Mermaid tails are a a way to make swimming more fun this summer. I think every single one of us at some point in our life has had mermaid dreams where we were swimming through the ocean with our own mermaid tail. The mermaid tail products we are featuring today can make that dream come alive this summer at the pool.
Swimmable Mermaid Tails
If you live in a warm climate like we do here in Texas, you know the value of pools – either in your backyard, neighborhood pool or local public pools! Adding in your own swimmable mermaid tail can elevate that pool experience from fun hobby to Little Mermaid…
Swimmable mermaid tails are fabric tails that contain mono fins flippers that you can wear as a mermaid tail skin for swimming.
There are several companies that make the fabric mermaid tails. Our first experience was with FunFin Mermaid Tails back in 2014 when this article was first written. Several of the photos used in this post were provided by FunFin and they originally sent us our first mermaid tail products to try.
FunFin Mermaid Tails
Our experience with Fun Fin Mermaid Tails was a positive experience. In fact, the highlight that summer for my daughters was entering the world of mermaids. My daughter and her friends swapped fabric tails all summer long. I went to the pool with a timer, when it would ring, two more kids would wear tails.
To say these mermaid tails were loved is an understatement. They believe they are now professional mermaids in the underwater world in their swimmable mermaid tails.
FunFit Mermaid Tail Swimming Safety
Let’s start with the most obvious thing that most moms say when they see mermaid tails for the first time…those look super dangerous! In fact, some public pools have banned them.
Our Experience Swimming with Mermaid Tails
I’ll admit it, I was nervous to have the kids swim with the FunFit mermaid tails. Just looking at the swimmable mermaid tail design and the thought of the feet being stuck together with a mono fin and their legs held together with fabric tails worried me over their water safety. The tails appear to make it more difficult to swim.
But the kids’ mermaid swimming experience was very different than my fears. Swimming in their own mermaid tail was intuitive immediately. Within a few strokes they were splashing and swimming in a coordinated manner and living their best mermaid life.
How to Get Started with Mermaid Tails
I would recommend you make sure the kids trying the mermaid fabric tails for swimming are confident swimmers and supervised at all times. It is surprising how quickly they caught on even if they were a strong swimmer.
Swimming Skills Needed for FinFun Mermaid Tail Safety
Fin Fun recommends kids using a basic fabric mermaid tail be at least 5 years old and able to complete the following skills checklist:
- Floating on back
- Floating on stomach
- Rolling from front float to back float
- Treading water for 1 minute
- Swim 25 meters unassisted
- Swim 25 meters unassisted with dolphin kick
Watch the [Short] Strong Swimmer Evaluation Video:
Safety Features Built into the FinFun Mermaid Tails
The mermaid tail design on the Swimmable FinFun Mermaid Tails is something you absolutely want to consider before you buy a cheap mermaid tail that wasn’t designed with safety in mind. You can download the FinFun Mermaid Tail Safety Guide Here. What to look for in a quality swimmable mermaid tail:
- Quick Release Mono Fin – To quickly get out of the monofin and allow legs to move independently, with the FinFun Mermaid Tails you can press one foot down while pulling the other one up and then repeat on the other side which releases your feet and then you can remove the mermaid tail fabric.
- Anti-Air Pocket Opening in Fin – A Fin Fun mermaid tail has and opening at the bottom of the monofin which forces air to transfer through and will never create an air pocket.
Swimmable Mermaid Tails Can Make Strong Swimmers
When used safely and regularly, kids can improve their swimming skills and confidence. Another benefit is they can swim up to twice as fast with the mermaid tails.
While swimming in the tail your kids can engage with an alternate self. They become the mermaid inside the fabric tail. It’s precious.
Best Mermaid Tails & More
- Want just the monofin? Here is the Fin Fun Mermaid Monofin for kids and adults or you can pick up extra fins to add your favorite fabric tails.
- Best selling, wear-resistant Fin Fun Mermaid Tail for Swimming with monofin which comes in 9 different bright colors with a sparkly scale pattern fabric tails
- Galldeals Fantasy Mermaid Tail for Girls and Boys with Monofin comes in 4 different colors. I like the rainbow one the best. Galldeals monofin design is different than FinFun and uses adjustable straps across the back of the ankles for the swimmable mermaid tails.
- Fin Fun Atlantis Tails Wear-resistant Mermaid Tail Skin (no monofin included) with reinforced tail tip technology which comes with a 1 year tail tip warranty.
- OK, this isn’t about mermaids, but it is about water fun. Grab this Shark Fin for Swimming with travel bag. Swim with shark’s dorsal fins with attaches with a harness. Pair it with blue shark rash guard board short set or grey/black mermaid tail that can double as a shark tail.
- Have a child under 5 that wants a mermaid look for swimming but not old enough for a swimmable mermaid tail? Check out this fun toddler mermaid tail with included mermaid swimming suit and they will soon be professional mermaids at the public pools!
Care of Mermaid Tails
Monofins can be rinsed off after use and hand washed when necessary. Most high quality mermaid tail skins are machine washable which is important if you are swimming in anything beyond fresh water – chlorine and salt need to be washed out of the fabric to preserve it for many summers.
More Mermaid Fun from Kids Activities Blog
- How to draw a mermaid – follow our simple step by step printable guide to make your own mermaid drawing.
- Mermaid Barbie? I love it!
- Shimmertail Mermaid Tail for kids.
- Make mermaid cupcakes!
- We have a big collection of mermaid crafts for kids.
- Let’s make a mermaid tail suncatcher!
- Real life mermaid skin!
- Check out these amazing mermaid tail blankets!
- You need to check out this Mermaid Tail for Kids!
- For whole family fun, you need this floating water mat!
- Your kid would love these mermaid puppets out of paper bags!
How do your kids like mermaid tails? Anyone turned into a professional mermaid at your house this summer?
Thanks for this post! I grew up in a house full of girls, so teenage boys are a bit of a mystery to me. As an adult I am the only female in my house–even the dog is a boy!–so this gave me some insight about what to expect when Tommy hits his teens. Thanks!