What you Need to be a Professional Mermaid
So, you want to be a professional mermaid or merman… GREAT! But what do you need to be a professional merperson? Most professional merfolk use silicone mermaid tails in order to create the most realistic experience for their clients. I HIGHLY recommend that you invest in a silicone mermaid tail in MOST cases if you hope to go pro. While this blog post is mostly for those who have a silicone mermaid tail or hope to obtain one, you may still get value from it even if you have a fabric, neoprene, sequin or invisible tail. 😉
That said, a LOT of people have taken advantage of certain tailmakers’ HUGE discount sales during quarantine and now own their first (or a new) silicone mermaid tail… including myself (WHAT!?! Stay tuned!). Therefore, ya’ll need to be ready for what you got yourself into! Hehehe! I’m here to help. 💜
8 Silicone Mermaid Tail Essentials for Pro Mermaids
Now that you have a silicone mermaid tail (or the goal to own one) you need to invest in the longevity of that beautiful piece of equipment AND you need to invest in your own sanity. Below you will find eight different “must haves” for professional mermaids. While some of these items will apply specifically to those who own silicone mermaid tails, some will apply to anymer.
If you click on the images below, they will take you to Amazon where you can purchase the products directly. These are affiliate links and I do earn a small commission from each item sold at no extra cost to you (full disclosure). However, these are the exact products that I use for my business (or close to it). You get what you need, I can afford to buy more lube. Win-win. 😂
I will also include links to videos or other blog posts that may be helpful to you… if they have a place (I don’t know yet… I haven’t written that part of the blog yet! Hehehe!).
LARGE FLAT PUSH-CART / TROLLEY
Why do you need a trolley/ dolly / push cart (they have so many names)? For many, many reasons my friend! First, if you recently purchased a silicone mermaid tail, you have probably gained close to 30lbs or MORE (no, not from quarantine induced stress-eating). With the added weight of your tail, you will need a quick and easy way to get around. Having a cart to ride on will help get you from one place to the next WITHOUT killing your mertender’s back. Additionally, it is a great tool for transporting other mermaid-related necessities… photo shoot props, merchandise, camera gear, that cute sailor you “found…” You get the picture!
This one is 48” long. The one I have is 24” long, which works, but requires that I scrunch into an awkward ball in order to ride on. The 48” long cart should work for most, but you can feel free to look for a bigger one if you’d prefer!
HAND TOWELS
Hand towels. Yes. They are essential! Although this may seem like a silly thing to include on this list of “must haves,” you would be surprised just how handy these hand towels are (no pun intended). These are great for helping you get into your silicone mermaid tail (click here to learn how to put on your silicone tail) and for drying your tail after a bath or a swim (click here for bathing tips and tutorials!). And, since merfolk ARE in the business of getting wet, these towels will be used frequently for cleaning up the odd puddle of water you leave behind. Make sure you get more than you need. You will need 2 for getting dressed, 3-6 (or more) for drying and a few spares since they are easy to lose!
MOTORIZED FAN
Small motorized fans are very useful for drying the inside of your silicone mermaid tail. Although it is best to get the majority of the water out with a towel, you can’t reach all of the spaces within your tail. Luckily, a small fan like this can fit into your tail (or directly in front of it) and can help dry out the hard-to-reach places. You don’t want mold, do you?! And again, since merfolk love soaking floors, carpets, yoga mats, ect. you will want to do your best to help dry the things you inevitably soak. This fan can help!
SOOTHING EYE GEL
This is one of those “everymer” items. If you swim in the water and open your eyes without protection, they are going to get sore. While it is good to rinse your eyes thoroughly with a sterile saline solution or eye rinse, that won’t necessarily take the pain away. This kinda thick (but not toothpaste thick) gel will help alleviate some of the pain and will restore some moisture to your eyes after a swimming event. Although there is an overnight ointment that helps fight off the pain and irritation better (click here for mermaid eye-care must haves), it isn’t practical in some situations since it does blur your vision. This eye gel is a happy medium between pain relief and minimally distorted vision.
SILICONE MERMAID TAIL LUBRICANTS
Oh… lube. Who doesn’t love a nice, slippery bottle of fresh lube on a warm summer day? If you own a silicone mermaid tail, you will need to use some form of lubrication to get into your costume. Astroglide’s water-based lubricant is the BEST, safest and easiest way to get into your silicone mermaid tail. Not only is THIS SPECIFIC brand of lubricant safe for use on silicone mermaid tails, but it also makes getting into your tail ridiculously easy. However, lube can get expensive, so you may want to explore using a NATURAL conditioner such as the one shown below. Simply mix the conditioner with water (1 part conditioner, 4-5 parts water) in an empty Astroglide bottle and enjoy! It doesn’t work nearly as well as the lube, but it gets the job done.
*Remember… what you put on your tail (or yourself) ends up in the water you swim in. Please try to avoid using things containing harsh chemicals. They can cause harm to the plant and animal life you treasure! Also, remember that the tutorial for getting into your tail can be found here: http://www.themagiccrafter.com/blog/how-to-put-on-a-silicone-mermaid-tail
SEAVENGER NEOPRENE SCUBA SOCKS
Neoprene scuba socks are very helpful for multiple reasons. Firstly, they will help keep your feet in your monofin better. Secondly, they will act as a barrier between your delicate ankle skin and the monofin strap that is hellbent on destroying your ankles. Oh, and these specific socks offer a rough bottom that helps your feet stay put in your monofin a bit better while also helping you not to slip and fall on your butt if you find yourself walking on slippery surfaces per/post mermaiding. They come in many different beautiful colors, so naturally I went with black. 🙃
HEEL STRAPS FOR FINIS RAPID MONOFIN
If your silicone mermaid tail uses a monofin with removable heel straps, make sure you stock up on replacement straps! These bad boys help keep your feet in your monofin, so imagine how disappointed you’d be if you broke yours and didn’t have a replacement on hand? Luckily, you don’t have to be a sad fish. Plan ahead and get an extra set of heel straps for your monofin! The link below will take you to FINIS Rapid Replacement straps, if you have a different brand/build of monofin, buy what is appropriate for you.
SIL-POXY SILICONE GLUE
If you have a silicone mermaid tail, you will someday need to repair said silicone mermaid tail. Sil-Poxy Silicone glue from Smooth-on is a professional mermaid’s best friend (okay, second best. E6000 is the BEST best friend, as we all know!). Sil-poxy is what you will need in order to fix tears, holes, fin rips and paint scrapes on your silicone mermaid tail. It is durable, flexible and has many different uses. If you’d like to know how to use it, please click here to find a few video tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf88KrDvBQcmm_7-Wz_TXEUHRDujaO2d9
Well, that’s all I have for you today! I hope you found this blog post to be helpful in your ventures as a professional mermaid. Feel free to pass this blog post on to your friends and fellow merfolk if you think they could benefit from it as well. Have a very magical day and DON’T forget… the silicone mermaid tail unboxing video is coming soon! Subscribe so you don’t miss the grand reveal of “Rebellion.”
See you around. Until next time, stay safe and stay magical!
AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER: TheMagicCrafter.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. It is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com. (This helps to support me in doing what I do so that I can keep on creating content for you! It does not cost you anything, but I am legally bound to disclose my participation in these programs with you.) This blog post contains affiliate links!