"Mermaiding" is a verb coined by the professional and recreational community of people who use mermaid/merman/merfolk tails. The verb means to swim in a tail. Swimming in a tail - mermaiding- can have many effects on the body. Some of these are positive such; an increased strength- while others may be negative, such as; chronic pain. For the purpose of this blog we're going to look at a published study and a survey to better understand the impact mermaiding has on our bodies.

Subscription boxes are a BIG DEAL these days! You can get a subscription box to compliment any interest, any lifestyle, any diet! I often am approached by subscription services to test out, review, and if I like - promote- a product. In July I was approached by Goddess Provisions to receive their "Sacred Waters Box" a mermaid/ocean themed box from a Goddess themed subscription company.

It has taken me a while to do this review... honestly... because I loved the items SO MUCH I used them up too quickly. I just couldn't get enough. I actually after trying these items, went and bought more of most of them, and gave them as gifts for my family! I have never done that before with samples. Maybe I like 1 item. But this box was just so perfect for a mermaid.

Check out this time lapse of my opening the box and checking out the goodies.

I wanted to talk for a moment about the benefit of using ratios of mermaids per children in mermaid party swimming bookings. I think this is a practice that companies should work toward. While it may not be feasible at first for those who are a 1-person operation, as you grow and add more to your team I think it should be a new industry standard. I’ve talked a lot about this in details in my books and publications, along with citations. But for now, here’s the Cole’s notes version!
 
A ratio is when you determine how many children a single mer can effectively entertain, while also keeping themselves and the children safe. The more kids we add the more the risk goes up and the space goes down in the pool. It’s easy to accidentally harm a child, damage your tail, and yourself. It’s also very hard to engage in a meaningful way with every child.

In the 10 years I have been in the community, I have been contacted a lot about scam tail makers. I have seen first hand outright thieves in the mer-community, and recently I have seen an uptake in this due to popularity. This blog will serve as a share-able reference of how to spot a scam, and what to do if you have been scammed.

Mold! It's no fun- but it's a reality in the mermaid world. Anything that gets wet or sweaty can grow... you guessed it! Toxic and dangerous mold! In today's block we're going to look at the issue of mold, help you prevent it, and what to do when you get it!

This is a pay what you can course! It's a basic introduction to mermaid safety, for recreational mers, those looking to get into mermaiding, and professionals who want to brush up on their skills. Each course takes aprox 40 hours of instructional design and development to create for you. I track down resources from experts both in the mermaid field, the swimming and freediving field, academics, and  the safety field.

It takes a lot of time, resources, and energy to create these resources for you. Please pay what you can afford for it! Whether it's 1$ or more. A course like this would typically cost $25-$30.

Run Time: 30-45minutes

​Summary:
This is the first module in a series on mermaid safety. This is an introduction that is good for recreational mers, mers who are just getting started, mers who want to model underwater, or those who don't know where to start when it comes to safety. It's also an excellent course for those who want to start a business. This course focuses on your personal safety. This is not a course for the safety of others, that will follow!

Created by Raina using her background in First Aid Training, Free Diving, Instructional design, and education. 

This course draws information from industry experts in mermaiding, health and safety, freediving, and risk management. 

Credits and Citations Include:
Special thanks to consulting expert Dr. Matthieu J. Guitton, faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City

Citations included under the "Resources" tab in module. 

Disclaimer: This course is owned by Raina Mermaid of Canadian Mermaids Inc and Halifax Mermaids. It is not to be copied, or redistributed by any other means that what is identified here in whole or in part.

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Raina and while I endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, I make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.

The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.

Getting Started with YouTube!

Before You Launch, a few Helpful Tips:

• In each video, start and finish by reminding people to like and subscribe to your videos. These numbers help with the YouTube algorithm and help your videos show up to new people.
  
  
• Avoid using any copyrighted material. I will show you how to get free and legal music to use. If you use any copyrighted music, you won’t be able to make money from the videos.
  
  
• Though I have personally made long videos, I have been working toward shorter ones. Shorter ones from a learning standpoint work better and tend to get more views. 3-4 minutes seems to be the sweet spot!
  
  
• If you don’t have fiberOp it can take a while for your videos to upload to YouTube. Before I got fiberOp I would upload when I went to bed and publish when I got up in the morning.

 

• Videos do better with an attractive thumbnail. Once you upload your video and been approved as a partner. you can replace the thumbnail with something custom you have made. Otherwise you'll get to choose between a few stills! Choose the best one.
  

Let’s get real. The amount of merfolk who do nothing but work as mers are very few and far between- if there are any at all. Many of the well known famous mermaids diversify their income.
Hannah Fraser- world famous mermaid, not only works as a mermaid but works as a model, performer, artist, and photographer. Mermaid Melissa supplemented her income for years while working at SeaWorld, modelling, stunt work, and monetizing YouTube. Mermaid Linden in addition to being a mermaid launched a line of monofins and kid’s tails, monetized a popular YouTube series, and Freediving judging.

“Working as a mer” can come in many varieties as well. From parties, to filming, selling accessories and tails, teaching lessons, educational events, tourism events, and more.

I have spent about half of my professional mermaid career doing only mermaid work. The other half I was also a student, working part time, or working full time in addition. For the first half of my mermaid career I was still ramping up my business and it was very seasonal. This made it a bit easier to cope with school, or a part time job. Twice in my mermaid career I have worked full time at a 9-5 job while taking time off as needed for weekday mermaid gigs, and working gigs all weekend.

In this blog I will cover tips for balancing your mer career with your other career and/or education, diversifying your income, and provide you with resources and problem-solving tips.

Brought to you by Tiny Siren Animation- a new mermaid on demand series: “Sirenetta & the Second Star”. I got to preview this series before its general release to the public- and boy am I ready to shell-e-brate! 

​Hello every-fish! One of the things I am asked a lot about is how I keep my mermaid hair despite all the time I spend in the chlorine! I get asked a lot about wigs, hair care products, hair damage, and more. Over the years I have written about it in numerous ways, done some videos, and even included a section in my book. Here for you now is my complete take on “mermaid hair care” with a fun look at my journey! I hope it helps you protect your hair and feel confident in your hair styles!