Mermaid is a job too, unbelievable! Even you there is a mermaid school.
To be a professional performing mermaid, you have to invest, probably in a full silicone tail. So be prepared to drain your piggy bank for that. And of course you have to factor in the mermaid tops which are also made of silicone, the accessories, the headdresses, underwater make up, photographic equipment.

Syrena is a professional mermaid and founder of the Singapore mermaid school. Her real name is Cara Neo.

And then having about half an hour to an hour to squeeze into your tail. I have to use lube because it’s too tight. Your skin, hair and eyes get wrecked by constant Chlorine exposure. After a gig, I will come up with my sinuses running. My eyes red, looking not at all like a mermaid. So, is the job worth doing? Despite all the hard work, all the cramps, the occasional tears, the daily stress living day to day, it’s entirely worth it. When I dive into the water, I feel completely free.

There is a lot of discomfort that goes into creating the illusion of beauty. All this just really looks nice from afar.

Fabric tails cost hundreds while silicone tails cost around S$5,000. You have to practice all the time. There are all the usual dangers involved with swimming. Legs cramping, feet cramping. On land, you have to move on your hands and bum like a caterpillar and then when you are in the water, direction problems. Too much left, too much right, because your legs aren’t used to being together. Each silicone tail weighs a whopping 15kg.

It’s like entering a different realm altogether and you just inhabit the space of being this incredible mystical creature, full of power, grace and strength.