Florida Man Obsessed with Mermaids Swims with Self-Made Tails as He Tries to Live Like a Merman

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Ducharme’s partner, Matthew Quijano, says that from his first date with Eric, he knew of his obsession with mermaids. The hobby really has a lot to do with his desire to get away from the rest of the world. Amazingly, Ducharme can hold his breath for up to four minutes at a time. Everyone has a passion, and mermaiding, as Ducharme calls it, is what he likes to do.

Ever since he was a child, Ducharme has been fascinated by mermaids. As a teenager, he put on his first show as a mermaid prince in the Weeki Wachee Springs Little Mermaid Show. But long before his first public appearance, he was already making his own tails out of different materials from garbage bags to fabrics. He eventually got so good at making tails, he is now able to sell or donate them.

His hobby of creating tails has now turned into a business. He uses silicone, latex rubbers, and urethanes to create wet suits that look like colorful tails with texture.  Ducharme’s Web site is called The Mertailor, and it describes his products as “I have tails that are as real as fish you just caught on your boat, which are available to every aspiring mermaid and merman who dreams of life in the sea.”

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