text: Forget packing snorkels or body boards this summer, the latest beach craze for those wishing to spend their days in the surf has a more mythical twist. The Merfin, a  monofin made from recycled rubber that lets you experience what it might be like to swim like a mermaid, looks set to be the essential piece of beach play kit this summer. The product is the brainchild of Australian professional freediver Kazzie Mahina. The 37-year-old, from Byron Bay in New South Wales, created the flippers in the shape of a mermaid tail to allow kids and adults alike to streak through the ocean like an underwater creature. Scroll down for video . Wouldn't you like to be a mermaid? The Merfin, a rubber monofin that mimics the experience of swimming like a mermaid has arrived on UK shores. The product retails at £99 in the UK . The novelty swimming product has taken off around the world and can be used by kids and grown-ups alike. Designer Kazzie Mahina says the Merfin can also help to tone abs and thighs . After taking off Down Under, the Merfin is now available to buy in the UK, with the country's sole stockist, online retailer Gigi Brooks, reporting brisk trade. Ali Lovegrove from the Lincolnshire-based stockist  told FEMAIL that the Merfin has been 'very popular' in recent months with a rush expected as beach-goers prepare for their summer breaks. 'As the weather has been warming up in recent weeks we have seen an influx in sales from surfing hotspots in the UK including Cornwall, Devon and Wales and, as we ship worldwide, we have sent them as far as Japan.' She added that the company had been attracted to the Merfin because 'there is absolutely nothing like them in the market'. Diver Mahina, who can hold her breath for a startling five minutes, says she spent years perfecting the product. She said: 'I started designing the fins in the middle of 2006. I went through lots of samples, prototypes, lots of trial and error.' Mermaid entrepreneur: After spending years bringing the product to the market, Mahina has found herself in demand, with Urban Outfitters chasing an adult version of the product to sell in the US . In character: The freediver and part-time mermaid, who can hold her breath for five minutes, is due to launch a new product this summer . 'People now would go "oh, that seems to obvious" or "it looks so simple" but it wasn't back then.' In 2011, she launched a website and started selling the Merfins out of Australia, and by the next year they were in stores around the country. The diver says that after a successful launch in Australia, she was then  'hunted down' by US retailer Urban Outfitters, who chased the brand for an adult range of the fins. 'They hunted me, they wouldn't leave me alone. I was like "What is going on? This is one of the coolest stores in America."' The fins come in four sizes, ranging from child's to adult's, ensuring that grown-ups can flip and swoosh in the water alongside their little ones. Colours range from coral to aqua to a striking sunset orange. Prices start at £99 for a child's fin and £120 for adult's. Gigi Brooks is currently the only UK stockist and has the fins in Coral and Aqua. The retailer said the product has been 'very popular' There's an easy-release ankle clip too to ensure that should you prefer to have your feet separated, you quickly can. Designed to be used in the pool or the sea, the Merfin is also being promoted as a fitness aid which can help to tone abdominal and thigh muscles. Mahina said she is already working on her next product, set to be released in time for next summer, and can't believe how lucky she is to have found something she is so passionate about. 'Sometimes I pinch myself and say how did it work out that I am the luckiest girl in the world. 'Dreams and ideas belong to the world they don't belong to any one person and anybody could tap into them and I think I just happened to be connected and passionate and listening enough. 'The mermaiding is lots of fun, and the gift of being able to give that gift of fun [means ] my fun is just multiplying to  know that other people are enjoying themselves.'
target: Recycled rubber Merfin designed by Australian freediver Kazzie Mahina .
  Mahina, 37, spent years designing the first prototype of the monofin .
  The fin has an easy-release ankle strap and comes in adult and kid sizes .
  UK stockist says the product has been 'very popular' in recent months .