MERMAID TAILS: 3 SAFETY TIPS
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Photo Credit: Mayim Mermaid Academy in Bournemouth, England
The popularity of mermaid tails in the last 10 years has inspired many young girls and boys to trade in their human legs for beautiful, long mermaid tails! Such underwater delight can bring hours of fun for the whole family, but in order to keep everyone safe we have come up with three mermaid safety tips!
#1 ALWAYS, ALWAYS HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION
It’s obviously a fact that moms have eyes in the back of their heads, but mermaid tails can pose a serious threat to even an experienced swimmer. Mom or dad should always be keeping an eye on the kiddos… especially the mermaids!
#2 KNOW YOUR CHILD’S ABILITIES
Having a strong swim background is vital to swimming safely in a mermaid tail. Without the full use of their human legs, children could easily put themselves in a bad situation.
“We recommend your child have swimming skills of at least level 8* and above before you invest in a mermaid tail,” says Megan Bachman, founder of Oklahoma Swim Academy and current President of the Survival Swim Development Network.
In addition, discussing with your swim instructor can help transform your child safely into the mermaid they’ve always wanted to become. Your instructor can work with your child in their mermaid tail during a few lessons to help get them up to the Ariel-status they desire!
*A Level 8 swim skill is an independent backstroke and freestyle across the pool.
#3 FINDING THE RIGHT TAIL
There are many online retailers who provide mermaid tails at low cost, but it is extremely important for your child to have a quality mono fin. A good quality mono fin will have a scuba material that your child’s feet will “plug-in” to. This will give them proper form when they dolphin kick. The fin should also keep their legs together nice and tight and should not have a lot of excess fabric. Although we understand that children grow quickly, it is important to have a proper snug-fitting tail in the water, rather than buying one that is a size too large for them to grow into.
Below are a few options that come in many sizes, have amazing quality, and won’t break the bank:
*Sun Tails is the brand use by a few of our Oklahoma Swim Academy mermaids at the pool!
The good news is your love of water doesn’t have to stop just because you were born with legs instead of fins! The right type of mermaid tail can be a fun addition to your pool environment when used safely. With these 3 important safety tips, your little mermaid’s love for the water can continue to grow as they flip their fins around the pool all summer!
Written by: Shelby Denney, OSA Swim Instructor
Miss Shelby shows her impressive Mermaid Tail skills.
