Frequently Asked Questions.
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Q. How long can you hold you breath?
A. I can do typically 2 and a half minutes if I am not moving, and 1-2 minutes if I am moving slowly. I am training to do longer. Breath holding can increase your risk of underwater blackout and drowning, so please never do it without supervision. If you want to learn to hold you breath, take an entry level freediving course. You will learn so much, AND be safe! |
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Q. Do you have any certification?
A. I am a certified freediver working toward my advanced certification through PADI. I am a member of AIDA Canada. I also have a degree in education, and a degree in child and youth development. I also have a level 3 early childhood educator certification. |
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Q. How do you see underwater?
A. No one can really see perfectly underwater. When I am training I wear goggles to protect my eyes. But when I am performing I can only see fuzzy shapes. This is why I always have a safety swimmer with me. Chlorine hurts my eyes too. I use eye gel to help ease the pain. |
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Q. Is it hard to swim in a tail?
A. Every tail is different. Some of my tails are heavy, some are light. Some have small monofins, while others have larger ones. Swimming in one tail in freshwater it may sink- but then float in salt water. I generally find it easier to swim WITH a tail than without. |
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Q. How are you a mermaid in Canada? Isn't it too cold?
A. Yes, it's pretty cold in Canada. We can usually only swim in lakes and the ocean in July and August. Sometimes if it's a warmer year we can do June-Sept. During the winter, we use indoor pools and travel too. Sometimes we get to swim in tanks and aquariums. |
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Q. Are you afraid of sharks?
A. I've never seen any sharks where I live, and there have never been shark attacks. For my birthday one year I swam with tiger sharks in an aquarium. I was scared but it was amazing. I would love to swim with more sharks. |
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Q. Have you swam with other animals?
A. I have had seals and otters swim alongside me, and plenty of fish. But the only animal who really swam WITH me are the manatees of Florida. It was a mer-mazing experience that I really loved. |
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Q. How long have you been a professional mermaid?
A. I have been a professional mermaid since September 2008. In the beginning I only worked a little doing a few bookings a year. Then I went on to do it as a part time job. Soon, it was my full time job. Now I perform as a mermaid, publish books, makes resources, Youtube videos, and clothing. I own my company with my merwrangler Sean. I was inspired to become a mermaid by Mermaid Linden and Hannah Mermaid. |
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Q. How many tails do you have?
A. Because I run a company, I own quite a few tails: An orange "splash" silicone tail by Merbella Studios Inc A Blue "splash" silicone tail by Merbella Studio inc An orange "mini splash" made from recycled materials by Merbella studios Inc A green Allure tail made from silicone by Mertailor 15 Adult Finfun fabric tails 10 Mertailor eco-kid's fabric tails |
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