Quote Originally Posted by AniaR View Post
So I have been researching this as a guy reached out to me a few provinces over who is apparently the only SSI certified mermaid instructor in Canada. As I understand it they approached a few well known pro mermaids and basically took their curriculum they used for their own mermaid school programs. As I chatted back and forth trying to research myself, it seems like my team still have far better qualifications in their freediving and swim instructor courses, than what SSI is currently offering. In my country SSI only has a small bit of the market and aren't as recognized at PADI are.

On the one hand, I think having something like this widespread would be a good thing and help mermaids all around. Bans are starting to roll out again in different parts of my country and the main thing they cite is no regulatory body that can vouch for people's skill. So at least if someone passes a course and gets a certificate, it may satisfy that end of things. In the long run, it could lead to less bans and possibly lower insurance or even insurance that is specific to mermaid swimming (not just performing or business owning). I also think anyone giving mermaid lessons or running a mermaid school needs some sort of proof they are qualified to do so.

But on the other hand, it sounds like SSI has very little experience in mermaiding at all and the way they created their course basically stole from others, and even despite that, isn't really all that great for mermaids. I think anyone with freediving should be considered vastly qualified. It seems to be a bit more of a money grab considering no one really recognizes them as an authority (e.g. life saving society, st john ambulance and other regulatory bodies for swimming/water safety) PADI has a few mermaid specialty courses which no one seems to recognize as having any authority either.

That being said, if it becomes more of a thing I probably will obtain it just to say I have it.
I completely agree with you, Raina.

I just found out about this certification (and got into a slight argument on Instagram about it). I think it would be a great thing to have a way to help prevent the banning of swimming in tails, but I don’t agree that people like SSI should set the standards for what it means to be “certified as a mermaid”

That being said I don’t think someone in your position should have to prove themselves as legitimate by obtaining this kind of certification. You literally built a fishy business and helped pioneer this community. You are one of the founders that make everything possible.

I don’t think we as mermaids should have to conform to what SSI has created. Mermaid Zari and her instructor told me that you can’t be taken serious as a professional mermaid unless you have this certification and I honestly don’t think it is true. I wouldn’t won’t to be part of a world where hard work and perfecting your craft is trumped all because some organization unrelated to the Mer community wanted to create a certification that allows anyone off the street to gain advantage over those who have worked hard to create their platforms. Not to mention that SSI cares more about the payday than what it actually means to be a mermaid.

I really don’t understand why people in the community are supporting this, as I feel a free diving certification or the like are more beneficial to actual safety.

I can understand creating workshops/classes to help beginners with the dolphin kick or underwater tricks, but I feel like the certification demeans the hard work a lot of Merfolk have done just in the past five years, not to mention the past 10+ years.




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