Enjoyed a quiet skinny dip at the local pool during the heat

[Ilovegermany]

I just had the best evening ever. I went to my local pool and there was no one in the sauna area so I went swimming naked and totally alone. It was over 40°C here today and it was bliss

@Ilovegermany I’m happy for you that you felt so free.
I was at the beach last summer and I wanted to go from the clothed beach where I was sitting (which has no facilities), to another clothed beach further along (which has a cafe and loos). There is a nudist beach in between them.
I assumed I’d be ok, I just needed to walk (fully clothed!) along the shore. I’m an open minded person, it’s just bodies! No big deal.
Turns out—no. I’m a huge prude. I was clutching my pearls, averting my gaze and pulling my hat down over my eyes for the whole walk. I stared at my feet and clung on to my partner, who (clearly made of sterner stuff) made sure I didn’t walk into anyone. It was the longest walk of my life.
To get back to our base after visiting the cafe, we walked up to the road and caught the bus!
Edit to say next time I will park at the beach with facilities.
It’s a very interesting point you make about cultural differences.

I understand this. I was talking to a German woman last week the day after I had my skinny dip. She said she only goes when it is ladies evening. I understand that too. All I had was what felt naughty with my British upbringing and also freedom.

The fear of naked bodies is in no small part down to the fact that in the U.K. we have an epidemic-level problem with sexual assault and rape perpetrated by men against women. Woeful rape conviction rates and pathetically lenient sentencing if there even is a conviction.

The issue of consent has never not been important but now more so than ever it is of high significance in wider public discourse.

Not to mention that it seems like every six months there’s another news story about a man or men raping children on an industrial scale.

So yeah, I’m afraid in this wider social context I don’t see deliberate public nudity as some liberating sensual expression of individuality. I’m more likely to look at it and think ‘sex offender’.

I don’t need to show strangers my genitals or to see strangers’ genitals in order to feel body confident or I still body confidence in my children thanks.

Also, your naked pool adventure will have been caught on CCTV. Which maybe was part of the thrill for you?

It is just a cultural difference. I hated the first time I went to the sauna in Germany. I chilled out a bit that day because my BF was there but now I feel confident enough to go alone. And enjoy being a little free. With no stress.

You really think it is an epidemic level problem with sexual assault and rape. It happens here too.
Why sexual offender with public nudity?
When you are part of it you realise that everyone is different and don’t judge bodies anymore. Other than the 70 year old lady I was talking to and if my body looks like her body at 70 I will be happy. You see all sizes of people and nobody is nasty or judging. We are all just there to relax.

Weird that there seems to be more posts these days encouraging women “don’t judge” regarding nudity.

Different cultures are allowed to have different boundaries. But we are always allowed boundaries.

Why would CCTV be a thrill. They have lifeguards and no CCTv and phones etc are not allowed.

And the stories I hear from the sauna are women going in with phones and trying to take photos of men’s genitals. And they all go banned.

Oh sure it is

So now we know that we're uptight in the UK, no-one judges in Germany even though they will do (including you who clocked a 70 year old's naked body and made a judgement), and it's German women who take their phones into the sauna to take photos of the men's genitalia, not the men, whilst absolutely not making any judgments about said cocks.

You really want this debate, don't you.

My point is about consent.

So was I. Obviously it’s a generalisation. As all yours have been about the British being uptight prudes.

I didn’t make a judgement. I just felt wow. I want to be like this when I’m 70. Why is an appreciation a judgement?

You looked at her naked body and you made a positive judgement about it. It's human nature to look and assess/judge negatively or positively - even in Germany.

But if you knowingly go to a place where you have to be nude, then that is consent. I never have the feeling I am being leered at. I would not go there if I did not feel comfortable. I would go on a Tuesday for ladies evening. People can look at you, they should not touch because that is going over a boundary. We all have our lumps and bumps.
and when it has been over 30° for over 3 weeks now it is nice to have somewhere to cool off.