Words by Tabitha Lipkin
Found in the 2024 Winter Issue
When I first got the call about going to Bora Bora on a press trip to learn how to be a mermaid I was met with a mix of emotions. A “hell yeah” emotion because well I was going to Bora Bora … And a “huh?” emotion because… well… mermaiding? Y’all know me.. And if you don’t, I’m Bob Bitchin’s granddaughter Tabitha. Much like my grandfather I strive for adventure every day… and I can be a little set in my ways (It’s a Lipkin thing). So the hesitation came from the traditional scuba diver in me. If you didn’t know, the division of water explorers are kind of like kids in the lunchroom in high school… with mermaids seen as the theater kids (I was a theater kid once- this comes from a place of love). So I felt like I needed to preface telling people about my trip with a “don’t laugh, but…I’m going to learn how to be a professional mermaid and get my mermaid certification in Bora Bora.” So now that I’ve let you in on my inner thoughts leading up to the trip… Let me let you in on an industry secret. It’s really f*cking awesome and really f*cking challenging, harder than any other training I’ve completed.
You’re going to be like really? Yeah, really. Imagine you’re a freediver (you know, someone who uses a breath hold, a weight belt, a mask, and two long fins to dive down into the water) Now take all of that away. NO weight belt, NO mask, ONE shorter Fin… Oh, and go ahead and add in that colorful tail. That takes guts. It really does. Because mermaids are not only there for sport, they’re performing. They’re doing back flips, they’re waving, they have their eyes open in salt water or a chlorine pool and they’re smiling. It takes a lot for me to admit I’m wrong, and I was wrong. It’s one of the coolest and most challenging things I’ve ever done. But there’s more…
