Sometimes I feel like the poster child for historic male only nude swimming.
I grew up in the days when nude swimming for boys and men was the norm.
At 8yo I went to the YMCA for my first level (Minnows) swimming class and my mother dropped me off with the message, "Here is your towel. There is no swim suit there because they wont let you wear one anyway." That was that, nothing more to say about it.
For the next 10 years of my life I went to the Y, Camp and School and swam nude with friends, my dad, friend's dads, and other boys and men of all ages.
Even in college there was still one pool that you could go for nude swimming workouts. The main men's athletic facility was built with no access restrictions so the Main and Outdoor pools there were suits only, but in the old field house we were able to casually stop by and swim laps without a suit to bring or carry home/to the next class wet.
Even in the main PE building the locker room was very open, the shower room was lines of 'Pole Showers', the steam was always nude, the whirlpool tubs were used without concern. and there was a sun deck where men could tan naked if they so desired and the temperature allowed.
Those were great days. Everyone seemed social and none seemed shy.
My transition to social (mixed-gender) nudism happened in Europe at 17yo and I never felt even slightly hesitant because of my upbringing.
Please feel free to respond here with comments about your own experiences, but I am also open to chat if you friend me on TN.
Great story! I feel like I was always just five years behind you, missing out on all the new swimming etc. by the time I join the Y, I was an adult and all the equalits issues and come through and everything was co-ed, except the locker room. I feel I missed out on I normative experience. Everybody is so prudish now, I think we wouldve all benefited from your experience.
I enjoyed reading your story. I had to keep looking to make sure it wasn't my own story, just reposted.
Joined YMCA at 10 years old. Minnows. Swam nude. I didn't know beforehand that the Y was mandatory nude swimming, but I found it to be fun.
Swam nude in both Junior and Senior High School.
Swam nude at college. The men's hyper pool was optional nude swimming. It was inside the old athletic building. All other pools on campus were suits required.
Then I went into the military. When I came out, nude swimming was gone.
I was disappointed and still am disappointed that there are so few places to swim nude anymore.