Don’t Knock It Until You Try It: Visiting a Nude Beach for the First Time

Blog Post by Sydney

There are two small words that pack a punch and are typically followed by a gulp of intimidation and they’re not what you think. Have you guessed them yet? Powerful and provocative, the words are “Nude Beach”… Yeah, that’s right. NUDE BEACH. 

Nude Beaches in America

For all you nude beach virgins out there, you’re probably imagining a breezy, scary place where instead of watching the tide roll in and feeding the seagulls, you are forced to watch strangers walk by without their tops on or scarier yet, without any clothes at all.  **gasps** Or possibly the scariest of all, a place where strangers watch you try and enjoy the ocean in nothing but your birthday suit and a fake smile.

Sound about right?

Well, stop. Stop yourself from thinking this way, and start by keeping your thoughts in check. Do not let these proprietary, mainstream ideas and misunderstandings influence your own knowledge and experience. 

Everyone in popular culture is obsessed with not being basic, but what could be more basic than following the crowd? 

Yes, shockingly (kidding) a majority of the American public (said crowd) is absolutely averse to visiting a nude beach or even going topless. According to Expedia.com’s annual study taken from North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia over vacation behavior and beach preferences known as the Flip Flop Report, “only about 5 percent of American beachgoers say they have gone nude at the beach and only a quarter feel comfortable with topless beaches.”

As mentioned earlier, it’s not a shocker that most Americans feel this way. But it is strange when you look at our roots and consider how our European counterparts feel about the subject. 

Nude Beaches Across the Pond

With an ocean between the US and Europe, it seems our cultures have gone in opposite directions on this matter. When you look around the world, especially at European countries, America’s sentiments concerning nude beaches are not echoed.

On the contrary and to put it simply, Europeans love nude beaches. No matter their age, race, or faith, nearly all Europeans visit nude beaches! As I mention nude beaches, it’s important to note that most of the beaches in Europe allow nudity, so saying nude beach is rather redundant. In other words, the whole idea of a nude beach is pretty American.

Since it is a non-issue for the populations, almost all of the people partake in it with the Flip Flop Report finding, ”Women in Denmark, Norway and Italy are most likely to go topless.” You might be thinking, “Okay, but what does this have to do with anything??” which would be a fair heckle. However, I thought it was crucial to parallel the view of nude beaches according to American culture against Europe’s to quell any lack of certainty that someone might have reading over this as a first-timer. 

Why Try It?

While we’ve covered cultural barriers that exist to going nude freely, we haven’t discussed why being nude on the beach is totally worth undergoing all the various accompanying feelings of vulnerability (which by the way fade away the second or third time you do it). So why is being nude “worth it” at the beach? It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe. Taking your clothes off in public is 1) wild 2) feels like home. 

A relief settles in over you. You can feel yourself wondering why you never did it before or why you ever were afraid. The feeling is just. that. good. 

Truly.

No sand in your suit, no tan lines, and if you have long hair, nothing to pull it accidentally in the wind. Just pure bliss. And you’re not even in the water yet. 

That alone could be a good enough reason to go nude. The experience of shedding ego, overthinking, and society’s influence is palpable. However, this is not the best part.

To me, the best part of the nude beach (the part that I miss as I write this article) is the swimming. To me, swimming naked in the ocean feels like a primal homecoming. We start this way. We start naked and in water. What on this earth could feel more freeing than to be in the state in which your life began?

This experience is almost sacred to me. It feels serenely holy.

I feel like every person owes it to themselves as a human being to try visiting a nude beach at least once. If not for the beautiful life-changing experience, then simply for the ability to knock it since you have finally tried it. (See what I did there?)

Visiting a Nude Beach for the First Time

Thinking about going to a nude beach, but having some doubts? This is totally normal. Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing something so brave and strong that literally over 90% of the population physically can’t bring themselves to do it.

Pretty cool, eh?

When you think about it like this, being able to go to a nude beach is a superpower of sorts. You’ve unlocked something inside yourself that which a majority of the people around you cannot. 

Now onto dealing with the anxiety. You’re likely having these feelings because you care very deeply about something… Even if you can’t admit it! Whether it be your looks, what others think about you, or another issue altogether, you have to first, name it and then gracefully shed it. But this can be easier said than done. When overcoming fear, anxiety, and any other negative emotions that come up, it’s empowering to remember why you’re facing what’s causing these emotions to flare up in the first place.

Remembering your purpose can give you a source of new energy that pivots your focus towards what’s important, minimizing trivial hangups. Once you commit to this practice, you can trade your pain for strength and gain confidence in ways you never thought possible. 

Don’t Forget…

Feel like you want to try it out? Go for it! Just remember to take a ton of extra sunscreen (the higher the SPF the better) along with 2 towels. Most importantly, don’t forget – love yourself and “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”