Re people wearing clothes in swimming pools?

[GrumpyCee]

I am going on holiday next week and the Facebook page for the hotel is very active with people posting their pictures from their holidays.

I’ve noticed that a lot of the photos have people wearing ‘street clothes’ such as t shirts and shorts whilst swimming. I’ve always thought that for hygiene reasons you should wear swim suits to avoid contamination of the water.

I’m all for protecting myself from the sun and understand that some people may wish to not wear swimsuits for modesty reasons.

I should add that I have OCD and related anxiety but AIBU to be worried about there being an increased risk of contamination? Am I out of touch or is this just a bit odd?

I heard the French thing is to do with water loss from evaporation round the pool. Less water leaves the pool with budgie smugglers than board shorts. I was staying at my friend's house in France last week. The pool water level did drop quite a bit with my rash vested, board shorted kids mucking about for a week.

Doesn't explain why it's the same for indoor pools though.

We are currently in a waterpark in Spain. They are very strict on what you can wear in the pools. Has to be proper swimwear. Rash vests are fine, normal t-shirts are not. You can't wear glasses or sunglasses in the pool without a strap on them, and not at all in the wave pool when it's on. The lifeguards are very strict on the rules and use their whistle a lot. Everyone seems to comply with the rules, causes no problems.

I was under the impression the no street clothes thing was to do with fibres clogging up the filters.

When it comes to contamination surely it’s people that are the contaminant? I can’t think of anything you pick up on your clothing which is worse than human bodily fluids and the various bacteria we carry.

How can you catch an STI from bathing in a swimming pool? There's usually sufficient chlorine to kill off germs.

I have been asked to remove a t-shirt at a pool on the continent (like a fun park, not a normal swimming pool which is why I@d have rather not spent the whole day in a revealing swimsuit). So lots of countries have rules about not wearing normal clothes in the pool. My Nordic friend says that in her country she showers naked for hygiene reasons, when she saw the lax standards in this country she was horrified!

In Morocco they were very strict. You could wear modest swimwear but it had to be lycra.

I think it's weird too OP.

On holiday this year a bunch of people at the same hotel for a conference decided they would make use of the pool area while in their jeans and t shirts. It was bizarre. All the women were posing on the sunloungers fully dressed, snapping millions of photos, the men larking about in the pool. Had to get management involved in the end, I don't want to be in people's photos in a bikini, neither do I want to swim in a pool full of fully dressed blokes throwing inflatables around.

When you're all in skimpy swimwear there's an element of comfort that everyone else is in the same position. But when you're the only two people who are not dressed from neck to knee I felt really uncomfortable.

If people want to cover up, by all means buy swimwear that's up to the job, but normal clothes made me feel really exposed by comparison.

I agree with you OP. On the French campsites they don’t like you wearing shorts around a dusty campsite site, spilling your lunch down your t shirt and then jumping in a pool which is one of the reasons they have a no shorts rule for men (meaning they have to wear Speedo’s). Teenage boys in Italy though wear their pants and then swim shorts over the top with the Armani pant waist band showing.

YABU OP. Hygiene and basic consideration.

YANBU I meant!

YANBU OP, I fear its another one of these situations where people feel they should be allowed to do whatever they wish and everyone else can go fuck themselves.

Its the way of the world these days

Our local council pools do not allow swimming with street clothes - the reason they give is something to do with the lifeguards and the signs of struggle they look out for. This is in the UK.

I understand that some men want to cover up because they feel self-conscious about their body but surely wearing soaking and uncomfortable street clothes in the pool only draws attention to them? I am not a fan personally.

I thought the reason French public swimming pools insisted on proper swimwear such as tight trunks/budgie smugglers for men and swim caps for everyone is to keep as much hair (head and pubic) out of the pool and pool filters.
Women's swimwear is generally fairly tight round the relevant area anyway so that may be why they aren't so prescriptive about female swim togs....
I have to say I can't bear getting entangled in stray long hairs in a swimming pool so I am happy to wear a swim cap if them's the roolz.