What little girl doesn’t want to swim like a mermaid? There is something magical and enchanting about putting on a mermaid tail and gracefully gliding through the water like Ariel! In fact, many adult women even take classes to land jobs working in aquariums and theme parks. Training can sometimes be intensive, with swimmers required to hold their breath for long periods of time while performing underwater gymnastics. It is beautiful to watch, which is luring more and more young girls to try it for themselves.
Mermaid fins are sold on many online sites like Amazon.com and are becoming more and more popular in swim classes and recreational pools across the US and Canada.
However, experts are warning they could be dangerous for novice swimmers, especially younger children. Some cities in Canada have seen the trend strengthen and have already banned the accessory altogether.
The topic was recently a hot item of conversation at a conference for the Alberta Association of Recreation Facility Personnel. Some safety experts advised an outright ban, while others recommended a mermaid swim test.
The city of Edmonton has forbidden mermaid tails in city pools altogether, warning that they pose, a “serious safety risk to swimmers,” Christopher Webster, a representative for the city’s recreation department shared.
“Mermaid tails promote breath holding for long periods of underwater swimming, the risk of which is “shallow water blackouts” which can often lead to drowning,” Webster said.
“There is also significant risk to other swimmers who might be pulled under if the wearer of the mermaid tails finds themselves in trouble and panics.”
Many other cities are still on the fence, waiting to see how popular the new trend becomes.
While they are fun and very alluring to children, the overall consensus seems to be that children should be strong swimmers before even attempting to wear mermaid fins. Always supervise your child, and limit their time in the water when wearing them.
