Hi Travelers,
I'm inviting you to throw your clothes and inhibitions to the side and treat yourself to a skinny dip, a wholesome tradition as old as mankind that celebrates the natural joy of plunging into water without the hindrance of clothing.
To celebrate this rite of summer, the American Association for Nude Recreation (www.aanr.com) officially designated the second Saturday in July as International Skinny Dip Day.
Come on, take a dip au natural in your backyard pool, a secluded spot on a river or lake, at a sanctioned nude beach or at one of AANR’s clubs and resorts throughout the U.S., Canada and internationally.
Think you're ready to dip your toe in these waters? Here’s a bit of trivia for you about skinny dipping in America:
- Throughout our American history notables such as Benjamin Franklin, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Theodore Roosevelt, JFK and LBJ exercised their enjoyment of swimming nude.
- American literature spread the joy too, just think of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Or Norman Rockwell’s heartfelt illustrations in the Saturday Evening Post.
- Urban skinny dipping was widely practiced during the depression years, as few had extra dollars to buy swimsuits. Organizations such as the YMCA and Boys Clubs mandated nude swimming to reduce filter blockage from clothing fibers, an edict that remained in place through the 1970s and ‘80s.
- Nude beach activism on both the Pacific Coast and Atlantic Coast (most notably Cape Cod) flourished from the late 1950s through to the 1970s.
- July 8, 1976 ushered in the first designated National Nude Beach Day during our national Bicentennial year.
- In the early years of the 21st century NBC anchorman Tom Brokaw admitted that he “occasionally” wears a swimsuit when swimming in his lake, and MSNBC.com reported how 20th century management guru and author, Peter F. Drucker invited consulting clients to join him “in skinny dipping in his pool.”
Today there is a growing trend of body acceptance in North America that is leading average, everyday people (and celebrities/notables too), to shed their clothes and inhibitions to enjoy non-sexual nude recreation, which of course includes skinny dipping.
According to a 2016 survey, 71% of Americans have enjoyed skinny dipping. With the 2020 census estimating the population at 331 million, that equates to over 235 million skinny dippers in the U.S. Can you count yourself among them?
International Skinny Dip Day (ISDD) serves as the culminating event during National Nude Recreation Week July 8-14, 2024, an AANR tradition for 46 years.
This annual celebration is an opportunity for individuals and families to visit clothing-optional clubs affiliated with AANR or The Naturist Society (TNS), and experience firsthand a growing trend in both travel and camping – the Nakation℠ vacation. Many AANR-affiliated clubs have special activities and events planned throughout the week – such as open houses, dance parties, sports tournaments, chili cook-offs, “bare buns fun runs,” health screenings, art shows, and more. More about Nude Recreation Week in an ensuing post.
To locate an AANR resort or campground to visit on ISDD or any day visit: https://www.aanr.com/club-locator/
Naturally yours,
Thank you for reading and make sure to subscribe. We're constantly exploring new destinations and share our stories, tips, and the beauty we discover along the way.
