Aside From Nudist Clubs, How Do I Meet Local Nudists?
In the course of running a nudism organization and publishing nudist resources, I’ve heard this question quite often. This isn’t surprising. There are nudists spread out all over the U.S., and not everyone has a nude beach or nudist resort or club nearby. Even if they do, some can’t afford to join their local nudist club or don’t have the transportation to get there.
So, how else does one meet other local nudist people or nude-friendly groups?
We have some ideas to share for connecting with fellow nudists both online and offline.
Meeting Nudists Offline
If you haven’t already, see if there are any alternative places nearby for a nudie to visit besides a club / resort.
Examples of alternative nudie environments:
– Swimming holes or places in nature that have a tradition of skinny dipping, such as ponds, rivers and lakes in national parks or forests. The website swimmingholes.org has a comprehensive list of swimming holes all over the country (though we don’t know how often it gets updated). It has both textile and nude swimming areas, so look for the ones specifically noted to have a skinny dipping tradition. Keep in mind that the people who frequent these places don’t necessarily call themselves naturists. Since these places are usually free and open to the public, they attract all sorts of people. But if other people are there skinny dipping, you clearly have a shared interest!
– If you’re into yoga, then check out your local naked yoga classes. Many times nude yoga instructors will host classes in a local studio and not at a nearby nudist club. These classes can form a community when the same people return week after week.
– Nude spas. These types of places are probably the least conducive to meeting people. They’re usually gender segregated and many people are just there to relax and unwind… not to make friends. But if the vibe is right, it can still be a place to meet like-minded people.
– Local naked-friendly events, such as the World Naked Bike Ride, nude runs / parades like in San Francisco, local Burning Man events, etc. These are not “naturist” events, but they do attract nudies and people who are open to naturist activities. If you look beyond the “nudist” label, you’d be surprised just how many people are interested in naked parties / events / activities.
How to meet nudist people there: I know it can be intimidating to approach strangers, even though you’re both naked and enjoying the same activities. It seems to be especially challenging for single men, who are, unfortunately, most often suspect before they even say a word.
So if you’re shy or not so keen on chatting up strangers, the first thing I’d say to do is, if possible, bring a friend. Being with a friend can make the experience more relaxing and fun. It may give you more confidence and even give you more legitimacy in terms of how others see you. (Hate to say it, but if you’re a guy, a woman will probably be more open to talking to you if you’re accompanied by a friend.)
If you don’t have a friend to accompany you to a nudie place, (because duh, that’s why you’re going there to begin with), try looking for an excuse to start a conversation with others – you can ask someone to take your picture (without getting others in the background of course), or see if they’re a regular there and ask them a few questions about the area. If conversation is strained or they clearly want to be left alone, it’s best to politely end the conversation and move on. Still worried about coming off as creepy? Read our guide on social etiquette and how not to be creepy in a nudist setting.
Meeting Local Nudist People and Nudist Groups Online:
You can also try meeting locals through nudist social networks and forums. Most of these sites are rudimentary and poorly designed. That being said, they are nonetheless free and used by nudists all over the world.
Some nudist online social networks / forums to try:
- Truenudists.com – You will, without a doubt, have to weed through and block a bunch of creeps who are there for the wrong reasons. But if you have the patience, there are good people on there, too.
- The Naktiv Nook – www.naktiv.net – This is one of the newer social networks for nudists, but it seems to be doing well, as they now boast over 12,000 members. This network has a strange policy against “boring” selfies, but it’s otherwise one to look into.
- MeWe is a new mainstream, private social network that many naturists have started using for online groups. It doesn’t censor nudity.
- Free Nat Book (www.freenatbook.com) and Zerokini – (www.zerokini.com) — These are two networks developed in France, and the former just launched in the winter of 2018.
- Naturist Corner – www.naturist-corner.net (forum)
You can read more about the above sites in my article about the best social networks for naturists, artists and everyone!
Nudist Sites to avoid: “nudist dating” scam sites.
Other online networks and nude groups where you can meet local nudists:
Despite Facebook’s draconian censorship policies against nudity, there are many nudist groups on there. I have a main Felicity’s Blog discussion group of over 10,000 people (and growing fast!) from all over the world. The group is called “Naturists & Body Positive Nudies.” Members are welcome to post introductions of themselves in the group and make local new nudist friends by asking who else is in their area.
Create your own nude group for nudists:
Last but not least, you can meet others by creating your own group online and / or offline.
Meetup.com is a good site to start with. It costs $10 / month for group organizers with up to 50 members, though you could recoup this cost by charging a group membership or charging for some Meetups. (It’s otherwise free to use for non-organizers.) It may be a good idea to have a free, clothed meet-up at a local café as a preliminary meeting. This would create a less intimidating environment for potential newbies and would also help you screen people for naked events.
You can also create a Facebook group and promote it in other nudist / naturist Facebook groups.
FB has different privacy options for groups:
-With “closed” groups, your group description and members are visible, but posts are hidden from non-members. The advantages of a “closed” group are that people can find it in Facebook searches and you can share it by linking to it. The disadvantage is that you’ll have to work harder to screen random people that ask to join.
-With “secret” groups, your entire group is invisible to everyone except its members. It can’t be found in searches, and it doesn’t show up on anyone’s profile / timeline. This is preferred by those who don’t want their FB friends to know they’re in the group. But you can’t share a secret group by linking to it. The only way you can add new people to it is by becoming Facebook friends with them or by using their email address.
You can always start with a “closed” group so as to promote it and later on change it to “secret.” Or you can create a public page for the group and make that your point of contact.
Craigslist.org is also another site for meeting people, whether you’re posting to meet like-minded friends, or for promoting your new group. It has its bad eggs like any site, but it’s entirely possible to meet the right people, too.
So that’s our guide! What did we leave out, readers? What’s your experience in trying to meet like-minded locals outside of clubs / resorts?
This article about — How To Meet Nudists In Your Area — was published by Felicity’s Blog.
This article was originally published November 18, 2014 and has been updated for 2018.
