The mermaid tails of Kelowna resident Avery Ivens and her friend flip in a small mountain lake in the Okanagan.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Avery Ivens
August 18, 2024 - 11:30 AM
If you’ve seen swimmers wearing brightly coloured tails in pools and lakes this summer it is because they are “mermaiding.”
A trend that started in bigger cities appears to be growing in the Okanagan, at least that is what Kelowna resident Avery Ivens is hoping for.
She started mermaiding with a close friend two years ago, donning a fabric mermaid tale at local pools.
“Basically mermaiding is an activity or sport where you dress up with a mermaid tail and swim around,” she said. “You do a dolphin kick and mostly use your shoulders to swim. You don’t bend your knees or you will wreck your tail.”
The tails are not safe for swimming in, she said, but they do add art and whimsy, a way to connect with others, and a lift for mental health.
“I found my depression became better once I started mermaiding weekly and it's good exercise but it doesn’t feel like exercise, it feels fun. There are social media groups for mermaiding and it’s super gender inclusive. It’s about body positivity and feeling confident.”
Ivens’ brightly coloured tail draws curiosity and conversations from members of the public.
“Little kids will come up and believe I’m a real mermaid,” she said. “Adults will ask questions about the tail and even older people will say how beautiful it is.”
Ivens sticks to local public pools and quiet little lakes with her tail.
“I’m very cautious about the safety of mermaid tails, they are dangerous if you’re not a super strong swimmer.
She is hoping to find more mermaids to “go mermaiding” with.
“I found a few interested people in Kelowna and I’m hoping to find more,” she said. “So far I don’t see another mermaid at the pool I go to.”
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Mermaid tails come in fabric or silicon or are a hybrid of each and can be purchased in numerous places online. Iven’s bought hers from a retailer in Vancouver, however she knows of a Kamloops business that makes them.
“My tail is about six feet long and comes up to three inches above my bellybutton,” she said. “There is an extra foot and a half at the bottom.”
Ivens said when she was growing up she was obsessed with The Little Mermaid.
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