Skinny Dipping: Where It Is Legal, How to Do It and Where to Go
By Reto Pascal Wyss, NudistMap · Updated
Skinny dipping is swimming without a swimsuit. It is legal at designated nude beaches and naturist places, tolerated at many remote lakes and coves, and an offence where local law or signs ban public nudity, so the safest skinny dip is at a place that is already clothing optional.
Is skinny dipping legal?
It depends on where you are standing when you take your clothes off, not on the swim itself. At an official nude beach or a clothing-optional hot spring nudity is the norm. At a remote lake or cove with nobody around, it is usually tolerated, and in many countries simple nudity is not an offence unless someone is alarmed or it is sexual. At a family beach, a town pool or anywhere with a "no nudity" sign, it can be a fine or worse.
Laws differ by country and, in the United States, by state and even by county. Our laws section summarises them with sources. The short version: Europe's coasts and lakes are relaxed, the Netherlands and Germany have formal rules that favour nude swimming, and in the US the designated places are few, so stick to the known ones.
How do you skinny dip for the first time?
Nothing about it is complicated, but a few habits make it relaxed instead of nerve-wracking:
- Pick a place that is already clothing optional. The map shows status for every spot; the "official" filter leaves only designated ones.
- Go at a quiet time: early morning or late afternoon, or on a weekday. Most first-timers find it easiest with a friend or partner.
- Keep your clothes and a towel where you can reach them from the water.
- In the water nobody can see anything anyway. The awkward part is the ten metres of sand, and it passes faster than you expect.
- Follow the same etiquette as on a nude beach: no photos, no staring, no comments.
Where are the best places to skinny dip?
Warm, clean water with a legal or tolerated status. In Europe that means the Mediterranean nude beaches of Spain, France and Croatia in summer, the Canary Islands in winter, and thousands of lakes in Germany, Austria and Scandinavia where nude bathing is traditional. Many German and Dutch pools also run naturist swim sessions; see naturist pools.
In North America the reliable options are the designated beaches: Haulover in Miami, Black's Beach in San Diego, Gunnison Beach near New York, Hippie Hollow on Lake Travis and Wreck Beach in Vancouver. Mountain hot springs in Idaho, Colorado and Oregon are clothing optional by long custom.
The best time to go depends on sea temperature; each place page shows the monthly averages.
Frequently asked questions
Is skinny dipping illegal in the US?
There is no federal ban. Every state has an indecent exposure law, but most require lewd intent or someone being offended, so a quiet swim at a remote spot is rarely prosecuted. Designated beaches and private resorts are fully legal. State by state details are in our laws section.
Is skinny dipping the same as naturism?
Skinny dipping is one activity; naturism is the broader practice of social nudity at beaches, resorts and saunas. Most naturists skinny dip, but many people who skinny dip once a year would not call themselves naturists.
Can I skinny dip at night at a normal beach?
At night at an empty beach you are unlikely to bother anyone, which is what most laws turn on. It is still technically an offence in many places, and swimming alone in the dark is the bigger risk. A designated beach at dusk is the better choice.
What do I need to bring?
A towel to sit on and dry with, sunscreen, water and a bag for your clothes. See our packing list.