS, so it is a little difficult for a shrimp like me to carry it! But i'm getting stronger so everything is getting easier! They sent me instructions on how to care for it and the best way to put it on. I use hair conditioner as a lubricant. At first i was mixing it with water, but i found that just going in with straight conditioner was the most effective way for me. I soon realized that getting the tail on is a lot easier if you shave your legs! A lot less friction! I have only gone swimming in it 2 times since writing this review, but they were quite long swims! Swimming in the tail feels great! it feels practically weightless underwater and swimming in it feels so natural to me! What i like the most about the weight of the fluke is that since i am naturally a flotation device, i feel like the tail actually helps me sink just a little bit, enough that i dont have to struggle as much with keeping myself underwater! The tail shimmers underwater and flows perfectly! The silicone isnt thin like ive seen on some tails made by other tail makers, so i dont feel like im going to rip it when i have to pull it up past my hips. Overall, the tail is simple to clean, simple to dry, the tail is very durable and the silicone is thick. The colors on the tail are bright and EXACTLY what I wanted. the glitter has stayed on through both of my swims and it is still super glittery! The fins and dorsal fin are also very durable. The seam on the tail isnt that noticable either. I mean its there, but it doesnt stand out at all! All the scales look perfect, the fluke is perfect, the tail fits my body shape and size perfectly and my feet fit perfectly in the monofin's foot pockets. I could not be happier with my choice to go with Mernation to create my first silicone tail!

    Picture of my tail in the water:
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BLU-JEbA...mermaidbrianna

    Check out that blending!
    https://www.instagram.com/p/BLcP55Tg...mermaidbrianna



    OVERALL:

    Customer Service: 5/5 Stars

    Production Time: 5/5 Stars

    Quality of the Tail: 5/5 Stars

    Blending and Color Quality: 5/5 Stars

    Sizing/Fit: 5/5 Stars


    Thank you so much Mernation! Keep doing what you do! <3 <3 <3

    -Mermaid Brianna

  12. #13
    Senior Member Pod of the Great Lakes The Magic Crafter's Avatar
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    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation

    *Cost* Product: $2,750.00Shipping: $100.00Total: $2,850.00*Product* Style: Signature Line Silicone Mermaid TailWeight: About 27 LBSColors: Silver, Black, and PurpleScale Type: Scalloped Fluke Design: Khaleesi Fins: NoneMonofin: Finis Rapid*Wait Time*Date Ordered: I honestly keep confusing this in my head... sometime in the Summer though! It was a hectic time, please forgive me! Date Received: Before my boyfriend left for the season... So mid-August-ish? I think I said September in a my video/ blog post though... oops! ***Once MerNation received my completed sketch/ money order, they got to work on my tail basically the next day! Once they were finished creating it, it was in my hands in under a week. The whole process (not including the year I spent drafting designs) took less than 2 weeks, I do believe. :)Here's the unboxing video: http://<a href="https://www.youtube....gw&index=3</a>I have taken my tail out for two swims in Lake Michigan, though I have not taken it out into a chlorinated pool yet. Here is my first swim:http://<a href="https://www.youtube....gw&index=4</a>This first swim was VERY short lived since I didn't know how to adjust my heel straps at the time, didn't have neoprene socks, AND since I didn't allow the air out of my tail before taking off... oops! But I did get to paddle around a bit and was very pleased with how my tail looked and with how it propelled me through the water so nicely. :) My second swim lasted well over an hour and allowed me to really test it out... at least test it out as well as a blind mer can! I can't see when swimming, so I'm not the most graceful in the water but LOVED the way my tail made me feel. Ugh. Not only did my MerNation tail look pretty and give me a nice boost in speed, but it also helped keep my body warm in the cool Lake Michigan waters of September. I had a wig on in this video, so I was extra clumsy (I was paranoid about it floating away!) but it shows some more clips of it in the water: http://<a href="https://www.youtube....w&index=13</a>I LOVE my MerNation Silicone mermaid tail so, so much and couldn't be happier with it. As far as Customer Service goes... OH MER GOSH!!!I emailed Erin a ton of questions about buying a tail (and mermaiding in general) over a year before finally deciding to order my beautiful baby. She was so helpful and was willing to answer all of my questions even though I wasn't ready to go through with the purchase. And when I finally was ready to place my order, she was nothing but a wonderful help! I can't even begin to say how pleased I was with how great she was about answering my questions, helping me along with the ordering process, and making sure that my tail was delivered to me quickly and looking fabulous. I got lots of progress pictures as the process of creating my tail moved along, and Erin even created a video for me after placing the order to show this confused mer how to adjust her heel straps! Customer service was above and beyond anything I have dealt with in the past and I couldn't be more pleased!Now on to some photos... [IMG] https://flii.by/file/koiqg29m271/ [/IMG][IMG] https://flii.by/file/5khd6c19mng/ [/IMG][IMG] https://flii.by/file/d137c6i67gz/ [/IMG][IMG] https://flii.by/file/bt93xxrxa54/ [/IMG][IMG] https://www.pinterest.com/pin/139893132155680308/ [/IMG][IMG] https://www.facebook.com/TheMagicCra...type=3&theater [/IMG] All of this to say that I absolutely adore my MerNation Silicone Mermaid Tail (and so did the kids who got to see it!) and would buy from them all over again. If you would like to watch the review video of my mermaid tail while on the beach, then you will find that below. However, it is a bit vague as it was basically 40 degrees out and I was a half-frozen mermaidsicle capable of very few brain-thoughts at the moment aside from "BRRRRRR!!!!!" :P This blog post has a few minor errors on it (like the date I ordered my tail) but it has a few extra details that I haven't included here or in the video. You can click here to read the full review.http://<a href="https://www.youtube....w&index=10</a>Hopefully this review isn't too big and boring for you to read! Anyways, if you are looking to buy your first Silicone Mermaid Tail, then please know that MerNation comes very highly recommended. :) Thanks for reading! And all the best on your mermaiding adventures. Whether you choose to go with MerNation or not, I know you'll be off to magical things <3 XOXO- Mermaid Phantom

  13. #14

    5 out of 5 rating for MerNation

    Overview:
    The short version is the Tail is perfect. Matches my design, made all the additions and subtractions we discussed, communication was incredible and in real time, and it swims like a dream. I highly recommend Erin and Michael of MerNation.


    Ordering:
    I ordered the day before Hurricane Irma hit and Erin & Michael left for two weeks vacation. My original order was a signature line Tail with complex design, additional fins, and an upgrade to the competitor monofin. We emailed back and forth briefly on design ideas then gave it a rest until they returned. During their vacation, I did start to second guess my original design and ran a design contest in a mermaid Facebook group. In the end, I stayed true to my design with the incorporation of one element from the winning contest design. Upon their return, Erin agreed to skype with me to go over the design and my questions regarding the process/best practice. I decided to get rid of the additional fins. Made and mailed my duct tape dummy & they started on the tail a day or two after it arrived. I cannot stress enough how unparalleled the communication and accommodation was. Their customer service is incredible.




    The design: https://ibb.co/dLFXiG


    Appearance/Arrival:
    The box was not as heavy as I expected. Shipping weight was 32 lbs even with the competitor. Tail was wrapped in plastic and bubble wrap. Tight fit but the Athena is their biggest fluke and again, the competitor. I did an unboxing video and posted it on the Mermaid Mania Facebook page. Overall thrilled with the appearance. Exactly as expected (they sent photos every step of the way). Was able to try it on within eight minutes using the recommendation from MerNation to mix conditioner and water. Fits like a glove and is exact to the measurements of my duct tape dummy I sent.


    Unboxing: https://ibb.co/h2QCHb


    Appearance: https://ibb.co/iF3ciG
    https://ibb.co/iEGKxb
    https://ibb.co/e2xRcb

    https://ibb.co/d9izxb
    https://ibb.co/grWV3G




    First Swim:
    I had my maiden voyage at an indoor pool with two members of the local pod on Monday, November 6th. It was slightly more difficult to get on as I had forgotten my conditioner mixture at home but was alright after dunking the tail in water. It is a dream in the water. Fast and good propulsion per kick, I was thrilled to find it incredibly easy to do laps across the pool. Doing spins was challenging but that was expected with this large of a fluke. It helps me sink a little which is good as I’m fairly buoyant but doesn’t drag me under by any means. Again, video is on Mermaid Mania Page.


    First Swim: https://ibb.co/cysWAw
    More videos and images on my instagram @MermaidTitania


    Conclusion:
    5/5 would order again. This whole process was incredible. Even with the vacation time, I received my tail well within two months of ordering it. They really do a spectacular job and make you feel like their only client. If I had the money, they would be making another tail.

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