To Bare Or Not To Bare It All At the Beach

It’s May. Bikini ads are out. The thought of wedging myself into my bathing suit is haunting me.

Even nakedness sounds better. That would eliminate the unflattering bulges. But would I bare it all at the beach if I had the chance? Let’s weigh the pros and cons.

Where you find the option of going bare, don’t forget about the rules. You may have consumed five margaritas, but you can’t parade around the street in your birthday suit. Barcelona is now enforcing a dress code (actually wearing clothes) beyond the borders of its nude beach. Authorities are trying to stop people who are walking around the area not knowing where nudity ends and clothing begins.

There’s few places where nudity is socially acceptable. If I saw it all the time I would eventually be desensitized. It scares me to think there would no longer be much excitement in seeing someone naked. We forget how powerful the imagination is.

This isn’t to say we should be ashamed of our bodies. Rest assured, you can still get naked at the Barcelona beach and scope out bodacious bods. Well, we’d like to be politically correct and say every body is beautiful, but when you’re sitting there sunning yourself there are going to be bodies you stare at and bodies you grimace at. Mother nature makes no discrimination, but you are sure to — and it might turn you off.

Nude beaches are also only as good as your own self-confidence. If you don’t fit in your own skin (you’d rather wear your “wet undies”), you’re probably going to say no to nudity (although you may want to go just to gaze at human diversity in all its glory).

But the fact of the matter is we’d be crazy to be against nude beaches. Maybe you’ll get a slap on the wrist for stepping a foot beyond the sand and you’ll see a few bodies that don’t exactly float your boat, but nudity brings liberation.

Skipping the suit means you can save money, time and avoid ugly tan lines. It’s also a rare occasion where sexuality is about just enjoying the sun in our most natural form. It’s not like you see people engaging in massive orgies or having sex right there in the sand as you walk by (there are exceptions of course).

While some may argue that nude beaches may bruise one’s self-esteem, being comfortable (or attempting to be) in your own skin can never be a bad thing. You know we take nudity too seriously when you hear that women won’t get completely naked for their boyfriends out of fear of being judged. Damn cellulite and stretch marks!

In most cases, I think we should leave our privates private. But when you’re pretty much naked anyway and everyone else on the beach is baring it all, I say go for it. A little skinny dipping never hurt anyone.

Contact the author here: tinybart@morningquickie.com