We talked to professional mermaid Sparkles from Netflix’s ‘MerPeople’ about the essentials she uses, including Linden Monofin, Mermaid Regalia Custom Tail, and Skyone 3MM Slinx Hexagon ...

Matthew: So, I have been making mermaid tails for over 10 years. One of the major questions I get is, "Who's buying these tails?" It's mainly models, hobbyists, performers.

Swimmers performing in mermaid tails, 2019. MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images "I was really active kid when I was growing up in Estonia. But swimming was never [on] my radar," explained Liivand to ...

Then she demonstrates how to pull on my borrowed tail, which is made from Spandex swimsuit material (a basic tail can be found online for about $35; monofins start at about $25).

The tail is nearly 5 feet long and weighs 11 pounds. “Inside the tail, there is a monofin, basically one big shoe in the form of a fin where both feet go in,” Wegloop explained.

Apparently, she’s never seen Merle Liivand swim. Liivand, also known as “Eco Mermaid,” broke a Guinness World Record in May by completing a 26.22-mile swim using a silicone monofin.