Model, scuba instructor, image consultant and all-round fashion and beauty expert Mena Garcia has been diving since the age of 11 and says, “I loved the water so much that the instructors used to call me “la sirenita” – the little mermaid, and my desire to be in the water never stopped!”
Safety always comes first. She says, “Before entering the water I have hidden weights around my waist which ensure I don’t float up and I am able to pose. I enter the water wearing a mask and breathing from one of the assistant’s alternative air source, then I have to remove the mask and hold my breath for usually a minute at a time. After a minute, I grab a puff of air from one of the assistants and then resume posing.”
The process, she says, is a specialist skill and should not be tried unless you’re qualified to do so. Mena poses underwater without an oxygen tank and has a team of assistants who ensure the process runs smoothly – “Alongside our scuba qualified photographer, there are two assistants who are crucial to making the whole thing work. We take all of the outfits down with us and actually change under the water. The assistants are amazing, they actually change my outfit under the water for me!”
Mena talks passionately about the experience but admits it can be a grueling process. You can check out all of Mena’s modelling including gorgeous photos from under the water by visiting her website www.menagarcia.com or by following her on Instagram @menita.mango.
This is a Contributor Post. Opinions expressed here are opinions of the Contributor. Influencive does not endorse or review brands mentioned; does not and cannot investigate relationships with brands, products, and people mentioned and is up to the Contributor to disclose. Contributors, amongst other accounts and articles may be professional fee-based.