People tell me all the time that they want to be a professional mermaid. This is a very fun and rewarding career and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else but it is not easy! Here is some advice for new Mers and some things I wish I had known when I was first getting started.
I made this chart showing the steps to becoming a professional mermaid
1.) Never mermaid alone
Never swim alone. Never perform without a spotter, never do a gig without an assistant.
2.) Get a proper tail! Take the free tail safety class at Haleymermaid.com
3.) Don’t be in a hurry to make this your job
I got my first monofin and started practicing when I was 11. I got my first realistic tail (Mertailor latex tail) when I was 14 and I did my first paid gig at 17. I started my business and o-fish-ially began my mermaid career when I was a freshman in college. So there is no rush! Make sure you are ready before you start doing this professionally!
4.) Birthday parties
Mermaid birthday parties are probably the most popular paid gig as a mermaid. DO NOT just get a tail and start doing parties; it's not that simple!
You NEED to do it legally and safely. In order to do a birthday party as a mermaid you need to have
-performers insurance
-a business license (this depends on your state and your county some are very strict)
-you need an assistant,
-CPR / First aid certification and/or lifeguard cert
- you need proper and professional equipment (a realistic and properly made tail) you don’t want to show up to an event in the same Finfun tail that the birthday girl owns. You also don’t want to show up in a dangerous tail made from stolen art that you got from aliexpress. While I recommend silicone tails for events where the kids will be very close to you, it’s not required. Just be aware that with fabric tails the kids will see and might point out things like elastic waistbands, zippers, and stitching on the seams.
5.) Mermaids are Sometimes Territorial
If there are too many mermaids in one area all competing for the same gigs things can get ugly.
You want to make sure you aren’t stepping on anyone’s fins by moving into an area with an already established mermaid and taking gigs from them.
This depends on the area and the mermaids but I would suggest doing research and contacting local mers before setting up shop and taking gigs.
6.) You need training
Mermaiding is like a sport and in order to be the best you can be and do this properly and safely you need professional training. Some places that hire mermaids require certain certifications. I recommend getting the following if you are serious about being a professional mermaid
freedive certification
Scuba certification
Lifeguard certification
First aid / CPR certification
Mermaid certification (this is new)
7.) You don’t have to make this your job to be a mermaid
You can just get a monofin or a tail and swim for fun or as a hobby
8.) always have a backup!
always have a backup job to guarantee you can pay the bills if you don’t book gigs and always have a backup tail and top in case of wardrobe malfunctions!
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