Lore the MerMage

In the cool waters of Rhode Island lurks a legendary creature – a mermaid.

I’m Lore the MerMage. I’m a shapeshifting mermaid and mage. She/her and they/them pronouns are suitable.

You can currently find me splashing around in various waters of Rhode Island.

The Story

Coming from a pod of turtle-raising merfolks, Lore left home to study magic with various sea witches. There she learned how to shape-shift, allowing her to enter the human realm. Eventually, she fell in love with human folklore and decided to give back for all the stories she was told. She teaches those who find her about caring for earth’s waters properly and reminds everyone that magic and fairy tales do exist if you’re willing to look for them.

What is Mermaiding?

Mermaiding is when a person puts on a monofin and tail and swims like a mermaid. Merfolks come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and genders!

Mermaids swim for fun, athleticism, performance art, modeling, theatrical shows, birthday parties, and more. There are even professional mermaids who teach mermaid schools!

Did you know? A group of mermaids is called a pod!

Mermaid Fins & Tails

Mermaid tails are typically two parts – a plastic or silicone monofin and a fabric or silicon tail skin.

Monofins are a one-piece fin where both your feet go into the fin rather than the more common pair of fins that are wore not unlike shoes. When used with the dolphin kick, you can swim like a mermaid! They are used by swimmers, snorkelers, scuba divers, free divers, and mermaids, of course.

For beginners and children, I recommend Fin Fun. They have a lot of styles and colors to choose from for all ages. You can get them at finfunmermaid.com or Amazon. They often go on sale, especially around the winter holidays and at the end of the year.

ALWAYS get your monofin and tail from a reputable maker who knows how a mermaid tail really functions and can make it safe for the user to swim in. Unsafe mermaid tails do exist and they can be hazardous to the swimmer, especially those who are still learning.

Look Like A Mermaid

So you have your fin and tail, but you’re still feeling like you need more? Many mermaids have special tops, swimsuits, gloves, gauntlets, jewelry, crowns, belts, props, wigs, and lots of other goodies and treasure to nail their specific mermaid look.

Many mermaids will purchase their tails from reputable dealers, often to fit one of the monofins they have. Some tails only fit certain monofins, so make sure that the tail you buy fits the monofin you have. A FinFun tail skin will not fit a mahina or mertailor monofin, for example.

Serious mermaids have their tails custom-made for them along with tops and other mermaid accessories. This can get very pricey, with the average professional silicone tail costing around $3,000 USD. Some professional mermaids have custom made tails that cost $10,000 USD!

Most mermaids don’t wear goggles, snorkeling masks, ear plugs, and nose plugs for videos or shows, but it’s healthier and more comfortable to wear them for practice and swimming in chlorine pools or murky waters. Mermaiding is a lot more fun when you’re comfortable.

What Am I Using?

  • Monofin: Advanced Fin Fun Amp (Adult) and the Finis Luna (Adult)
  • Fabric tail skin: Fin Fun Barracuda Black (Adult)
  • Swim gloves: H2Odyssey Webbed Swim Gloves
  • Goggles: Aegend
  • Nose plug: Speedo
  • Swimsuits: Various, all non-mermaid related

I swap out my tail skins and monofins depending on my location and mood for the day.

Safety is Important!

NEVER SWIM ALONE!

Always swim with an adult, buddy, or dive assistant who is not wearing a mermaid tail. They are there to help you out in case you get into trouble. We call these people mertenders.

Mermaiding does have some risks. You are confining your legs and feet in a mermaid tail, so always have your mertender with you!

Before donning on a tail, make sure you can safely tread water for 1 minute and swim 25 meters in a dolphin kick swim style. Practice with your monofin before wearing your tail skin and make sure you can get out of your monofin and tail while in the water. Know your limits and swim within them. If you feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or tired, get out of the water.

Who Am I?

My name’s Samantha. I’m an author, professional witch, folklorist, new age blogger, herbalist, and seasoned tarot card reader.

I’m training to be a professional mermaid under the name of Lore, the MerMage. There are several more goals I’d like to achieve more considering myself a professional. I’m not currently available for performances, events, photography, or teaching.

If I’ve made you smile, you drop a few sand dollars in the tip shell.

To see my arts and services, visit thiscrookedcrown.com

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