I've loved nudity my whole life, and had been fascinated by the idea of naturist clubs and beaches from when I discovered that there was such a thing as a young teenager, but I didn't 'take the plunge' at the local naturist beach (Eastney) until my twenties.  I was nervous about taking my clothes off for the first time in such a public place, even though surrounded by other naked people, but then I realised something important:  No-one else would know it was my first time!  😀  I would just be like everyone else that was already there.  That made it so much easier - I just took off my clothes and felt very comfortable about it.  I even walked down to the water's edge to join in with a couple of other naturists who were having a look at something that had washed up from the sea.  Please share this 'one handy trick' with anyone who might be apprehensive about their first experience at a naturist beach, club etc.  😀  

Would be interesting to read about other people's first times.

Thanks for creating this topic John. 

I am reminded of this other topic https://anaturistworld.com/forums/topic/16/earliest-experiences-of-naturism that is not about the first time we try naturism but the first to we come across it. The two may be very separate. 

We also have a wonderful Interactive Project that covers all sorts of first times. First swims, first campsite, first beach, first event, photoshoot, time in a magazine etc etc. Do check it out and consider adding your first time experience there too. First Time Naturist Stories https://anaturistworld.com/anw-int-project/45673 

My first time trying naturism is also the same as my First Time Beach Experience as mentioned in the First Time Stories Project. https://anaturistworld.com/anw-int-project/45673 which as I mentioned before is not simply about the first time you tried naturism but the first time you tried something in naturism, like visit to a water park or cycle ride. 

The story of our time at the beach is covered here https://anaturistworld.com/blog/24647/a-naturist-family-naturist-beaches-1-plage-de-nantois-pleneuf-val-andre-france and we cover the idea of getting used to the idea of being a naturist couple here https://anaturistworld.com/member-blog/28987 

I was nervous about this first beach visit and I wrote 

"Luckily the beach was quite quiet. That helped. Being in a foreign country helped too. We found a place by the back of the beach and Steve undressed. I did the same. I felt strange at first. It was rather an alien thing - being naked in front of strangers. It shouldn't be a big deal but society has made it so. I felt more than “bodily naked.” I felt “emotionally naked” too. Somehow I was vulnerable and available for judgement. These feelings though initially real soon seemed nonsense. I was of no more interest to anyone than when I had been dressed 5 minutes earlier and in no more danger.

Even as I warmed to the experience I remember for a while being afraid of being seen to move. I walked down to the sea in between people passing by. I couldn't bring myself to be animated enough to enter the sea and when people walked by I would turn into a statue. Somehow lack of movement made me feel a little more invisible.

As the day progressed I loosened up more and more. As we left we were exploring the idea of visiting a beach in England as soon as possible."

What I remember looking back was that the assumptions you carry in your head about nudity, particularly being naked around others, are misguided and wrong. As non-naturists we worry that it is exhibitionist and flirtatious. That somehow being naked around others is a sign of availability and opens you up to being pestered and receiving unwanted approaches. We go to bar or clubs dressed in the evening and we are subjected to attention simply by being there. There is a confusion in people's minds that the only reason a person goes out is to be picked up. We would assume that this attention is going to be multiplied in a naked environment. A sort of "look what I have to offer" and "I have done the obstacle of getting my clothes off, already, so I am easy and available." For we remember (and maybe it is worse for women) that feeling of being mentally undressed by others. 

How often we hear rapists use the excuse of "the clothes she was wearing showed she wanted it." So surely being naked could be mistaken as even more of a suggestion of "I am here for you." 

We basically grow believing that we shouldn't be naked around others, just as we grow thinking we shouldn't sleep around or have one night stands. We makes us wonder, how does this fit with naturism? Where does being naked among strangers work in the ideas of good behaviour that society encourages. 

You sort of know it is OK. I never considered naturism to be about swinging, I grew up aware of it and not thinking it was anything but family friendly. And yet part of me still thought, to be naked with others placed me in a vulnerable situation and gave of the wrong impression of who I am. It was really my trust in Steve that allowed me to take a leap of faith. 

Then you realise that being naked around others is not flirty at all. It is the complete opposite. In fact, you start to understand that we do send confusing messages out from the clothes we wear. We may dress to look nice for ourselves, but others think we dress to look nice for them. It doesn't mean we want to be asked out, or pestered or raped, but you sort of see that in people's subconscious minds that clothing encourages an idea that we are wanting to attract attention. Whatever those clothes may be. Clothes work at creating a false you, and selling an idea - sex-y, angry, anti-social, self-conscious etc. In a naturist situation we throw all that away. We become comfortable with who we are and we become honest, no disguise and therefore no real or misunderstood messages. 

Naturism is a short cut to real life, it offers us a safe and respectful environment where people behave genuinely with each other. I didn't expect that and I was not really fully aware of these feeling on that day, but I got the right positive feelings and that was what counted. 

This post was edited by Steve ANW at October 4, 2025 1:56 AM BST

Steve looked back on his first naturist experience in the blog we shared this week: https://anaturistworld.com/member-blog/a-naturist-family-first-naturist-beach-experiences-plage-du-layet-plage-des-grottes-le-lavandou-france-1995 

and I thought it would be fun to revisit this topic for Forum Friday. 

And to remind people that the Interactive Project First Time Naturist Stories https://anaturistworld.com/anw-int-project/45673 exists for everyone to not simply share their first ever naturist experience but specific first - first time swimming, camping, abroad, with family, at a club, social, the list is endless so do put your thinking caps on. 

As for your first ever time in a naturist situation, this topic is open to you sharing memories, but also for you to be able to discuss why you tried naturism, how you felt and what you learnt. Stepping back into your mind back then and maybe remembering if you felt anxious, worried or concerned. Were you surprised at how easy it was, and were you bitten by the idea if continue to enjoy naturism straight away. 

Maybe you were just a child? Maybe it was only last month?

One thing that always amuses me from my first experience (which was in France) was that although I was nervous and worried about doing simple things like being seen to move, and didn't join Steve in the sea, by the time we were walking along the beach back to the car I was already talking to Steve about trying again when we returned to England. So something must have told me that it was definitely OK! The next time I was only a few weeks later I felt very much at home. 

Reading Steve's account as linked above, I can see that same sort of response in his experience. He is too nervous to fully appreciate the first beach, but wishes to undress and try again before actually leaving the beach area properly, and does so. And then decides that he must try again the next day, and this time embraces naturism fully, and falls in love with it. 

Maybe sometimes we need a little thinking time, to process the experience and realise that we trust it and it was good. 

I would love to hear from others about this.  

I remember my first nudist experience only too well! I was around 13 years old and everyone had gone out. I was alone in the house. I don’t know what made me do it, but I took all of my clothes off and went downstairs. I went into the front room and turned the telly on. I was enjoying the elevated sensations of being naked on the sofa. I was watching something that really drew in to the programme. Suddenly there was a knock on the back door. I froze in horror. What the heck do I do now? I crept over to the telly and switched it off (no remote controllers in the 1970’s).

There was silence for a minute or so, except for the sound of my heart in my ears! Suddenly the back door opened and someone came in the house. I shot up the stairs and ran into my bedroom and got dressed in 1 nano-second! The person shuffled about in the kitchen and then left. I peered out of the window to see my Aunt walking back to her car. I had completely forgotten that she came round occasionally to collect the Avon orders when she was passing!