Naked on the beach

We used to have a naturist beach here in sunny Norfolk. It’s been closed now because of some shenanigans (can’t remember what).
Occasionally we would stray near the area and come across the naked bathers. So odd though, when it was cold the men would put jumpers on but nothing else!??

The Australian sun burns so fiercely and it is getting worse with climate change and depleted ozone layers so the days of naked sunbaking in Oz are long past. Maybe that's why we call it sunbaking not sunbathing?

Even in southern Australia many people, especially children, wear 'rashies' which are special UV resistant tops like a T shirt with long sleeves and hats and 30+ sunscreen lathered over every square inch of exposed skin. A common sight on beaches now is violently protesting small children being vigorously lathered up with sunscreen by diligent parents.

What we used to call the 'old lizards' with leather like skin from years of serious sunbaking are now quite literally a dying breed. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. The old sun smart campaign of the 1970s based around the catchy phrase 'Slip Slop Slap' is being revived. Slip on a top, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat. ?

Silver lining you are so right. We have a house in Crete, very private pool and we never wear clothes to swim except when we have family there. Our granddaughter is VERY disapproving aged 11! Why lay there in wet costumes when your body dries in seconds? Always have a big towel handy just in case someone pops around unexpectedly but it really is the most lovely feeling swimming without clothes.

@2old4hotpants

I have the funniest impression of you now. In your very elegant swim wear!

Elrel my reaction would have been the same, had she been young and nubile. It was not weather for being outside in a T shirt, let alone nothing at all.

Do what feels right to you. My OH and I used to go nude in the Greek Islands, Spain and Croatia and really enjoyed the feeling of body freedom. Our bodies as we get older rarely improve but they are still our bodies and it is up to us show or not as we think fit

GabriellaG Many thanks, I most certainly did, comes of not previewing post!
Elrel Its the same at our gym and I am full of admiration for the larger folk who come and do my best to encourage them.

An old Aussie saying referring to the effect of cold water on men's bits is "spanner water" cos it tightens the nuts.

"in a quarry" - you were brave.
I was always scared of going in those as people used to dump their old cars etc in them. and they're so DEEP!

I've never stripped off on a beach but did go skinny dipping in a quarry back in the day. We were still at school at the time and I think my parents would have been horrified if they'd known! Swimming naked is fantastic but even back then I was quick to cover up when I got out!

garnet25
I rather think you meant naturist, not naturalist.

Plenty of mention of lightly clad or naked people's size and age on this thread. Would that be body shaming perchance?
Should older or larger people hide their bodies away from eyes shocked by looking at them?
I was worried I'd be the only person at the leisure centre who wasn't a toned gymbunny - until I signed up. There are people of all shapes and sizes just trying to get a bit more healthy. No critical stares or judging sly looks, just the occasional friendly chat in the changing room.

I was in north Spain (on the mediterranean) in late September a few years ago. The weather was cool enough for there to be few people on the beach except fully dressed walkers like myself when suddenly coming in the opposite direction I saw a very corpulent lady, at the further end of middle age came strolling down the beach stark naked while chatting to a male friend (fully dressed).

I am not sure how far she was going, or whether having walked the length of the beach she was just strolling back to her clothes. My instant reaction was that she must be freezing cold, because there was a cold wind and I and other walkers were all wearing jackets over our T shirts.

Oh dear - it seems to be the norm lately then- my eldest son&wife&family went to spain in the summer hols&a lot of 'topless' was going on(their kids are 13,10&6)so i would imagine it was a bit of an eye- opener for them! Im taking my own two youngest children away soon to corfu- both boys age 15& 19 so goodness knows what itl be like.and no i wont showing anything im quite a believer in live& let live but when theres families with kids around everyone should take a bit more responsibilty for their actions!

We enjoyed Naturalist beaches and swimming in our youth and swimming in the sea unclothed was a great feeling of freedom. However, 50 years on there is no way I will wear anything other than a swimsuit or tankini. We are just back from a week in Hurgarda where thankfully even topless sunbathing is not allowed, I have never before seen such mountains of flesh on display from both sexes, enormous women in tiny bikinies and men with their stomachs hanging down passed thier shorts. Arrrgh.

Where I lived as a child and young adult, there were plenty of sand dunes (and marran grass ) within a short biking distance. A group of us used to take bats and balls and packed lunches in Oxo tins (remember boxed individual square fruit pies?)
They were real Famous Five outings, as one friend had a dog which rode in the front basket while being fed pie.
Anyway, on this particular day it was foggy. We hoped it would clear as we rode towards Southport but we had to stop in Formby. Trapsing through the sand with bikes is difficult but we found a hollow and got a game of catch started. One throw sailed over my head and I stumbled through the sharp grasses to find it. Lo and behold, my eyes were assaulted by two 'old' men fondling each other, shorts round their ankles. I had never seen anything like it (we were about 13/14/15) and wondered what they were holding. The others came looking for me, then a policeman appeared behind us as we lay on our tummies, gazing at the spectacle before us.
All did not end well for the two men but I was not keen to tell mum what I'd seen. Maureen, my friend, said not to tell anyone...and I didn't.
The area was well known for nudity, in varying degrees.

Another one here who had a good laugh at miss A,s comment ?

I am happy to wear a bikini or topless in hot country where people don't know me! I'm not twiggy & quite frankly I don't care! I'm not doing it for other people to approve or disapprove, I enjoy sun on my skin and it doesn't happen much in the U.K.....

I'm not really comfortable going naked but don't mind if other people do. I find it ironic that, as adults wear less and less on the beach, we face an outcry if we let our children do the same. When I was younger, it was quite common to see kids without their clothes on skinny dipping.

There were naked bodies on a lot of beaches on one holiday to Fuerteventura. We were at one beach, away from the main tourist area and 2 ladies turned up with their children. One of them stripped off naked to lay on her back in the sun. All very well, you may say, but I DO wish she'd kept her legs together. We couldn't un-see it!

I have been to a nudist island, when I was about 18. I did not take my glasses as I was too vain - goodness knows what I missed! I am very short-sighted so missed the dangling detail - it seemed a bit rude to squint .

In retrospect I feel sorry for my poor parents (who must already have been worried about me trekking about in Europe) as I sent a merry card to them saying "Going to a nudist island tomorrow!"

I also laughed out loud at MissAdventure's comment?

So did I.

Once, about forty years ago, in a very secluded Welsh cove that DH and I had to ourselves. Delicious! Would I do it again? Not on your life!

We live in France with a swimmng pool and jumping in the water naked is the most liberating feeling. Swimmng naked is wonderfully different and there's no point in pulling on and off a wet cossie in the privacy of your own garden.
When we mentioned this to any of our adult children they ALL looked shocked and slightly horrified!
I think I'd be quite comfortable (even over 70) to go naked on a beach if others were doing the same but DH definitely would not!