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Becoming a Mercreature: Design Considerations for Water Safe Costumes

The big challenge of the mercreature costume design is making it appropriate to swim in. So what we make it out of and how things are adhered together are going to matter! The three principles to keep in mind are: 
  • Keep it Light-weight
  • Keep it Clean
  • Keep it Together
Adding the water-proofing element will limit the materials you can use safely in the water without causing harm to the swimmer and the environment! 
 

Why use Water-Safe Materials?

The big reason of course is personal safety of the wearer. Most modern swimwear is made out of synthetic fabric which not only stretches, but it doesn't absorb much water and become heavy. (Obviously, swimsuits get wet and absorb water but it doesn't get heavy.) The extra weight will affect buoyancy and make it more difficult to swim. 

Natural Fibers and Materials on the other hand become heavier when submerged in the water. They hold onto liquid when absorbed. There's also the unfortunate effect of the fabric shrinking or becoming otherwise damaged when drying out. 

Other reasons to use water safe materials affects the integrity of the materials. Water can cause mild damage such as fading or "water-spots" or in some cases dissolve material. Well, maybe "wash away" is more accurate. In some cases things like corrosion or rusting will take more time. 

Finally, for health reasons. Especially if you swim in a natural swimming location like a beach, river or something, the costume absorbs more than water! Bacteria, mold, salt, and other little friends can hide in the nooks and crannies of the costume. Some materials are easier to keep clean than others. 
But even pools can have some unwelcomed affects because of chemicals in the water. It's likely there's bacteria and other buddies too.

Fabrics



So for fabric choices a good starting point is using similar material used in swimwear. 
Commonly this will be some kind of spandex/lycra/rayon nylon or something rubberized like neoprene/Scuba fabric. Other search terms to look at are "power mesh", netting, sportwear/performance wear. They even make a swim-safe stretch velvet which I find most intriguing. 

Not all parts of the costume need to have form fitted fabric. Tulle and other types of netting or silks can go in the water and not cause any harm to the swimmer. 

Paint and Dyes

Another concern with putting fabrics in the water is dye. If the dye has not set, it can wash out completely or partially. This leaves you with a faded color on your fabric and possibly some nasty chemicals in the water. (Please be responsible!) Usually, I find that commercial fabrics keep their color and won't leak into the streams. If you do end up doing some color changes, it will be important to "waterproof" the fabric and make sure the dye has properly set. 

Now, the dyes used for synthetic fabrics do tend to be very strong because most synthetic fibers are water-resistant. Paints and Inks can work but there are extra steps to make sure it's set in the fibers. Stretch fabrics are hard to paint on but it can be done even with acrylic paints. 

You might even look into waterproofing the fabric after painting to really seal things in or utilizing Permaset Aqua which works with spandex and waterproof. 

Adhesives

Many types of adhesives are water-based, which won't hold up for long in aquatic environments. And the adhesion on tape really won't last long! So if necessary, you'll need to use strong adhesives. 
Duct tape and similar type of tapes will hold in the water. Superglue, contact cement, Pros-aide, Spirit Gum, Silicone, or other types of "cured" glues will hold. (I think there's an infamous As-Seen-On-TV product that you can make a boat out of!) 
Hot Glue sticks are a mixed bag because it's more affected by heat and most beaches are quite warm. The water may be cold but the sands aren't necessarily. It also depends if you get the high temp or low temp glue sticks. 

Other methods of connecting involved in sewing will work. Zippers, buttons, snaps, hook and eyes, magnets and clips will not have their hold affected. (Although, metal will rust). Velcro does tend to absorb water so it's hold can get compromised. 

Accessory Materials


For making anything else, its water absorbency will be what to consider most. 
Leather, soft wood, foam are just well...sponges. They fill and hold water which means they'll sink or warp or grow a colony of delicious bacteria. 

EVA foam is a very common accessory material and it is waterproof! It's still a slightly porous material, but it's what's used to make kickboards so it works in the water. EVA can be coated in any number of sealants or thermoplastic.

You may need to look into resin, silicone, latex, or plastic to use as material. Metal and jewelry can corrode over time so it is possible to use these as materials, but you do have to make sure you clean them well. 

Wigs and Makeup

Finally, let's talk about makeup and hair. 

So many cosplay wigs are made from synthetic fibers which means they don't absorb water when submerged. Keeping the wig on will be a challenge as well as styling. Again, real glue will hold things in place, hairspray won't. Also, I'm not sure if hair-spray is really good for the environment. If you dye the wig, make sure it's set!  

Now, they DO make waterproof makeup!! It's possible! You have to search for it specifically. This is the same for body paints too. The downside to these is the clean up. There's some pretty strong chemicals to make the pigment stay! You could also find some staining on your skin. So, you'd need the appropriate cleanser. 

I would not recommend using latex body paint because it blocks up everything which can lead to overheating. 

Other Thoughts

I hope I don't have to mention but I will, but electricity and water don't mix. Well, they do but it's not necessarily healthy for a living creature. But if you want to make something glow or light up there are ways. It has to be in a water-proof containment. Submersible tea lights, aquarium LEDs and other solutions are available. But please, just don't have live wires on you in the water!

Also it's not advised to wear contact lenses under water. It can cause all kinds of unfun infections as well as irritation. So, any eye color changes should be done in post with a photo editor. 

I'm sure I might be forgetting something obvious so I say that when planning, make it a point to research if there's a way to waterproof your material or find an alternative!

Have respect for the water! 

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