Has anyone ever purchased a performance tail from Merbellas with the Finis Foil? When I eventually get my pro tail, I'll want it to have a flowy look to it, and I've read on her Facebook page that the Foil achieves this while still giving good propulsion. I know mostly everyone gets the competitor, but my feet are too little for it, and I don't like diving boots. I know the foil is much smaller than the competitor, and I worry about the outline of the monofin showing through the fluke.![]()
Mermaid Talise ~ (User formerly known as Mahina.)
I am the lorelei, dreamy and romantic~
New mer, still trying to find her tail.
If you watch some of the Merbellas videos, all of them have the Foil. It's more popular than the competitor, I feel.
Ayla has the foil as well. Some of the Merbellas ones you can REALLY see the imprint but others not so much.
Oceana also has the Finis Foil. I know there are others as well.
EEEE! I'm so excited, haha. I just emailed Raven inquiring about the scale bracers and she answered my questions very quickly and nicely. I'm definitely going to see if I can order a pair within this month. They're SO gorgeous and I'm really excited just at the fact that she answered my email. I did put "serious customer" in the subject, and I suppose that may have helped her distinguish my email (perhaps as a future tip to others?).
And as a future reference, she told me that the scale bracers could be repainted later on for $10 + shipping. I'm still just so excited that she replied, haha!
My tail is a performance tail with a finis foil. The outline of the fin doesn't show through the fluke at all. The tail is nice and flowy, and it looks really natural. Originally I wanted the competitor, but I actually like the foil a lot better. I'd link you go my YouTube but I'm on my phone. I have 3 videos of my tail up. One where I do a close up review of the tail, and two vids of me swimming in it. My channel is MermaidAyla.
The only reason I mention the imprint (I can't ever really see it on any other tails) is from this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2XEFgleYWc
Most Merbellas tails that raven owns for her company I think are casted thin to give extra flexibility in the tank, which is why the monofin shows through the fluke so much. My fluke was casted at the normal thickness and is hardly flexible enough to move around in a small area like a tank. The sun shines through the white part, but the monofin still doesn't show up. My fluke is also not as floppy as theirs. It's a bit stiffer and gives better propulsion.
I didn't know their tails were casted thinner than usual. Hm.
I'm pretty sure they are, because mine is definitely not that flowy and bendable. They just look really thin to me and it makes sense to have a really soft bendable fluke if they're trying to maneuver in a small space.
Woo, thanks for the insight, guys
I'd like my tail to be as flowy as Raven's is; I'm not nearly a strong enough swimmer to do swim in the ocean, so I'll most likely stick to pools and tanks, and something that's flexible will be lovely; a mix between Raven's thin tails and the normal thickness would be perf.
I'll check out your channel, Ayla!Thanks!
Mermaid Talise ~ (User formerly known as Mahina.)
I am the lorelei, dreamy and romantic~
New mer, still trying to find her tail.
Just check out your videos, Ayla; your fluke looks just as flowy and flexible as Raven's tank tails do. I'm also super jealous of your tail; so preeeetttyyyyyy <3 Really cool paint job, too!Where'd you get inspiration for that?
Mermaid Talise ~ (User formerly known as Mahina.)
I am the lorelei, dreamy and romantic~
New mer, still trying to find her tail.
Once upon a time when I was a wee little lass at summer camp, a lady with a big pickup truck full of 5 gallon buckets of beads would randomly show up around once a week. I've never been an artsy person, so one day when I made a beautiful bracelet, it stuck in my memory forever. It was a bracelet consisting of little silver seed beads. Every 3 or 4 beads there would be a pink heart with a gem in it. 3 beads more and there would be a Purple Heart with a gem in it. (Lol iPhone thought I meant Purple Heart as in the military award.) anyways, yeah. I was making tail designs one day when I was getting ready to order my tail, and I remembered the bracelet. I made a white base tail because I thought it would go better with the pink and purple instead of silver, and then I added the pink and purple spots. I really loved the unique stripes raven had on her orange tail, so I took inspiration from that and made mine black, to also help hide the ses and add contrast.
Tl;dr I got the design from a bracelet I made at camp one year and the stripes were inspired by ravens orange tail.
Hahahahaha well, it's gorgeousI think I was subconsciously inspired to have similar (but more fantasy-like) stripes on my personal tail, as well. I like them because the black seams give a slimming effect that I love.
Mermaid Talise ~ (User formerly known as Mahina.)
I am the lorelei, dreamy and romantic~
New mer, still trying to find her tail.
So...which scales do you guys like better? I can't decide! I want to buy the bracers but I don't know which style I like better. The Merbella scales are so gorgeous and detailed but the other ones look so...I dunno, mermaidy?
http://www.etsy.com/listing/12890374...op_home_active
Honestly I regret not getting the Merbellas style scales. I could have gotten them for free because she had just come out with them. My next tail will definitely have Merbellas scales.
I think I'll probably end up getting them, as I do really, really like them. They look so gorgeous up close.
I prefer the rounded scales, personally; I think on a tail that isn't very colorful, the Merbella scales would give it a bit more interest, but with an elaborate paint job (like her rainbow tail), rounded scales give it enough of a realistic look without being too distracting.
I'll probably stick with the plain scales :P Does she still do them?
Mermaid Talise ~ (User formerly known as Mahina.)
I am the lorelei, dreamy and romantic~
New mer, still trying to find her tail.
Of course she still does 'em! <3
I can't decide...blah. I guess I'll have to ask my mum for opinions tomorrow. Just...they're both so pretty. I may just leave it up to Raven to decide, haha
I think the Merbella type of scales are more edgier. They give off a really siren like look. The original round ones remind me of a happy mermaid. They're both perfect. For the bracers I'd go with the Merbella scales because it will give them a little more "unf" to the bracers.
I definitely agree; my mermaid character is more of a happy, fairy-tale mermaid.
The bracers are for more badass, Xena Warrior Princess mermaids >D
Mermaid Talise ~ (User formerly known as Mahina.)
I am the lorelei, dreamy and romantic~
New mer, still trying to find her tail.
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