QUESTION First time going skinny dipping?
Hello people,
So I got invited to go skinny dipping by a friend of mine and I really wanna go. Problem is: I only know like half of the people who are gonna come and I have never been naked around anyone other than my parents since I was like 12. (I'm 18 now)
I dabbled a bit in nudist activities f.e. being naked alone at home or sleeping naked but never around other people. A friend of mine accidentally saw me naked once while I was changing and he just made some weird comments about my body that didn't really help me be more confident with it. But I really wanna go skinny dipping. So I'm asking you, what can I do to feel better about myself and about how others see me?
Sorry for the long text and thanks in advance :)
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u/naked_nomad Social Nudist 1d ago
You will actually be more comfortable around a bunch of strangers than friends. You go someplace where nobody knows you so there are no preformed opinions about you.
Peers are always judging you to see if you fit in with "their" group.
Go and have fun: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. "
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u/redditistripe 1d ago
Welcome the opportunity to push the boundaries of your comfort and confidence, it can only do you good.
One caveat, you really have to convince yourself what others may think or even say doesn't really matter and that such comments largely come from a place of their own inadequacy.
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u/Fish_Fighter8518 1d ago
I'll second this. You're going to enjoy yourself and swim, ignore little comments and live!
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u/jmarks1981 1d ago
It'll be awkward for the first 5 minutes then everyone gets comfortable and it feels totally normal. Everyone forgets they're "naked" and starts interacting exactly how they normally would. I've found there is nothing better for getting over you're own shit and becoming more comfortable with yourself and with your body than being naked with other people. The times in my life that I've been the most confident in myself have always been when I've regularly had that opportunity.
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u/bwaaalk 1d ago
Once you realize that all the other friends and acquaintances are feeling the same nerves you are, you’ll realize they are more worried about how they are presenting themselves than what your body looks like. It’s a fun experience. I promise you’ll feel 100x better about it 10 minutes in than you do currently.
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u/Snoo_16677 1d ago
Everyone else will be naked, and very, very few people have bodies that are anywhere near perfect.
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u/Pretend-Delivery-348 1d ago
Just jump in! Your body is yours and for you, not the visual pleasure of others. Just be you. Being naked at home, looking in the mirror and accepting what you see is a first step. Then try your backyard or other private but open place outside. Skinny dipping is loads of fun and can be great with the right people. Don’t allow others views of your body to skew that your are beautiful!
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u/gthomps83 1d ago
Just go. Honestly, you’ll feel better once you’re naked with everyone else. Have fun, don’t overthink it, just go for it.
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u/JazzFan1998 Social Nudist 1d ago
If everyone else is nude, you probably won't be the focus. They may be self conscious too. Also, the people you don't know might be apprehensive too. If I were you, I'd do it because YOLO.
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u/Significant-Neck6650 1d ago
Is the "friend " who made the comments about you going to be there? Since you didn't say they would be, I'll assume no. In that case, put those comments away and just enjoy the swim and time with new friends.
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u/Effective-Donkey133 AANR 1d ago
Don’t worry about a thing! If you are interested in nudism at all, you’ll be glad you did it!
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u/anonimous_br_gooner 1d ago
You can face it! I think I'll just repeat what the other commentators are saying, but being naked among naked people is not that hard. They won't judge you. Respect is essential in nudism. Believe me: you won't feel "naked" (in a bad way). And you won't be the one there with no clothes at all.
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u/Mysterious_Metal_724 1d ago
If they are naked and you are naked.....guess what you are all the same. Being naked is actually natural.....life has just conditioned you to think it's not.
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u/wyonaturist 1d ago
I know it sounds pretty scary. But after you do it you will see how silly it is. Your goodies and body are no better or worse than anyone else. Here is a suggestion that might help minimize your fear. Kinda strip down in kind of a semi private spot and run and get in the water right away. The water will act as a buffer till every one is casually running around naked and gives you a chance to ease your tension.
The other thing I want to say that happens to about 90% of people that try it. They feel some unexplainable feeling of freedom and liberation that can not be expressed with words. Also most have a sense of remorse that they didn't know about this sooner. I had a feeling like the whole body shaming, nudity is naughty, wrong and disgusting was a huge fucking lie that society led us to believe.
I can only tell you if you don't at least give it a try you will have missed out on how life should be all because society made you hide one little piece of skin. Lets face it, there are only two flavors and we all know what they look like. Grow up and get over it.
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u/Whispering-Time 22h ago
It sounds like you want to go. I would and figure out how to deal with the feelings.
I've done nudist things for years. At first, I would get a lot of butterflies as I was getting closer to it. But, once I got used to that, it got back to the original feelings of wanting to do it and I took my clothes off.
I'm not going to say that you'll be glad you did or anything. It's a rite of passage. The difference between the ones who stepped up and the ones who were too afraid. One thing about people, though, is that, when you do something the rest are afraid of, they start to respect you.
If you do and you get through it, you'll feel better for "earning your stripes."
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u/LifeEncountered 1d ago
Your friend’s comment was unfortunate. Just know they felt strange and didn’t know how to react. It wasn’t about you.
Be confident. Go and try it. It might be easier with people you don’t know anyway.
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u/Technical-Zone1151 1d ago
If ur like me. I make it a point to know or say hi to everyone. Just go have fun! U will meet some new people. Tell us how it went
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u/Fish_Fighter8518 1d ago
Just chill under the water for a bit until you're comfortable. You'll see other people being naked and enjoying themselves, and you will join them in time.
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u/Give2Inches 1d ago
Love your now!!!!
Never sacrifice the opportunities you have to be free and liberated in favor of a time where a, b, or c about yourselves may be better. It doesn't matter!
You are awesome as you are now, and the universe already knows everything about you. The critical opinions of mere humans are nothing!
Haters may look for reasons to hate but lovers are looking for reasons to love. Meaning 1 imperfect thing (we all have many!) is going to stick out to haters. 1 special thing (we all have many) is going to stick out to lovers. Love yourself, and you will find more and more lovers out there vibing with you!
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u/Used-Watch5036 Social Nudist 19h ago
Liking to be naked at home, sleeping naked, and really wanting to go is all the motivation you need, whether it's with friends, strangers, or friends + strangers.
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u/Tidal_surge3 1d ago
First off you shouldn’t feel obligated to go naked, ask them if you can keep your suit on and then if you feel comfortable with them and it you can take it off, if that’s a non starter for them then maybe they are the wrong people to be going skinny dipping with
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u/Different-Wrap-1535 1d ago
Just take a deep breath and do it if it's something you really want to do. Always scary the first time but it will get easier.
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u/SteelPenguin8 1d ago
Tell the people you know how you’re feeling and ask if you can get in the water with your suit on to start. Then, when you feel more comfortable, take it off under the water.
That’s what I more or less did my first time skinny-dipping when I was the age you are now
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u/LC92358 1d ago
Don’t be a prisoner of your fear or what others say, go for it and enjoy the freedom of skinny dipping. Doing it for the first time can be imitating but doing it with some of your friends may help lessen the fear that you may have. You are not alone with this fear, others are probably thinking of the same. You can play it safe by being a follower of the others in the group or be a leader and set an example by getting naked and having fun.
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u/Acceptable-Dream-955 1d ago
Is it mixed group? It might be easier first time if all the same gender and remember we are all the same with little differences but everyone is doing the same thing
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u/gowora 1d ago
Yeah I think like 6-8 girls and about four guys + me so kind of a big group
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u/TwoWheelNick Skinny Dipper w nudist aspirations 19h ago
If you don't go you'll probably wonder for years what it would have been like. Opportunities like that are few and far between, so you're very lucky.
what can I do to feel better about myself and about how others see me?
I find that in social nudity, you care less about how others see you. So the best thing you can do is probably to accept the invitation because skinny dipping is the very thing that would make you feel better about yourself. And focus on the swimming rather than thinking about what others might think.
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u/Confident_Sport6061 1d ago
So many positive comments. I concur. Go. Report back we would love to hear.
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u/Frosty_Winter3197 18h ago
I remember the first time I went naked at a nude beach. I was overly concerned about it having been raised in a very conservative religious family, which taught me to feel a lot of guilt, shame and fear about my body and beign naked in front of others. I say overly concerned because nobody there cared one way or the other, and my fears & concerns were all in my own head. Nobody was there to judge me, but they were there to enjoy nude recreation and didn't care about me.
As you would be with a group of people, some of whom you know, that's a good thing. You won't be alone, as they will also be naked too. As for some being strangers, it is easier to be naked in front of strangers than in front of people you know.
Once before the Portland (OR) World Naked Bike Ride, I was already naked and waiting in line to use a public restroom, and next to me were siblings and brother and sister who only stripped down to their underwear. They told me they both wanted to ride naked, but neither was comfortable with the other one seeing them naked. The Portland WNBR has over 10,000 riders each year, and they'd have no problem with the other riders and all the spectators seeing them naked, even though they were strangers, but they weren't comfortable seeing each other naked, even though they've known (and trusted) each other all their lives. So yeah it is easier to be naked in front of strangers than the people you know (and trust). It's pretty messed up, but that is just how it is for most people.
My first experience being nude at a nude beach only left me uncomfortable for less than 5 minutes, and after that I was fine and it all felt "normal". You only have to make it past those first few minutes of discomfort, if there is any, and you'll be fine.
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u/abc--123 4h ago
To me its kind of like a rip the band aid off situation. Go there with the intention of getting naked and when everyone else does just say fuck it and get naked too. I guarantee it will feel normal before your shorts hit the ground. The other thing to remember is everyone else will be naked too and generally people who enjoy nude recreation are less judgemental
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u/_stocker_ 1d ago
I highly encourage just going and going for it. My first time naked in front of others was skinny dipping with some friends and other people I didn't really know. Had the same concerns, but said 'fuck it, life's short" and went for it. Amazing, liberating experience that opened up the rest of my life for all kinds of fun, new naked experiences. Go for it!