Another idea on the subject of mermaids....
I was present at a party where three girls were fitted in a skin tight mermaid tail of some sort of clingy plastic. I was told the tails were fitted using a hair dryer to mould them to the bodies. They were topless and placed around a pool. They could swim in the outfits, after a fashion, but obviously couldn't stand or walk. All 3 were subs, and the tails protected two of their openings, but still left them vulnerable.