Swimming Naked

Woo-HOO!

One of life's very most liberating experiences is skinny dipping so drop those clothes and dive right in!

People have been skinny dipping since the 1570s, when the term became a popular expression for swimming naked. Actually, though, people have been doing it since day one. There was a whole lot of swimming going on long before there were clothes.

Many, many cultures around the world enjoy swimming naked as the obvious thing to do while others have laws against it. Public nudity can get you in trouble in lots of places but, then again, those same places often have pools and beaches designated as clothing optional areas for the more free-spirited swimmers.

Greek and Roman murals depicting the first bath houses and public pools give us scenes of men, women, and children alike swimming naked with no apparent modesty issues.

Country kids all over the United States seem to know where the closest secluded swimming hole is and look forward to swimming naked all throughout the long, hot summers. It's the only way to get a good tan without ugly tan lines.

There was a time when swimming naked was required in public pools. Fashion called for many-layered, heavy clothing that became dangerously bulky and heavy when wet so swimming without anything on was a safety issue.

There was a time when swimming naked was required in public schools, too. Some high school swim teams prohibited swimsuits because it was just too impractical to maintain sanitary swimming gear.

The YMCA required swimming naked until the 1960s when girls began joining the program.

You've probably gone swimming naked before now, anyway. Most toddlers do it often.

So, go ahead. Strip down and dive right in. But, please, don't forget the sunscreen.