Want to work up the courage before going?

Prior to attending your first nudist function it is completely normal to be scared witless. If it’s your spouse urging you to try nudism, anger is the normal reaction. Thinking that he is pursuing nudism just to see a lot of other naked women does not help either.

Your first few minutes may be difficult. You may feel vulnerable and ashamed. Trust me, the fear will pass and you will soon discover you are so relaxed you’ll even forget you are no longer wearing clothes! And you will know you belong when it is time to leave and you don’t want to get dressed again!

— Julie

A lot of first-timers are afraid their friends, children, or relatives will find out. And God-forbid someone at work learns the truth! Of course, how would they know unless they were there? (In which case, you know their secret also!) Respecting another nudist’s privacy is important. Never ask prying questions (like, Where do you work?) or for a phone number or address. If the other person is interested, they will tell you on their own. If someone outside the nudist world confronts you, remember as an adult you have the right to choose any lifestyle you want. Treat the discovery as a great opportunity for a discussion about what nudism is all about (and what it isn’t.)

— Nancy

While nudity was not practiced at home, we had only one bathroom so it was not unusual to see Mom or Dad going from their bedroom to the bathroom unclothed. No one was overly shy or embarrassed; it was just no big deal in our house. Later, I attended college in San Diego and went along with friends to Black’s Beach. From my first time there, I loved it! Since I have never had any reservations about nudity. I’m not sure what I could tell someone about their first time other than just do it! It's the greatest feeling!

— Lisa

I’m one of those women who has always been on the heavy side, but I was lucky to grow up in a family that allowed me not to be afraid of my looks. Soon after I started dating my future husband, he revealed he was a nudist and asked if I would come to a local nudist resort. Believe it or not, it was easy for me to take my clothes off the first time in front of strangers. I know that’s not usually the way it is, but I just felt safe with him there, along with that inner confidence my dad gave me as a girl.

I could stop here and sound like being a nudist is easy. But, it isn’t all the time. Sometimes I still feel self-conscious about my size. I must tell you I feel a lot more comfortable and safe when I am with my nudist friends, because I don’t feel like I’m constantly being judged.

So this is complicated. On the one hand, it was easy for me. But on the other hand, I still sometimes struggle with the cultural influences that conspire to make all women feel that if they aren’t pencil-thin, there must be something wrong. And that’s why I keep coming back.

— Cynthia

Many years ago when I was 21, my boyfriend suggested we go to a nude beach. I was always up to trying something new, but I was totally unprepared for the awe I felt taking my clothes off for the first time and feeling the sun, the ocean breeze , and especially the water openly against my body, and — most important — without anyone caring. In later years, when I met other first-time women, I found most were also very curious and up to trying something new. They wanted to feel the sun and the water, free of the constraints of the conservative life they that lived for so long. After experiencing the freedom of nudity, I saw many of them find a renewed sense of self-worth.

People that you will meet, for the most part, are the most genuine you will ever know because, as the cliché goes, there's little to hide, physically or emotionally. Nudists are lawyers, teachers, secretaries, students, grandmothers, policemen and many other professions. If you choose to take the ‘plunge’ and find out if nudity is right for you, nobody will ever be able to talk you out of it! And you will be gaining new friends that will last forever!

— Sarah

Nudism is about acceptance of self and body exactly as they are. If you are expecting to find Playboy-perfect and identical naked bodies, you are mistaken.

Instead, if you would like to learn what real human bodies look like, join us. Each one of us is different. Intellectually, I had known that the path to peace with one's body was not through perfection but through acceptance. However, that understanding didn't move below my neck (my intellect) until I stumbled upon nudism. That is when my gut, my body, my mind and my soul finally got what true acceptance was. Spend time with naked women with mastectomies and men with missing limbs and you learn that we all carry scars.

Once I started, I couldn’t go back. For the rest of my life I will watch movies and ad campaigns and laugh at the sheer silliness of the illusion of perfection I used to believe, and the illusion the advertisers and media heads work so hard to perpetuate.

Welcome to your body! At first, it takes a while to get used to it all, but comfort will come quickly. Heck, wear a wrap as long as you need to. It will come off when you are ready.

— Rena

I have found that a lot of people don’t try social nudity until they're middle-aged after the kids have grown and gone. I have heard many who tried it when they were already elderly lament that they regret starting so late in life and wished they had started sooner.

— Vivian

I have experienced nudism while pregnant. As my body changed from a petite 120 pounds to a boisterous 175, I was far more uncomfortable adapting to the changes in my body than I was being seen by other nudists during those nine months. I realized that no matter what I looked like, others accepted me more for who I was. They were happier to get to know me as a person than to judge me for my ever-changing appearance. And now that it is over, everyone adores my baby boy!

— Melissa

I had always been a backyard nudist, so the big step for me was deciding to be nude in front of others outside my immediate family. What did it for me was tennis

Most nudist parks have tennis courts, and on my first visit to one of the parks I found myself courtside, watching what seemed strange at first glance: people playing tennis but wearing only their tennis shoes and a hat. Soon, I found myself in an easy conversation with others who were also watching. It seemed only a nanosecond later that I found myself invited into a doubles match wearing the same sun clad outfit as the others. It was an awesome feeling! Later that day, I discovered the park had a tennis pro who gave lessons on Wednesdays, so I arranged my work schedule to always get Wednesday off, in order to spend a naked day up at the park improving my game. I became so devoted to the schedule that a few years later I refused a job promotion because I would not be able to get my normal Wednesdays off!

— Lesley

I discovered that most parks have a volleyball court, which apparently is the national nudist sport. Be it on asphalt, or beach sand, or in the water, there is always a game going on.

What I discovered is that, once started, playing sports while nude is hard to stop. And no sweaty clothes afterwards! The sun, the grass, and the new friends are all important to me now as they are the perfect way to help me recharge my internal batteries whenever I need it. So if you come looking for me, try the volleyball area.

— Beverly

It occurs to me that over the years I have seen few perfect bodies, but I have seen several who had suffered some extreme medical challenge such as a mastectomy, advanced MS, amputation, extreme burn scarring, or facial reconstruction (as a result of a car accident). Those people came to social nudity on the recommendation of their physician or therapist in order to heal themselves mentally so they could accept their torn bodies. Just quietly talking to them in the pool or Jacuzzi was always an inspiration to me. Whenever I feel self-conscious because I am a little overweight, I just think of them and their courage.

— Leslie

If someone had suggested to this shy, self-conscious young women from a strict Irish-Catholic family, that someday I would become a card-carrying nudist, I would have said, You are crazy! I felt horrified to shower with other girls my age after PE class in Jr high.

Then I tried social nudity (at first, reluctantly) in my late 20’s and fell in love with the liberation of being clothes-free in a supportive and diverse community. I have experienced much more staring at my ample breasts in the clothed world than I have ever experienced as a nudist woman. Actually the men I meet at naturist events have overwhelmingly been respectful gentlemen and viewed me as a whole person and not as an object. Plus, I met the love of my life at a nudist park!

— Patty

I have always been comfortable about nudity at home, but I had never considered myself a ‘nudist.’ So when my boyfriend told me he had been a nudist for many years and wanted to know if I was open to the idea of spending a weekend at a local nudist park, I said, Sure, why not?

The day before we went, a female work friend took me aside and said she was concerned about the path I was about to embark upon. Path? I said. Swinging, she replied. Isn’t that what this is all about? Once I stopped laughing and regained my composure, I told her being a nudist has nothing to do with open sex or swinging. It’s about having the freedom to be accepted for who I was.

My nude weekend was a Halloween party at Deer Park Nudist Resort with Dave’s SCNA club. As soon as we arrived, we started meeting other nudists. Any hesitation I had about baring my body vanished when I saw the assortment of people: short and tall, slim and overweight, young and elderly. It all seemed so, well, natural. Nudity has an amazing way of leveling the playing field.

The Halloween weekend was great — and I left asking Dave how long it would be before we could do it again! When I returned to work, I told my friend of my weekend, and she seemed to be a little jealous of my positive experience. My advice? Don’t listen to your well-meaning friends. They really don’t know what they are talking about.

— Debi

I was vacationing at a resort in the Caribbean. The first two days were spent on the beach sitting in a soggy swimsuit and being chafed by sand. I signed up for a day boat trip and picnic at a beach on an island away from the resort. As we were leaving, I discovered that the excursion was to an island with a nude beach! I admit my first reaction was that this is something that was not an acceptable practice. I decided to go anyway, thinking no way was anybody getting me out of my suit.

I stood firm, and, in fact, I was the last person to give in and shed my swimsuit — but I was also the last one to get dressed to return to the resort. Why hadn't someone told me about this sooner?

Everyone will tell you that once you have made your first visit, the feeling of apprehension will vanish. I was hooked, and that was over 30 years ago.

The phrase, nude when possible, clothed when practical, definitely describes me. I do wear shoes when vacuuming the house though, as I have a habit of running over my toes with the vacuum cleaner.

— Cheri Donna

Copyright © August 1997-2008 by Travelites, Inc. PO Box 90836, Columbia, SC 29290
All Rights Reserved Reprinted with Permission

Some people are worried that this is an open sexual environment and they will be harassed. Nothing could be further from the truth. Resorts are places where No really means NO and you are very safe. The men do not want to lose their club privileges. It's one of the safest places you can go.

— Helen

During the first couple of days, I feel more comfortable staying home until I am able to control my flow with a tampon. You wouldn't go somewhere without precautions in a textile setting, so you shouldn’t do it in a nudist setting either. Menstruation is looked upon as a normal, healthy function. Most parks allow women to wear bikini bottoms or shorts during this time, and some women just wear a tampon and tuck the string up inside. Either way, it is not a subject to be commented on by other guests.

— Jen

Anytime anyone asks someone to do anything they don’t want to do, the answer should be NO! regardless of who and what. If someone is uncomfortable doing something or they are not sure they want to, then they should wait. But that decision has to come from inside one's self. A socially nude environment actually helps build that self-esteem so you are more comfortable saying out loud what that inner voice is saying to you.

— Dianna