Amanda Eccleston is the owner of the Kamloops business 'Mermaid Amatheia'. She makes full-size silicone mermaid tails.
Image Credit: Caroline Slade Photography
June 13, 2019 - 8:00 PM
KAMLOOPS — When Amanda Eccleston saw her first full-size mermaid tail two years ago she thought ‘I could make that myself.’
And she did. Now, Eccleston runs a mermaid tail business in Kamloops called Mermaid Amatheia. Her business name comes from classical ocean mythology.
She makes functional mermaid tails out of silicone.
“They are 100 per cent waterproof and they are made to be swam in water,” she says.
Eccleston takes custom orders from people all over the world. Some of her customers are from Asia, the Caribbean, the U.S and also here in Canada.
The business owner says she spent countless hours on the internet researching the best way to make mermaid tails. To make one, it takes her about roughly six weeks.
“I spend a lot of time gluing them and doing up their seams,” she says.
Eccleston is pictured with one of her handmade mermaid tails.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Amanada Eccleston
Depending on what a customer wants, Eccleston says the price range for a mermaid tail runs from $2,500 to $3,500.
She gets about one order a month, but since the time to make a tail can take over a month, Eccleston says it can be challenging to meet the demand.
"There is usually a wait list for people waiting to get their tails," she says.
Eccleston says it can be a bit odd at first swimming with a mermaid tail but after some practice, it gets easier.
"It can be awkward if you have never done it before," she says. "After a while, you'll be surprised how much faster you go."
Eccleston who is big into cosplay also runs a group called ‘The Merloops Pod’.
It’s a group of roughly 20 or so people who meet up to go swimming like mermaids in pools across the city. She says they are constantly getting new members to join their swims.
Anyone interested in checking out Eccleston's work can visit her website.
Amanda Eccleston owns her own mermaid tail business out of Kamloops. She makes full-size silicone mermaid tails which take her approximately six weeks to make.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Amanada Eccleston
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