How I Became a Mermaid

When I was born, my family lived in Florida. People in coastal areas often begin swimming lessons early for safety and fun. My parents put me in baby swim lessons at 6 months old. Most important water survival technique: turn on your back and float until help arrives. Because of this, I don’t remember learning how to swim or how to love water. I just knew I did.

I spent time watching movies and reading books about mermaids and underwater life. I was taught that the oceans and waterways were amazing places full of beautiful things and amazing creatures. I went on snorkeling trips that proved it to me. I remember thinking on these snorkeling trips in the Florida Keys, ‘I’m too far away from the action up here on the surface’. I wanted to see the fish and the grass and the coral up close. I wanted to be there.

So before I knew what freediving was, I was scrambling down to the seabed in one of those uninflated yellow safety vests and a useless snorkel in my mouth. I would try to swim as deep as I could for as long as I could hold my breath. I remember making it oh so close to the top of the Christ of the Abyss statue.

This was, of course, also done in the 6 foot deep community pool. I would pretend I was a dolphin or a mermaid and swim down around the bottom of the pool with my knees and ankles pressed together and holding my breath. It took a few Halloweens, but I finally figured that if I could wear a mermaid costume on land, I could certainly wear one in the water.

I still could not use the sewing machine and my hand sewing technique was pretty rough. So I enlisted my mother for the job. We did the best we could, not knowing anything about freediving or monofins. And boy, did I love that sparkling fabric, elastic waistband, and see through trim at the edge of my tail fluke. My dad spent hours at the pool with me. It was a little difficult to swim in, seeing as the fluke shape was made with a thick foam that wanted me to float instead of sink. But I wore that first mermaid tail until the trim was turned to fringe, my heels wore holes in the fabric, and the elastic waist band was too low on my hips to wear anymore.

When I went into middle school, we moved north, and I was appalled to learn that during the winter months, the community pool would be closed. Excuse me?

As the new kid, I started to care more about what other people thought of me. I got up the gumption to make a new mermaid tail for the pool. I could use the sewing machine now, and I knew I wanted something other than thick foam for a tail fluke. I created a full length costume with straps at the shoulders and pretty beaded fringe at the neckline. The fluke was made from two sheets of blue plastic (probably intended as light filters). It was thin, and even though it wouldn’t provide any propulsion, at least it wouldn’t hold me back the way the foam did. I remember using it at the public pool, and two boys questioned me and made me feel uncomfortable for wearing my tail. I don’t think my friends were too keen on the idea either. So I hung it up.

Cut to my first semester in college. At this point, I’d had more sewing experience, some theatre experience, and I was now a certified Open Water SCUBA Diver. I found out there were women swimming with homemade mermaid tails in the ocean and some of them were actually making money. I thought, ‘MY DREAM JOB IS REAL?!’ I started doing research. I looked for any information on how these women created these swimmable mermaid tails and how they were able to turn their skills into money.

Several things stopped me from pursuing this beyond the research stage. The biggest one was fear. Fear of what other people would think. What my parents would think. Fear of spending too much time on mermaiding and losing my grip on the marine science degree I was pursuing. Fear of spending money on materials and producing a crappy product, thereby wasting my money. Fear of comparison to these other women out there with superior skills, knowledge, and equipment.

As time passed, more and more mermaids appeared on the internet. People who made and sold tails to others appeared and thrived. Tails became more realistic and functional. People created self-started entertainment businesses. I began to see classes and workshops geared toward becoming a professional mermaid. I saw photos from mermaid conventions and collaborations between famous mermaids. I saw the drama too.

Meanwhile, I took my advanced open water diver courses and leveled up in my SCUBA certification. I discovered freediving. My parents gifted me a Finis Wave monofin and a mini underwater video camera. I was ecstatic.

I was also gaining life experience and self-confidence. With graduation came internships at different aquariums and marine life facilities. We moved again, this time farther north. I took an internship in Bermuda. I was there from January to early May, and if you know Bermuda, you know it is cold in the winter. I was in and out of the water all day for work, but I was able to swim for fun at the beaches when the temperatures rose. This really helped my amateur freediving. I wore that monofin like I was wearing my first mermaid tail. Only this time, I was fast and hydrodynamic and I knew how to equalize. I posted videos of myself swimming at Horseshoe Bay and around the HMS Vixen.

When my time in Bermuda was over, and I had to go back to the real world, mermaiding and freediving took a backseat again. After all, I had to get a real job and make real money so that eventually I could pay real rent and have real health insurance. So I did that. All the while watching more mermaids appear on the internet. Relatively inexpensive fabric mermaid tails for children were now popular.

Then something new happened. I met a professional mermaid in real life. Actually, I didn’t know she was a mermaid until after I’d met her. Sometime later, I saw a newspaper article about her conservation efforts and saw the photos of her in full mermaid glory. I thought, ‘wow, I wonder if she would remember meeting me?’ So I contacted her. She did remember meeting me. Then I found more local mermaids. I started following them online and wondered what I could do to show them that I was a kindred spirit. I really needed to make that mermaid tail.

I always felt that I was a mermaid at heart, but I didn’t think other mermaid enthusiasts would take me seriously unless I had a mermaid tail for swimming. For years I had researched and collected materials and planned my mermaid tail design and construction. I decided it was worth the time and the money. So I started with my trusty Finis Wave monofin. I was afraid of doing anything that could permanently ruin it. I also didn’t love the shape and needed to figure out a way to make it look more like a whale’s tail. I modified it slightly and used a few different plastic materials to add length. I found a thin neoprin fabric and a shiny blue scale patterned fabric online. I added a zipper to make the monofin removable (straight out of another mermaid’s tail making playbook). And I cringe to say it now, but I used some acrylic paint.

Armed with my first homemade SWIMMABLE mermaid tail, I returned to Bermuda to see my friends. They were beyond kind and supportive. One took me to the underwater caves and filmed me swimming with her GoPro and gave me the push I needed to start a Mermaid Bryn Instagram profile. Another took me to a small beach and climbed up a cliff to get aerial photos of me swimming in the shallows below. Their support was a huge factor in my continued efforts to pursue more mermaid experience.

I started posting photos and videos online and waiting to see how the world would respond. I talked to my local mermaid friends. And then I had the opportunity to get professional underwater photos made. It was an event open to the public at my local dive shop. It was run by some of my new friends – a local professional mermaid and a local professional photographer. I had seen their work for years and was desperate for them to see what I could do. So even though the underwater photos were supposed to be family Christmas photos in holiday outfits, I brought my mermaid tail. It ended up being a magical day. When I arrived and signed up, I realized other mermaids were there too. Mermaids I had seen perform at festivals and the local aquarium. It wasn’t weird at all that I brought my mermaid tail to a Christmas photoshoot – I was among kindred spirits. After I got a few shots in a fancy dress, it was mermaid time. I had a few shots on my own with my new tail and then all the mermaids got together for a group photo. I also got the chance to watch these professionals at work. I was in awe.

From then on, I met more mermaids, more photographers, and more friends. I learned more about the business aspect of mermaiding. I learned about social media. I had more photoshoots and attended more events. Since then, my parents gifted me a Finfolk Productions fabric tail and I’ve purchased a Mernation silicone tail. I made my own mermaid tops. I became a certified freediver. I’ve attended two mermaid retreats in the Bahamas, performed at the aquarium, in a traveling tank show, and at local festivals. I’ve performed at birthday parties and attended conventions and meet ups. I’ve been painted and drawn by talented artists. I tried the whole side hustle thing. I’ve been swimming in pools, beaches, and rivers just for fun. I’ve made people smile and taught them about ocean conservation.

It’s been an adventure. Who knows what will happen next?

If you want to learn more about me, please visit my Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channel.