Naked at the YMCA

[xenon-naturist]

Once you have swum nude you don't wish to swim any other way and so it is a sad loss.

Maybe true for some of us but not for most, or else there would be far more nude swims and naturist clubs where would could socialise naked.

 

[cocktailweenie]

The downtown Y in Montreal was connected to a university so in the afternoon there were plenty of college guys swimming nude. I once swam nude there with a college buddy I knew in High School (we showered together in High School for two years because we were in the same gym class) and trying not to get a boner was very difficult (I got a semi). When I moved to another city I swam nude at the Y where there were many young guys. I got friendly with some guys in the weight room and we sometimes ended up in the pool. Everything was very cool; swimming naked was taken for granted. I sure saw an eyeful of hot guys, including guys I worked with. During those nights for teens if a guy wore a bathing suit (you were allowed to) he was teased by other teens and called chicken.

 

[MarkLondon]

Once you have swum nude you don't wish to swim any other way and so it is a sad loss.

Maybe true for some of us but not for most, or else there would be far more nude swims and naturist clubs where would could socialise naked.

There's not nearly enough opportunties to swim naked for most people. I've only done it twice. First time was Hampstead Ponds in the 70s in a heatwave, second time was in the sea at a nudist beach in the 80s. It is amazing, the difference that lack of a scrap of cloth makes.

 

[jockmaestro]

Much as I'd like to, I just can't bring myself to believe the Y had nude swimming! Even tho I guess it's true; there are certainly enough stories about it. It's just inconceivable that it took place--even more so that it'll ever happen again, especially among men and teens ( thanks, Mr Sandusky; you've now made innocent nudity a crime for those of us who like it but would never do what you did to a boy!)
I agree with the above posts that nudity is crucial for the male psyche and that we've lost something valuable.

 

[jockmaestro]

The pool at my club here in nyc (not a YMCA) remains nude. It seems odd the first few times, but you normalize it quickly.

Are you serious?! What club is that??

 

[xenon-naturist]

There's not nearly enough opportunties to swim naked for most people. I've only done it twice. First time was Hampstead Ponds in the 70s in a heatwave, second time was in the sea at a nudist beach in the 80s. It is amazing, the difference that lack of a scrap of cloth makes.

"not nearly enough opportunities", but there are far more opportunities, even in London, than 2 times in 40 years !

Hampstead is still open, gymnos had nude male swimming until recently there is another gay nude swimming group in south london. Eureka nudist club in kent has always been open to all (albeit recently it has become more sexual) and was my first experience of true naturism. There are other nudist clubs that allow single guys to go along. And there are nude beaches - eg Hastings and Bournemouth where you can swim naked in the sea.

If people don't take the chances there are to go naked, then there may not be these chances in the future, this is as true of swimming naked as it is of anything else !

 

[ColonialBoy]

Amen brother.
When did society change the rules about nudity? Better question is why?
There seems to be a fear of being nude or being seen nude that has evolved in the last few years and I really have no idea how this came about.

I dont think pedophile priests has helped the issue.

When I was growing up we were all nude inside locker rooms & it was never an issue. I was at a small town recently, at the school cake stall there was also a warning about perverts WTF. I would not like to me a male teacher in today's climate.

 

[allmale]

I think Mr. Sandusky just may have changed everything. If he's found guilty and if other schools have any other charges against them, the whole idea of nudity of any kind in any kind of public lockerroom setting may have just changed our perception and attitudes towards lockerrooms. Period.
I read one comment on another site, that legally now, any nudity in regular gyms may seriously constitute Harrassement. I don't think he was far off the mark.

 

[englishmale]

Sorry who is this Mr Sandusky ?

also has anyone here been to the hampstead ponds in London, what are they like ?

 

[gymfresh]

There's not nearly enough opportunties to swim naked for most people. I've only done it twice. First time was Hampstead Ponds in the 70s in a heatwave, second time was in the sea at a nudist beach in the 80s. It is amazing, the difference that lack of a scrap of cloth makes.

I equate London with nude swimming. For many years I was a member of Gymnos, a club that had a nude swimming tranche and a nude social tranche. I also attended many of the sessions of GLS - Gay London Swimmers - an offshoot, I think, of GLP, Gay London Professionals, another social group. GLS swims were held at the University of London pool in Gower St, and the Gymnos swims were held at various council leisure centre sites, usually 2 a week, depending on the annual arrangement struck between Gymnos and the councils. Most were in central London. I might add that straight men were always welcome at these nude swims. They were recreational and social, not sexual.

Thus, I got to swim about 3 times a week in the nude throughout the year. I made a lot of friends through these swims, guys I've known now for 15 years or more. Nudity is indeed the great equalizer and a component of human bonding (friendship and understanding).

As I understand it, other major cities in Europe (Paris, Berlin, and more) have regular nude swims. Some of these are for families, but gay groups in the larger cities often negotiate space for naked swimming as a recurring social event. I was as delighted to find these facilities in Europe as my UK friends were baffled that nude indoor swimming at public venues is all but prohibited in the US, even for private groups. The US has twisted ideas about the human body; we have the world's largest porn industry, which is fine because it's capitalism, but routine social nudity is shunned.

A little internet sleuthing will turn up many more opportunities than you might suspect.

 

[ColonialBoy]

Sorry who is this Mr Sandusky ?

Two Former Penn State Officials Face Trial - WSJ.com

He's a football coach at an american university who has been charged with 40 counts of sex abuse of boys who he was entrusted to coach & help. The ongoing hysteria means every coach is a suspected pedo less proved otherwise.

 

[englishmale]

that's for the reply, that is really sick and as you say it contributes to the peado hysteria. We ll end up with no man being prepared to work with children

 

[nycstroker]

Are you serious?! What club is that??

the university club?

 

[JaimeB]

i've never swum nude at any Y, but then, i've never swum at any Y at all. i'm not a swimmer except at the beach or a lake. don't like pools and chlorine

but when i was a kid, i learned to swim at a pool in a Boy's Club, and the rule was, no swimsuits, i. e. bareass swimming only. all the kids in the swimming class had to shower together before getting into the pool, and again after the class. i was never uncomfortable with that. tho some of the other boys seemed a little nervous and made jokes to relieve their anxiety, most of us just seemed to take it in our stride that nude swimming made some kind of sense

 

[coolnude]

Once you have swum nude you don't wish to swim any other way .

Exactly way to go -- swim nude every time

 

[ColonialBoy]

i've never swum nude at any Y, but then, i've never swum at any Y at all. i'm not a swimmer except at the beach or a lake. don't like pools and chlorine

Find a pool that uses ozone rather than chlorine, the are becoming very common.

 

[dad4you]

that's for the reply, that is really sick and as you say it contributes to the peado hysteria. We ll end up with no man being prepared to work with children

I for one do not feel comfortable with any children at this point, or any person that is in grief and may need some comfort. The legal consequence of a mis-judgement is far too great to chance it what with women claiming inappropriate contact at the work place, and upset children in public with adults just ready to pounce on a man for trying to be nurturing.. well, the world is a sadder place. NOT being able to give comfort is distressing so the sadness is multiplied. Thank you very much to those who created this climate of fear.

 

[docilej]

Not the YMCA but, back in the early '80s swimming nude was the norm at the Boy's Club in Bristol (CT,usa). Even though it was my jr. high years, I was incredibly naive. I was feeling emotions, but didn't know what they were. Seeing all these big adult men walking around naked (swimming pool/steam room) was so....nice. Only went twice, but oh my was it fun.

Nowadays? Haven't been back since, but I'm sure the 'no bathing suit' rule is long gone

 

[JaimeB]

Find a pool that uses ozone rather than chlorine, the are becoming very common.

thanks for the tip. i'll look around to see if any advertise that their pool uses ozone. i have an area membership, so i might just luck out!

 

[jonni86]

I visited a lot of nude hot springs while I lived in Japan. You get over it. The good and the bad.