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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

re mermaid tails

48 replies

dogsaster · 13/12/2018 19:47

DD wants a mermaid tail for christmas. It's the main present she wants.
[https://www.planetmermaid.com/products/ocean-kiss-mermaid-tail?variant=30624387460 This]] Hopefully I have managed a click link to the kind of thing she wants to show you what I mean.
I can afford it however I think they are a) tacky and b) look really dangerous.
AIBU not to get this for her and does anyone have any experience of them and their safety? DD is a strong swimmer but I can imagine if she were to get exhausted then she is relying entirely on her upper body strength to keep her afloat (obviously she is never unsupervised in the water anyway).
Am I being overprotective? TIA

OP posts:

IWasTrendingThereForAMinute · 13/12/2018 20:04

Why would you tie your kids legs together and put them in the water though? If she needs to kick to get herself out of trouble she won't be able to .

Justbackfromnewwine · 13/12/2018 20:06

This is the one we got from eBay and it’s been fine.

Obviously on the proviso of what I said up thread - strong swimmer (including butterfly), shallow end only and supervision. But as I said they enjoyed it in the bath and just around the house! (And then the novelty wore off so I definitely wouldn’t shell out for an expensive one!)
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Girls-Kids-Swimmable-Mermaid-Tail-With-Monofin-Bikini-Bathing-Swimsuit-Costume/132406578537

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 13/12/2018 20:06

Has she tried synchronised swimming? I see them training when I’m waiting for DS and it looks like fun.

BertieBotts · 13/12/2018 20:07

I wouldn't. I'd be the killjoy, sorry.

amp.abc.net.au/article/9337534

BertieBotts · 13/12/2018 20:10

And I definitely wouldn't get a cheap Chinese copy of one. Sorry. I do see the point of not wanting to spend the money out on the proper one, but if the proper one has any safety features, a Chinese import usually won't.

WongaGoneWronga · 13/12/2018 20:11

Definitely not. Terribly risky things for anyone.

tissuesosoft · 13/12/2018 20:13

I wouldn’t. I couldn’t risk something going drastically wrong for a fad. www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/23/warnings-new-mermaid-craze-lifesaving-groups-say-tails-not-safe/amp/

ladydickisathingapparently · 13/12/2018 20:20

It’s a no from me unless it’s to be used only in specific classes designed for that purpose. I’m on the committee of a community Lido and we had to ban them after a near miss involving a supposedly strong swimmer. The little girl concerned tipped head down and was unable to right herself. I had a lot of discussion with the lady who does our snorkelling training for young people and she is absolutely against the use of any such equipment (snorkels, fins etc) without proper training.

bellie710 · 13/12/2018 20:20

My daughter who is a very strong swimmer tried one when she was 5/6 she was fine but thought it was rubbish. It is quite good for butterfly training though!

GreenEggsHamandChips · 13/12/2018 20:34

Ive always wondered who the hell is stupid enough to put their child in one.

RisingGround · 13/12/2018 20:36

DD went to an organised mermaid training session at our local public pool. She's a strong swimmer but even she said she never wanted to do it again - she didn't feel safe. Having seen them, I agree. It's dangerous.

AndThereSaw · 13/12/2018 20:38

Our local pool does a flippers and tails session on a saturday afternoon for all the kids with extra kit to try out. Is there anything local for your DD? They are supervised and obviously they can take them off if they get tired! FWIW tails are a good way to train for butterfly if your DD may want to complete one day.

DustyCropHopper · 13/12/2018 20:41

Dd is 6. She does mermaid swimming as part of her swimming lessons using the tails from planet mermaid. These tails are safe but only if the child is a confident swimmer (stage 5) and with proper training. I was very dubious when dd started saying she wanted a mermaid take as I had seen videos of them before but the ones from planet mermaid have gaps at the bottom allowing air to escape, cheap ones found on eBay etc are usually sealed around the fin allowing air to get trapped in the bottom and make it rise to the top. We paid for a private lesson for dd and then borrowed a fin and tail to take away with us, she was not allowed to use it without us in the pool with her and we followed the instructors rules to the

BrendasUmbrella · 13/12/2018 20:46

Does anywhere near you do mermaid lessons?

I don't see why it would be particularly dangerous as long as she's being supervised.

DustyCropHopper · 13/12/2018 20:48

Oh and to add, the first part of training was how to get out of it in an emergency, which with proper fins is quick and easy. I would on,y say to use one with proper, qualified instruction and under close supervision. When dd has hers on in the pool there is her swim instructor on the side, a lifeguard and then a swim helper in the pool and usually 2 parents right by the side of the pool, me being one of them. There are 5 children in the group, 4 have fins on, the fifth is ds2 and fins are not cool at 10 lol!

StepAwayFromGoogle · 13/12/2018 21:00

I wouldn't take the risk. Watch that video. It wasn't even clear to me that the child was in trouble. Well done that Mum for her quick response.

GreenEggsHamandChips · 13/12/2018 21:14

It wasn't even clear to me that the child was in trouble.

Thats the thing. Chances are the kid in the fin will drown before anyone realises they are drowning.

The kid i nearly saw drown in a public pool was within sight and a couple of feet of me and another adult. Noone had spotted there was trouble until the liftguard had blown the whistle, pointed and jumped in. (Believe me we all went for him then)

My own kids had 3 adults watching her. Literally watching her. I only went for because I'd seen the above. It wasnt until id rescued out the water and she confirmed she was drowning i knew. The other two adults wondered what the heck i was doing wading fully clothed into the pool.

Her body position was almost exactly that that the tail fin puts you in. To swim.

Drowning doesnt look like drowning. Its hard enough to spot in regular circumstances. It will be almost impossible swimming in those fins however many adults are watching and however well trained they are.

Its Russian roulette with your child's life

strawberrypenguin · 13/12/2018 21:15

Could she wear it in the bath?

Original poster

dogsaster · 14/12/2018 18:55

I think I will probably not, I was dubious anyway but feel I've made the right decision not to now. Thank you all, I will also look into local lessons as an alternative

OP posts:

DaphneDiligaf · 14/12/2018 19:27

We were nagged into getting one after the girls had a lesson (and expensive photo session) in a hotel in the Canaries. She wore it round the house and in the bath and even in the paddling pool once but really the novelty soon wore off.

IWasTrendingThereForAMinute · 14/12/2018 20:38

I can't believe these things are even made to be honest. It just seems like complete insanity.

starrynight19 · 14/12/2018 20:40

Can you not get her a mermaid experience instead ?
I have done this for my dds birthday , £20 for 45 min swim , hire of tail and photo opportunity.

LisaSimpsonsbff · 14/12/2018 20:53

Oh god please not in a private pool! If youve never seen a child drowning your chances of spotting it are minimal.

Definitely definitely definitely this. It's not a great idea in a pool with a trained lifeguard, but it's such a bad one without that

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