New Zealand Recreation Association backs Councils that ban mermaid tails

The New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) has issued a statement advising that it "fully supports councils and aquatic facilities that have made the decision to ban the use of mermaid tail costumes."

Mermaid tails, a swimming suit that encases the legs and includes a fish tail - were a popular Christmas gift at the end of 2015, but warnings from Australian consumer group CHOICE and the NSW Fair Trading Commissioner saw first the YMCA Victoria, and then other aquatic centre operators, ban their use in commercial pools.

In New Zealand, Auckland Council and Dunedin City Council soon followed suit, while New Plymouth District Council discouraged their use, without introducing a ban.

Explaining the Auckland Council ban as of mid January, Leisure Manager Rob McGee stated "we are all for everyone enjoying their time in the pool and would like them to do so safely.

“Mermaid tails are definitely causing some concerns both here and in Australia, and have already been banned from public pool use in the UK.

"While they are designed for competent swimmers to use in the water, even the manufacturers recommend one-to-one supervision, which we can’t give in public pools.

McGee suggested that watching out for children in mermaid suits distracts lifeguards from their main role of scanning the pool for signs of any swimmers in trouble and being ready to respond and perform a rescue, adding "so far most pools have only seen one or two mermaids, but given overseas experiences, the focus on isolated swimmers puts other pool users at risk, so we are asking parents to keep the mermaid tails for home pools where they can have the direct one on one level of parental supervision."

Explaining its support for the ban, the NZRA have advised of their concerns over the product, stating:

• Both of the child’s feet are held together within the tail reducing the child’s ability to control their movement if they get into difficulty.
• The manufacturer recommends that the child has one-to-one supervision which aquatic facility staff are unable to provide.
• The mermaid tails promote prolonged underwater swimming which can lead to shallow water blackout.
• Lifeguards watching out for children in mermaid suits, will distract them from their main role of scanning the pool for signs of any swimmers in trouble and being ready to respond and perform a rescue if required.

The NZRA's statement adds "NZRA encourages everyone to have fun in aquatic facilities throughout New Zealand – we just want to ensure people remain safe while they are enjoying our pools."

Click here to view YouTube video footage showing how quickly a child can get into trouble while wearing a mermaid tail and the need for direct supervision of this activity.

Click here to visit the NZRA website.

3rd January 2016 - YMCA BANS MERMAID TAILS FROM VICTORIAN POOLS OVER DROWNING FEARS

20th November 2015 - AWARDS RECOGNISE TOP PERFORMERS IN NEW ZEALAND RECREATION

9th September 2015 - UPGRADED MT ALBERT AQUATIC CENTRE TO REOPEN

3rd June 2015 - BELGRAVIA LEISURE EXPANDS IN NEW ZEALAND WITH AUCKLAND COUNCIL POOL CONTRACTS