24 and curious but have literally no idea where to start lol

[alannamckenna]

Hey everyone, im 24 and have been curious about going to a nude beach for ages but everytime I think about actually doing it I get nervous and talk myself out of it 😅

I dont think its even being naked thats the main issue. Its more like… walking onto the beach and feeling like everyone can tell im brand new and have no clue what im doing lol. Like where do you sit? Do you just take everything off straight away or is it normal to keep bottoms on for a bit? What if someone stares or makes you feel uncomfortable?

Part of me really wants to try it because I feel like it could help me be less insecure about my body. Im so used to worrying about how I look in a bikini and honestly the idea of just not caring sounds really freeing.

For other ppl, did you go alone your first time or did you bring someone?

Be nice im new. Ty

[therussellkp]

I'll start off by saying you have the right idea! Going to a nude beach for the first time did wonders for my self esteem and body issues. I was amongst people that sort of paradoxically didn't really care that I was naked, but were also so welcoming and inviting. So I do encourage you to get yourself out to a nude beach.

Now for your questions. If you have a friend that's willing to go to a nude beach with you then yes! Go with a friend. But, if you're going to go on your own thats okay to. A nude beach is like any other beach, except people are naked. Which means, pretty much everything you do will be the same. First off, no one will think "that's gotta be this gals first time at a beach." I've been to several nude beaches and I don't think this thought has every crossed my mind when I see others.

My suggestion is to set up somewhat near other naked people. My local nude beach, Wreck, can have a wide mix of clothed and naked people. Being the lone nudie amongst a crowd of clothed people can be quite daunting. Try to scope out some other nude people and set up near them. My suggestion, since you're a woman is to maybe try to find a couple, group of women, or just another woman. I don't say this to deter you, but nude beaches can sometimes attract some not so great individuals and being near others can certainly help. Typically, if you see some people on the beach that are as tanned as a leather couch, you'll know those are the regulars, they would be happy to help you.

As for getting undressed, go at your own pace. If you want to go top free first, that's fine! If you want to rip the Band-Aid off and just go full naked, do it! If you want to be unconventional and try out the "pooh bear" (top with no bottoms), then live your life.

Your biggest obstacle is yourself! You have nothing to lose but your clothes!

If you have any other questions I'm more than happy to help!

[jennahawkins09]

Dont overthink... just do it!
No regrets.

[nudebeachmap]

Love this question 😂 And @therussellkp pretty much nailed it.

Honestly, the anticipation is WAY scarier than actually doing it. Once you’ve found a spot, put your towel down and settled in, you’ll probably realise pretty quickly that nobody is paying anywhere near as much attention to you as you imagined.

Definitely go at your own pace too - there’s no rule saying you have to arrive and immediately throw everything off 😂

And yes, going with someone the first time can make it much easier, but plenty of people go solo too.

Our prediction: you’ll spend an hour psyching yourself up… then wonder what you were worried about 😅

Let us know if you do it! We need a follow-up!

[pete]

@alannamckenna What I was actually going to contribute to this I've already answered to you in your other post on the Welcome forum. Hopefully you find the info in there useful :)

To answer the more specific questions -

People can't usually tell if you're new unless you act really nervous. That said there is an expression called "cottontail" which is used to describe people with tans but white bits where they frequently wear swimsuits whilst tanning.

Find somewhere that is a respectable distance away from other people so you don't invade others personal space.

Simply get yourself set up (towel, sunscreen, parasol if you have one), food etc) so you're comfy and strip to your swimwear - then strip off at your leisure when you realise you are the odd one out lol Do please make sure you take a higher SPF for your areas that haven't seen the sun yet. It's possible you use an SPF 15 or 30 for your skin normally, but for the bits that are usually hidden please please use an SPF50 for those regions. The last thing you want is sunburn in places that never usually see the sun.

It's unusual for people to stare - a common theme that is promoted among nudists is that it's ok to look to notice where people are but it's rude to stare at them. It can also sometimes be that someone might be reading but you think they're staring when they're probably not. If you're uncomfortable then it's perfectly ok to slip your costume back on or to change the angle of your towel so it's harder for that person to look at you. As for whether you can take more affirmative action depends on you and the beach you are on. If it's an official one then there might be people there in an official capacity who can help out. Another option is to see if you can post online in a nudist forum (one which is specific to your local area) to see if there's a group going on the same day as you, in which case you could join in with them which will then give you safety in numbers.

And honestly don't worry about how you look in or out of your swimwear. I have seen all sorts of differently built bodies over the decades, from young to really old, and one thing you learn as you get more experienced is that whilst we all have anxiety about how our bodies look to others, this is exclusively in our heads. Nudists are the most welcoming and accepting group of humans I've ever had the privilege of socialising with, and I'm someone who doesn't make friends lightly. I hope this helps with your own thoughts but to give you an anecdote of personal experiences when I was with my last ex she developed breast cancer in 2012 and spent most of 2013 going through surgery, chemo etc to help her recover. The surgery involved the removal of tissue in one boob and a reconstruction which involved taking muscle from her back to replace the tissue that was removed. By 2014 she was back on the nude beaches in Spain, and when we were going to a local sun club in 2017 / 2018 she had no issues with going bare and everybody there accepted how she looked with good grace.

To answer your last question - my first time was solo, I've had many other times solo but I've also been nude with an ex and various friends over the years. I've also been in situations where I was the only one nude among friends, as well as being nude with friends where I was with several who were nude and several who were clothed. So it's a properly mixed bag for me.