Meet Frances Chew | Mermaid Myriad

We had the good fortune of connecting with Frances Chew and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Frances, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
As a child I’ve always been fascinated with bodies of water, perhaps to the point of giving everyone heart attacks. My mother and grandparents cannot swim and often times they’d take me to the pool and tell me that I should stay in the shallow end where they could see me and when standing my head would clearly be above water. Eventually I’d become bored of this and make my way to the deep end where I found it much more exciting but it also felt like it was always a part of me. This lead to me getting swimming lessons at the local pool in Walnut Creek, CA, I started later than most kids my age, but I quickly caught up.

I never pursued swimming as a competition, I wasn’t very fast but I did have good breath holds and everytime we traveled and snorkeling was an option I was constantly freediving even though I didn’t know it at the time. As an adult I found out about mermaiding being an actual careeer and naturally I had to do it. It was a completely different experience from my previous swimming exposure which was quite formal, where as mermaiding is very artistic and focuses on the aesthetics. So once I got my first monofin, I dove in headfirst and mermaiding came to me like breathing. It’s become an extension of myself that I’d normally never express or share, but as Mermaid Myriad, there’s no reservations.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Getting started in the mermaid community when I did was a really challenge. Back then there were few fabric tails that were suitable for an advanced swimmer, but mostly silicone tails. Fabric tails are lighter and easier to transport as well as maintain however silicone tails look the most realistic but can cost anywhere from $5000-$25,000 depending on the tail maker as they are all custom made to size and design. So I just bought a monofin and continued practicing my freediving and mermaid skills without the skin. Then last year Mermaid Harumi of Cosmic Sea Tails reached out to me and asked if I wanted to test her tails. I was completely in love with her designs and had been promoting her nonstop as a small business owner. Then during Mother’s Day at the aquarium the Bakhaw Adventure Team was performing in mermaid tails and of course I had to go and say hello. It was the first time I felt like I had a pod (mermaid family), and the amazing performers were excited to find another Merfolk in the area and welcomed me with open arms. Now we’re working with Cebu Ocean Park to bring educational events as well as entertainment events for children, field trips, and the general public.

I would like to emphasize that Mermaiding like any other aquatic sport is dangerous because you are swimming with your legs bound, however, it is a fun and safe sport if there are the appropriate safety procedures in place: swimming proficiency, a safety swimmer, safe swimming environment suitable to your level, and of course listening to your instincts. There is a lot of anti-mermaid swimming advocates and really the issue is that none of them are educated. Even most swimming instructors are not educated. The safest way to learn how to be a mermaid is from a PADI, SSI, or NAUI Certified Mermaid Instructor. Please always double check your instructor’s certifications and licenses to make sure they are up to date and vaild, this can be done online for free.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Of course one of the stops would have to be Cebu Ocean Park! That’s where we are. Currently we’re working with the aquarium to schedule events and educational programs throughout the year, but for licensed or experienced freedivers we also offer diving at the aquarium through Bakhaw Adventure A-Team ().

My favorite place to eat after the dive is Banana Pancake Trail, it’s owned by a lovely couple who backpacked the Banana Pancake Trail and opened a restaurant featuring the street food they found along the way there’s Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Malaysian, and Singaporean! Another crowd favorite is Sugbo Mercado in IT Park. It’s a Filipino version of the Hawkers in Singapore where we have all kinds of food from Filipino, Malaysian, American, Japanese, and more.

For all the dive enthusiasts you have to head to Moalboal to the south for the most wonderful diving and resident sardines! If you’ve ever seen those photos of divers surrounded by a funnel of fish, this is where it’s at. There’s also Malapascua which is part of the Coral Triangle and one of the best diving spots in the world, there are Thresher Sharks that are the most beautiful and the white sand beaches of both places are just magical.

There are a lot of tourist hot spots to check out that are within a few minutes drive of the city, but the best time to visit is the 3rd Sunday of January where we host the Sinulog Festival. It’s the biggest festival of the Southern Islands and its to celebrate the Santo Niño.

Cebu is also a great hopping off spot for Bohol where you can see Tarsiers, Bacolod the Sugar Bowl of the Philippines, Leyte and Samar for Surfing, Siquijor for snorkeling, Apo Island or Sea Turtle Island, and more!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My paternal grandparents who originally paid for my swimming lessons, for without them, I wouldn’t have had the tools to begin with.

Amarie Tolentino or Mermaid Amarie, my SSI instructor who has helped me with a lot of things that I originally struggled with and helped give me the building blocks to kick off my mermaiding.

Ramonchito Cabahug or Merman Monching the first merfolk I met in Cebu who invited me to join him and his pod (merfolk family) to dive with them at the aquarium and create lots of wonderful events for the guests.

Mermaid Harumi of Cosmic Sea Tails (http://instagram.com/mermaid.harumi), she custom made my signature Asian Arowana Tail to my design and to my fit. She’s a wonderful tail maker who just started making tails but has a degree in Fashion and has worked in many aspects of the fashion industry, she really knows what she’s doing.

Luigi Cabatingan, my videographer, the motivational kick in my butt. He takes the videos and pictures everytime we dive or we’re at the aquarium so I can have content for social media, but more importantly so I can see what I’ve done and work to improve. He also constantly gives me criticism and feedback from what I cannot hear from where the guests are inside the tunnels.

Website: linktr.ee/mermaid_myriad

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mermaid_myriad/

Image Credits
Luigi Cabatingan Dale Garcia Amarie Tolentino