I’m Really a Mermaid

Ever since I first saw The Little Mermaid, I’ve craved the ability to live underwater. There’s something so magical about the idea of being able to swim with a fin, to lie on the ocean’s floor and look up at the sky from below.

I never really thought my childhood dreams could come true until I stumbled across Toronto’s newest craze, mermaid school.

AquaMermaid is an amazing concept that allows adults and children alike to experience what it might feel like to swim through life with a fin. The class starts on land at a pool in Toronto’s East End, and after students have perfected all of the correct strokes and kicks, they slip into a full-leg fin! From the moment I first heard about the experience I knew I had to try it, so Johanna and I packed up our swimsuits and headed to the pool.

For starters, mermaid school is THE single most adorable thing on the face of the planet. As if the kid’s excitement as they pick out their fins isn’t enough, the adults are almost equally excited, and there’s nothing more lovely than hearing a 40 year old woman say “Isn’t this amazing? I finally get to live my childhood fantasy!” People big and small gathered on the pool deck from all walks of life, and as we did a warm up stretch we each got to pick out a “mermaid name” (mine was Opal!)

When we eventually got into the water, I was pretty impatient to get going, but it quickly became clear that being a mermaid isn’t quite as simple and carefree as I had imagined it would be in my 5 year old imagination. Once your legs are in the fin, you have to work really hard to stay afloat, so I mostly swam around underwater (aka the incorrect way to swim with a fin apparently!) By the end of the hour long class I had almost gotten the hang of it, but I think I’ll need to spend a little more time without legs if I want to really master my mermaid skills.

Overall it was a totally magical experience that had Johanna and I practically screaming aloud with glee, and I can’t wait to get back into a fin again!

Photos by Johanna Martin

*Note: The services featured in this post were given to me as a gift for review, but I only write about products and experiences that I genuinely adore, I promise!*