Mermaid tails propel safety concerns at Alberta pools

A water toy that allowsyoung girls to swim like mermaidsis agrowing trendand safetyconcernat pools in Calgary and Edmonton.

"My kids' faces just lit up and they're like, 'Holy cow, there's a real live mermaid in the pool!' So we picked them up and ordered them and it's great," saidSharla Stoffman, who purchased "mermaid fins" onlinefor both her daughters.

Stoffman's eight-year-old Scarlettdescribes the feeling of swimming in the sparkly costume as "free," while her older sister says it's just like being a fish.

"They've been tons of fun, and they move real quick in them," said the Calgary mother.

The crazehas much to do with the still-popular 1989 Disney movie The Little Mermaid.

Safety concerns

However, the design of the typicalmermaid fin a fabric tail that goes over both legs, ending with a wide fin is a safety concern at Alberta pools, and was a hot topic at the annual Alberta Association of Recreation Facility Personnel conference April 26-29 in Banff, Alta.

"They bind legs together and make it difficult to safely manoeuvre in the water," Rob Campbell, supervisor ofaquatic strategies for the City of Edmonton told CBC News in an email.

Campbell saidEdmonton bannedfins at its public pools in Aprilbecause theyare aimed at young children, who are often weak swimmers.

Swimming with a fin "promotes breath-holdingwhich can result in blackouts," said Campbell.

"I was very mad and very, very sad," said nine-year-old Alexis Mayer, who was recently asked to remove her mermaid fin at an Edmonton city pool.

"They told us because our legs are bound together we could drown in the deep end and it would be hard for the lifeguards to come and save us," she added.

The City of Calgary has not written anofficial policy on mermaid fins, but in the meantime does not allow them to be worn when a pool is crowded.

For now, Calgary lifeguards are making swimmers take the following test before they can wear their toys in a public pool. They must:

• Swim 25 meters continuously.
• Tread water for two minutes.
• Swim with confidence while wearing the mermaid fin.

"There's concerns that people won't be able to save themselves or they might not be able to make itto the edge or stand up and that's why we have a safety test," said Jack Birkett, aquatic operations co-ordinator for the City of Calgary.

The Lifesaving Societyof Alberta recommendspools across the province alsoadopt a "mermaid swim test,"and not ban them.

Parents' responsibility

Stoffman said her daughters were already confident, competitiveswimmers before she put them in the mermaid fins.

But ultimately, she said it's up to parents to know their child's swimming ability.

"If you have a kid who is not strong enough, then you shouldn't put them in that tail and shouldn't put them at risk. Or at the very least you should be in the water with them to make sure they're safe,"said Stoffman.

She said she hasalso seen kids as young as three safely wear the tailsbecause their parents made them put on water wings or lifejackets to keep them afloat.

Mermaid school

Parents concerned for their child's safety can also considermermaid school, which has also caught on with some fitness-minded adults.

• Montreal mermaid school offers fantasy and fitness

"When you have your legs tied together you're really reaching those abs and then you work your quadriceps and your glutes," said MarielleChartier-Hnault, founder ofMontreal-basedAquaMermaid.

"And it's really good for your cardio also because the main movements are done underwater. So you need to control your breathing while doing an exercise," she said.

The Calgary Winter Club is offering a mermaid camp in August, but it's only open to members and children who have passed Level 5 of the Red Cross kids swimming program.