- I meant more like, lets.
Could you turn this way more?
Like face, no, you're going to literally face-
- Oh, like put my tail towards the camera.
- No, other way.
- Wait, so I? Okay...
(surfer music)
- I grew up as a competitive swimmer my whole life.
I love the ocean and mythology and mermaids.
I found out people were buying these beautiful
prosthetic silicone tails and just swim in them for fun.
And I always thought why not make a career out of it.
And still have fun.
Today, I'm going to be teaching two volunteers
some of the tips and tricks of what it takes to
become a professional merman.
- [Both] We're going to be mermaids!
- I am super excited.
I cannot wait.
- I'm pretty sure I'm going to drown.
I'm nervous about my legs being tied up.
I picture myself getting in and just
flopping down to the bottom.
- Okay, I'm going to be styling you guys as mermen today.
Matt, I'm going to put you in this really cool-
- Oo!
- Michael, I'm putting you in something a little more fancy.
- Yes.
- You're going to have this.
So we're going to do some flash tattoos.
These are great because they last in water,
they don't wash off, and they don't get fussy.
They won't rip or tear on things.
- Yep.
- There we go.
So, I think you guys are all ready to put on your tails.
- I've always wanted to be a mermaid,
ever since I saw Bette Midler be a mermaid in her
stage show, "Delores de Lago, Toast of Chicago".
I wanted to be that.
So, I'm kind of obsessed with mermaids.
- Really?
- Now, this is kind of like a stretchy neoprene fabric
and inside the foot of the actual fluke,
this is kind of soft, it's flexible, which is nice.
Right now I'm going to teach the boys
some easy dry land poses with their tails.
So, this is a good go to, on the stomach,
with your tail flipped up.
There you go.
And then kind of prop up on your elbows.
There you go.
And you can flick your tail back and forth.
See, there you go.
You can point your toes and it will
give a bit of a better line.
One more, one, two, three.
(camera clicks)
- This is how we think mermaids pose.
Just like...
- You know they pout, it's like a pout.
I always wanted to be a mermaid since I was a little kid.
I loved to swim, I loved being underwater.
- What we're going to be focusing on now
is the basic swim stroke.
So, you both can swim?
- Yes.
- Alright, so the basic motion is kind of like
an undulation of your body.
You're going to want to fight the urge to just flick
and kick your feet because you're not going to get anywhere.
And it doesn't look very nice under the water.
- Okay.
- So, the idea is that is mostly going to come
from your core.
- You know, I'm used to swimming with all of my limbs.
And now we're taking two of them away.
- So, I would just hop right in because the water's cold,
and that's part of the -
(both shrieking)
- I would sink down or you could do the surface
of the water, or you can do underneath-
- I'm just going to go-
- You got it!
- I'm just going to go for it.
Did I do it?
- Yes! You look so good.
- I'm going to come back now.
Don't let me hit the wall.
- [Everyone] Yay!
(laughing)
- I do believe in mermaids and I'm not embarrassed.
- Woo!
- Yes!
- So, you can feel how the fin pushed you along, right?
- Yeah!
- Becoming a mermaid was a dream come true.
(laughs)
- So fun, I feel like I could do it. I can swim.
Neither of us drowned, which was my big fear.
- It was amazing.
- So fun.
I love being underwater.
You know I watch "The Little Mermaid" and
I was pissed at her that she wanted to live on land.
I was like, she had it great under the sea.
I'm not down with that.
- I agree, it's a fun fantasy.
Oh, can we do like a tail high five?
- Yeah, let's try it.
- Oh god.
Okay, let me just, okay...
(laughs)
- Hi.
- Oh hey guys,
Sam, up here.
We made a series.
- It's coming on November 18.
- Please watch it.
- Get it here.
- [Everyone] There, over there
You got it. I think they've got it, okay.
- It will be released 2015, November, okay...