In the world of infinite options of hobbies and free time activities, it was just a question of time until mermaids began to spread around the world.
Sadly, even nowadays people find it strange when they hear "I'm a mermaid", especially here in Slovakia, where this sport isn't standardized at all.
So I decided to write a series of articles about basic and most important information on mermaiding. This can help parents, whose children would like to try out mermaiding, or answer any questions about it.
What is mermaiding?
Mermaiding is a sport, that uses mermaid tails to swim. It's a sport, a hobby, and sometimes even a profession.
Many people compare it to cosplay, however, it has nothing to do with cosplay. While cosplay is trying to copy characters from already existing movies or anime, mermaiding is about being yourself or creating your own (original) character with a story and tail.
Becoming a mermaid is a dream for many girls (and boys) from an early age, whether they've seen movies like The Little Mermaid (1989), Splash (1984), or Aquamarine (2006), or they are just fascinated by the mythical creature living underwater. Mermaids are popular all around the world nowadays.
Benefits of mermaiding?
Mermaiding isn't only a very good workout but also great mental health cleanse. It's scientifically proven that water is calming and relaxing to humans. There is just something about diving down below and hearing bubbles... many people are using mermaiding for self-esteem and everyday stress relief.
Mermaiding is also helping with swimming skills - dolphin kick, breath-hold, stamina, underwater posing, modeling, and comfort underwater.
How do mermaids swim?
Mermaids are moving with dolphin kick, which is done by using all of the core muscles, the movement comes from the torso to the hips and legs.
Mermaids dive by using a duck dive, which is a move where the head dives first and the tail last, just like a duck.
What do I need for mermaiding?
You don't need a lot for a mermaid swimming. All you need is a complete tail (monofin and tail skin). Accessories, tops, and other stuff are not necessary. They are just additional pieces to enhance the look of a mermaid.
History of mermaiding
You are probably asking, when did it all begin? Well, the history of mermaids is as old as time. People were fascinated by mermaids since forever. But I'll write about this in a different article. The history of mermaiding is much fresher....
The 1920s - first mermaid
Annette Kellermann, actor, professional swimmer, and writer from Australia. She was the first person the be recorded swimming in a tail. She was in many movies, swam in an aquarium, and is to this day recognized as the first mermaid.
The 1940s - Wiki Wachee, Florida
In the year 1946 Newton Perry, a recognized swimmer, opened an attraction that has never been seen before. He built the first underwater theater. He also created breathing tubes for underwater performances deep under the water. This place has quickly gained popularity and is popular to this day.
The 1980s
Mermaids started to be popular worldwide. Movies like Splash (1984), The Little Mermaid (1989), The Thirteenth Year (1999), and Aquamarine (2006) woke a desire in girls to become mermaids. Thom Shouse, an artist who created a tail for Maddison in Splash in the photo.
The 2000s - The most popular mermaids
Hannah Mermaid
Hannah Fraser made her first tail when she was 9 years old. Today she is the voice of the ocean and her effort is noticed. Her newest project is "Dancing with sharks", where she is trying to show people that sharks are not as dangerous as they seem.
Mermaid Melissa
“Let's help save the oceans before all creatures become mythical.” -Mermaid Melissa
Mermaid Melissa has many appearances in aquariums and tanks.
Mermaid Linden
Mermaid Linden spends a lot of time traveling around the world, attending lots of parties and events. She loves to talk to children about ocean protection. She is also a founder of Linden monofin for children.
Mermaid Kariel
Mermaid Kariel, lives in Hawaii and she is creating these absolutely dreamy tails with handsewn scales. She also recently published a book called"The Brave Mermaid".
2012 - first mermaid school, Philipines
In the year 2012, the first mermaiding school was opened in the Philippines, it has quickly gained popularity and many more schools have opened all over the world.
Is mermaiding safe?
I believe that any sport is as safe as we make it. As with any sport out there, there are rules that should be kept to ensure safety.
Mermaiding is not as spread in Slovakia and many people still don't understand this beautiful sport. I hope this article has helped you decide if it's the right hobby for your kids, or you. I'm currently working on a series of articles on mermaiding (safety tail choosing etc.) so be sure to check out other articles.