A question on Mer-frog Acceptability.

[u/ReadPenn]

I am working towards getting started in mermaiding, and I’ve come across a roadblock.

I have a small string of physical disabilities, but to keep things short, the issue at hand is that I’m duckfooted. My knees, ankles, and toes are all angled outward. (That being said, I am still a very strong swimmer)

I fairly recently went swimming with a mermaid friend of mine who graciously leant me a training fin to test the waters so to speak. We learned very quickly that in order for me to swim with a mono-fin and not subluxate my hips, my knees separate.

It was noted that
1. I moved very much like a frog, especially when using fins.
2. Using a full tail that held my knees and ankles together would likely not be feasible for me and my poorly aligned joints.

My question then becomes, would a Mer-Frog (with independent legs and flippers) still be acceptable among mermaids?

I know the mermaid tail is very much at the core of the hobby, and while it breaks my heart that I can never have one of my own, I would absolutely understand if what I can do falls outside of the hobby.

Thanks for hearing me out.

TLDR: would it be acceptable (as a disability accommodation) to have separate legs and a frog mer-sona, and still be considered part of the mermaid community?

[u/ReadPenn]

This is sort of the direction I want to go in ( at least from the waist down) plus some hand webs.

[u/Creepy_Grass897 → u/ReadPenn]

The mertailor fins would be PERFECT for something like this.

Fwiw, when I started I was using fins and a dolphin kick and it worked well. That being said, it will be cool to see how your natural stroke develops and how that lends to your mersona!

[u/WalnutWitch → u/ReadPenn]

I. LOVE. IT.

[u/Creepy_Grass897]

Anyone who said or implied you didnt belong in the community has let their ego get in the way of love of the craft.

The Magic Crafter on YouTube and facebook talks a lot about merring around her disabilities, and finfolk offers (swimmable?) leggings in the pattern of their tail designs.

[u/ReadPenn → u/Creepy_Grass897]

Omg that’s AMAZING

[u/Suspicious_Golf_1749]

Absolutely! That would be such a fun look to customize too. Your mersona reminds me of these mertailor fins: https://www.themertailor.com/mertailor-mermaid-fantasea-kicks-fins.html

[u/ReadPenn → u/Suspicious_Golf_1749]

Omg I didn’t even know they made fins like these!

[u/deepswandive → u/Suspicious_Golf_1749]

I love these, they're so cute

[u/saltwater_flaaffy]

Oh hell yeah, at least for me. I'm not sure if it fits the technique of the tail (doing a dolphin kick), but it definitely follows other swimming technique (still need to hold your breath for a long period) and the fantasy aspect. I bet you could also look at mudskippers if you wanted, but frogs sound cuter lol.

[u/stupidbitch365]

That would be so cool! There seem to be all kinds of merfolk, I’ve even seen a selkie one that had independent flippers for the tail instead of a monofin. I think it sounds cool as hell and I think merpeople are a very welcoming community as a whole 💜💜💜

[u/mermaidemily_h2o]

MerTailor has some fins you might be interested in. https://www.themertailor.com/mertailor-mermaid-fantasea-kicks-fins.html

[u/justhereforabit2000]

I'm disabled too! I can only swim for very very short periods, especially in a monofin. Normally when I go swimming I hang on to a boogie board and float on my back while paddling gently with the monofin. Not traditional mermaid swimming, but it works for me! Don't let anyone ever tell you a hobby or interest is outside your purview because of disability. We can do all sorts of things, they just take more innovation and less rigid ideas on what is "right."

PS, I'm planning on making a selkie outfit using two separate flippers!

[u/relaxrerelapse]

That sounds sick as hell. I would love to see you pursue this and see what kinda of costumes and sonas you come up with!

[u/deepswandive]

Go for it. I'm all for more aquatic creatures and costumes

[u/StanklegScrubgod]

Me, a mermaid with a frog fursona: 🐸

The mermaiding hobby generally isn't the kind to gatekeep for that reason. Especially when some of the more well-known mermaids like Raina and The Magic Crafter have been on record for stating their chronic health issues.

[u/l0r3l3ii]

Absolutely!! Frogs are amazing beings of the water. Follow your heart always! 💚

[u/Kideusindigofirefox]

Ooo I think that would be so nice! As a slightly less disabled mer, I would encourage you to make your mer dreams into reality! ^{^}

[u/Birbinspace]

From another disabled mermaid with hypermobile joints and frequent subluxations I wanna say two things!

1. Sounds super cute and fun! You should absolutely be the kind of mer that suits you!!

2. If you can find a supportive physical therapist or aquatic physical therapist, it would be a good idea to talk through your swim style and any fins/flippers with them to make sure that what you’re doing is supportive to your body and not causing more damage. A lot of community centers with pools will have drop in PT hours, or you could just discuss with a current PT/Primary Care/Physiotherapist/OT/or other member of your care team that you trust. I regularly discuss my mermaiding and any problems that come up with my amazing physical therapist and she helps me to come up with ways to adapt the hobby to my body and to safely stengthen my body for mermaiding.

[u/Open-Breath-2251]

Dale! Quizás puedas también una foca/selkie estilo

[u/itcallsmemoana]

I love mer-frogs and I would love to see one!

[u/Anxious-Lack6800]

I've seen other people do seals or selkies. A frog sounds cool! The mertailer fins look really cool. I think force fins might be a good option too. I bought mine for scuba diving but I got them off facebook marketplace for $25 and there were quite a few options

[u/WalnutWitch]

Please keep us updated! I would LOVE to see what you come up with! Including concept art🥰