There are many beautiful and colorful mermaid tail swim costumes for sale these days. Along with the tails, classes have popped up in many cities and states that teach new "mermaids" how to swim with their new tails. If the price of your new mermaid tails for swimming have set you too far back for the price of a mermaid swim class, do not fret. Here is how you can teach yourself to swim just like a mermaid.

Step 1: Getting Used to Your New Tail

Because you were not born with your new tail and fins, you will need to get used to how it feels. Do not put your tail on before you sit on the edge of a pool or you may need a lot of help getting to the water! These swim costumes are not designed to walk around on land, and like any good mermaid, you could not walk on land with fins anyway.

Once you have pulled your tail on over the bottom part of your swimsuit, sit on the edge of the pool with your tail fins swishing gently in the water. It may feel odd at first to make both of your legs move as one tail, but eventually it will feel quite natural. The wetness of the tail suit will feel like you wore leggings into the pool, but other than that, the sensation of being wet is no different than when you jump into a pool to swim anyway.

Step 2: Slip Into the Water While Holding the Edge of the Pool

Next, you will want to slip into the pool but hold onto the pool's edge because you cannot stand up when you touch your "tail" to the bottom of the pool. Use your back and abdomen muscles to extend the lower half of your body out behind you while you lay face down in the water. Now try to gently undulate your whole body, starting at the top of your head and ending with your tail fins. Pretend that you are mimicking the roll of ocean waves. As you get the hang of it, let go of the side of the pool and begin to create bigger wave movements with your whole body. The movement should be as fluid as possible before you try any other swim moves with your tail.

Step 3: Practicing Undulations and Diving

Continue to practice undulating movements to get the right fish-like rhythm down. Then try to dive with your tail by bending your body into a v-formation and forcing yourself into a head-down diving position. Be sure to kick your "tail" up and back to help propel you down and forward. You may need to practice these movements several times before they become very natural to you. Once you have accomplished these basic mermaid movements, you can attempt more complex moves, like the forward-torpedo-spin and the curl-up-and kick straight forward movement which can also work as a dive. Contact a business, such as Shimmer tail, for more information about mermaid tails for swimming.