Don't ruin your summer with a wrong pair

For those of us who have discovered the wonderful new trend of mermaiding, we will find some extra challenges with the caring and keeping of our mermaid swim tail.

First of all, with the monofin inside, the tail is quite long and large. This is only a little awkward when carrying it to the pool, but when it’s dripping wet and water-logged, it is very heavy and awkward. So the first thing you need is a rather large, waterproof tote for your tail. It will probably be big enough that you can also put in your towel, swimsuit, water bottle, goggles, etc. Finding such a large-size tote can be challenging, but you can try the thrift store for unusual bags and totes, as well as swim and dive stores and craft stores. A plastic tote would be ideal, but you could use one made of thick canvas, if you let your tail drip out before putting it into the tote. Just be sure to dry the bag out thoroughly after you unpack it at home.

To minimize the mess after swimming in your mermaid tail, drape it over a pool chair or some such structure, and let it drip out as long as possible. When you’re ready to go home, you can wrap your damp towel around the tail to minimize dripping, if necessary.

Most mermaid swim tails are made out of regular spandex swimsuit material. But some better-quality tails are made from neoprene or silicone-latex rubber (with neoprene inside). The care and keeping of all three types of tails is mostly the same, however.

Just like with any of your swimsuits, the tails will last longer if you rinse the fabric well after each use, to rinse out the chlorine or salt water. If you can rinse out under a shower head at the pool or beach, so much the better, for then you let it drip dry there before taking it home. Otherwise, as soon as you get home, you’ll need to take your tail and rinse it well, either in the shower or the bathtub. Then you’ll need to drape it on the edge of the tub as best you can so that it can drip out for a while. Once the dripping is pretty much done, you can lay the tail flat on towels, a clean rug or a drying rack, and let it finish drying. Some people might remove the monofin each time, but I find that that is a lot of extra, unnecessary work. I always just drape the tail to drip dry, then dry flat the rest of the way. It might take a good 18-24 hours for it to dry completely. I don’t suggest hanging it up by the waist, because the weight of the monofin might stretch out the material. Drying flat or draping on a drying rack is best.

With neoprene tails, you want the foam inside to dry completely. If there is a zipper, I suggest you unzip it all the way, remove the monofin, and let it dry inside and out. If there is no zipper, just air-dry it, and check it after several hours to make sure the inside around the monofin is drying completely. You don’t want mold to develop there! If necessary, point a hair-dryer into that tail to make sure the inside gets completely dry.

You’ll find that both neoprene and silicone-latex rubber tails dry very quickly, much quicker than spandex tails.

Note: never, ever let your tail get into hot water. Heat is a big no-no for mermaid swim tails. If you want to wash it with soap, simply hand-wash it in a bathtub with a gentle soap.

Once your tail is rinsed and dry, it is easy to wrap the length of the tail around the monofin and store it on its side or laid flat in a drawer. Happy swimming!

By: Jerilyn Winstead