A mermaid at your event: a safety guide for organisers

A mermaid in the pool is unforgettable. It is also someone swimming with their legs joined, often holding their breath, while guests watch, chat and take photos. A safe appearance needs a little planning from you, and a trained performer who plans too.

Start with the right performer

The single biggest safety decision is who you book. Ask any performer you are considering:

• What training and certification do you hold, and from whom? MFI, Mermaid Federation International, regards M2 graduates as professional underwater performers.
• Who will be your safety watcher? A professional brings, or asks for, someone whose only job is watching them in the water.
• Is that person trained for it? MFI runs a Guardian of Mermaid Safety specialty, focused on safety guarding for mermaid performance. It is a good sign when a team takes guarding this seriously.
• What do you need from the venue? Depth, water clarity, access, changing space, shade and timings.
• What is your plan if something goes wrong?

A professional will ask you plenty of questions too. Be wary of anyone who asks none.

Why the venue lifeguard is not enough

A lifeguard watches the whole pool and everyone in it. A performer holding their breath needs one person watching only them. Divers Alert Network is clear that dedicated one-on-one supervision is critical, even in pools, and that a lifeguard's presence is not enough. In a US CDC report on breath-holding drownings in New York State, a lifeguard was on duty at 14 of the 15 regulated pools where the incidents happened.

So the performer's watcher is an extra role, not a replacement for anyone. If the venue has lifeguards, they stay on duty for guests as usual.

The pool and the deck

Tell the performer about the pool early, ideally with photos.

• Depth at the shallowest and deepest points. The performer will say what they can work with.
• Clean, clear water. The performer and their watcher must be able to see the bottom. Cloudy water is a reason to postpone.
• Water temperature, and whether the pool is indoors or outdoors.
• Easy entry and exit: steps or a ladder, plus a spot at the edge where the performer can sit to put the tail on and take it off.
• A safe deck. Nothing slippery or sharp where the performer enters, and no glassware near the water.
• Drain covers in place. UK HSE guidance warns that a swimmer covering a single pool outlet can be held there by pump suction. Grille covers must be secure. Ask the venue to confirm theirs are sound.

The venue owns its own safety rules. In the UK, HSE expects every pool operator to assess its risks and decide supervision from that assessment. In Singapore, SS 700, the code of practice for aquatic facilities, added considerations for shallow-water blackout and prolonged breath-holding when it was launched in 2024. Ask the venue whether a performer in a tail fits its rules, and put the answer in writing.

Time in the water

Agree the schedule with the performer when you book, and keep to it on the day.

• How long each set lasts, and how long the breaks are.
• When the performer arrives, warms up, and gets changed.
• When music, speeches or photos are planned around the pool.

Performers need to rest, drink water and get out of the sun between sets. Do not ask a performer to stay in longer than agreed, however well it is going. Tiredness shortens a safe breath-hold, and the end of a long day is when mistakes happen.

Guests, and especially children

• Keep guests out of the pool while the mermaid performs, unless a guest swim is planned and separately supervised.
• Children at the edge need an adult beside them. Excited children lean in. KK Women's and Children's Hospital studied child submersion cases from 2011 to 2015. One in five happened during pool parties, and over half in condominium pools.
• Name an adult to watch the children, separate from the performer's watcher. The US CDC advises one responsible adult who supervises closely, without phones or alcohol.
• No one pulls the tail, holds the performer under, or swims beneath them.
• Guest tail try-ons need their own plan. Royal Life Saving Society Australia recommends tails only for competent swimmers, in a controlled setting such as a pool, with active supervision. Do not hand a spare tail to a guest.

Alcohol near the water

Keep drinks, and anyone who has been drinking, away from the edge while the mermaid performs. RLSS UK says alcohol is involved in about one in four drownings in the UK. The US CDC advises against drinking before swimming, and against drinking while supervising children.

Weather, heat and lightning

Many pools in Singapore are outdoors, so plan for the weather.

• Lightning. Singapore is one of the most lightning-prone countries in the world, with lightning recorded at Changi on about 176 days a year. The US CDC advises leaving pools at the first thunder, and waiting at least 30 minutes after the storm before going back.
• Alerts. NEA's myENV app can warn you of lightning near your venue. Agree in advance who calls a stop, and what happens to the programme if you lose an hour.
• Heat. NEA's heat stress advisory suggests regular breaks in shade once heat stress is moderate, and keeping outdoor activity to a minimum when it is high. A performer in a heavy silicone tail on a hot deck needs shade and water between sets.

Changing, shade and care

• A private space to change, near the pool.
• Shade and drinking water between sets.
• Towels and somewhere warm to sit, for evening or indoor events.
• A clear, quiet route between the changing room and the water.

An emergency plan

Write a short plan and share it with the performer, their watcher, the venue and your event lead.

• Who calls 995, and the exact address to give.
• Where the first aid kit and defibrillator are, if the venue has one.
• Who keeps guests back so the rescuers have space.
• How a performer in a tail would be brought out of the water.

A simple timeline

1. When you book: confirm the performer's training, their watcher, and set lengths. Ask the venue whether it allows a performer in a tail.
2. A week or two before: send pool details and photos, the schedule, the changing area, guest numbers and ages.
3. On the day: walk the deck together, check the water, and brief your staff on guest rules.
4. During: keep to the schedule, keep the edge calm, and watch the sky.
5. After: thank the performer, and tell them anything that could be better next time.

Common mistakes

• Treating the venue lifeguard as the performer's watcher.
• Adding "one more set" because guests are enjoying it.
• Letting children swim beside the mermaid without a plan.
• Bars and buffets right at the pool's edge.
• No weather plan for an outdoor pool.

Our part

Aliyah and MFI's community perform at events across Asia. If you are planning an appearance and want to talk it through, get in touch.