Frequently Asked Questions

"Some day people will grow up and realize that the only thing vile about human bodies is the small minds some people have developed within them."

— Dick Hein

"Two men were sitting by the swimming pool at a nudist resort when they noticed a beautiful young woman walking toward the pool. Her tan lines traced the outline of a tiny bathing suit with elaborately crisscrossed straps across the back. 'Mmmm,' one of the men said wistfully, 'I'll bet she looks great in that suit.'"

— Barbara Hadley, quoted in Reader's Digest.
(Barbara is one of the owners of Cypress Cove Nudist Resort in Kissimmee, Fla, and a very good friend of Be Bare Too.)

"Quoting from Genesis, 'They were nude but they were not ashamed.' Furthermore, because God created it, the human body can remain nude and uncovered and preserve intact its splendor and its beauty."

— Pope John Paul II
(Explaining why a restoration committee had removed loincloths from figures which Michaelangelo had originally painted nude, on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.)

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Question: What kind of people are you?

Visiting Be Bare Too is like going to McDonald's or to church. You're going to meet lots of families, lots of children, and lots of singles. Nudists include every major religious denomination, the entire political spectrum, all ages from newborn to elderly; all shapes, sizes, and physical conditions including missing body parts, all educational levels, and all races, brown, black, white, yellow, and pink.

We have jobs, we commute, we complain about traffic, we pay our bills and try to pay our taxes, we vote (although we're sometimes frustrated by the limited choice of candidates), we send our kids to school and worry about their safety, we shop at the same stores you do. We put our pants on one leg at a time.

Man and woman by pool © Charles Myers. Used with permission.

The one thing that can accurately be said about all of us us that we are very accepting of nude bodies — our own and others' — just the way we are. This can be wonderfully therapeutic, especially for those whose body image is poor. People have told us that the first time they felt good about themselves was when they visited a nudist club.

One of the nice things is that you can't tell a teacher from a truck driver, therefore, social stature becomes unimportant. We don't care where you shop, what kind of car you can afford, or where your kids go to school. The most important consideration is what kind of person you are. Setting aside those artificial barriers could be part of the reason people find nude recreation so stress-relieving.

Many of our members are brand-new nudists who have been attracted to Be Bare Too through our community outreach programs. We encourage but do not require our members to be open with friends, family, and co-workers about their participation in clothes free recreation. Surveys show that over 23 percent of adult Americans have participated in mixed-gender recreation without clothes — skinnydipping while hiking, on a beach or in a private pool, or hot-tubbing with family or friends, for example. That's more than one in five of your co-workers, people you worship with, and members of your child's PTA! And our numbers are increasing at a rate of 2.5 million American adults per year, although the vast majority of those have not yet joined a club.

Clothes-free recreation has become the fastest-growing form of recreation in America today. When people who have experienced it "go public", saying, "What's the big deal? I've done that!", nudists will begin to gain the respect and acceptance that we deserve from the public, media and all three branches of the government.

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Last updated: July 7, 2003

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Miami Nude Beach Nudity, Please Read!

There's something liberating about the antic of being naked.  The freedom.  The exhilaration.  The lack of pocket lint.  Unfortunately, for most people the notion of nudity requires some rationale - no matter how silly that rationale may be.  Streaking across a football field. Skinny-dipping in a lake.  Mooning for the camera.  Photocopying your butt.  Playing naked Twister.  Flashing a nun after sixth-period class, hoping she didn't recognize you and isn't at this instant phoning your parents.  For most people, it's all about the naughty thrill of getting caught or exposing a private part.  But not for all.  No, for many it's perfectly routine, as normal and natural as, say, kissing hands or shaking a baby.

Nude beaches are the perfect denominators for these two groups, the puritans and the pure exhibitionists, the fakirs and the non-fakers. Think of it as a big game of strip poker where everybody has crappy hands.  The thing to remember is that nude sunbathing isn't about sex or exhibitionism - we'll leave that to the nudist colonies and Courtney Love.  Nude sunbathing is about elation and free-spiritedness (and avoiding wedgies and ugly tan lines).

I've made the trek to No Clothes Land many a time.  I've dropped trou in Europe, where it's no big deal - heck, even the Royal Family has displayed a boob or two (not counting Prince Charles).  Black's Beach in San Diego is world famous for nude sun worshipping.  And, of course, here in Miami, we have Haulover Beach.

One of the misconceptions about nudity is that every human body is beautiful (Right).  The key to inoffensive nude sunbathing is to do just that - sunbathe.  Do not play volleyball in the buff.  No grilling or barbecuing.  Even if your Playgirl's Mr. January, do not perform an oil and air filter change on your auto while naked.  An watch the jogging - you could poke somebody's eye out.

Nude beachgoers often have their social cliques and routines.  They picnic and fraternize, and they love to mingle.  Zoiks.  These people who sashay up and down the beach wearing nothing but a smile and a spare tire are the same folks you find in the receiving line at a wedding wielding a business card and a can of Binaca.

When I venture to Haulover, I stick close to my blanket or hit the water.  I don’t wander about.  It’s like you want to work the room, but there’s no place to put your hands and no appropriate place to hang your Walkman.  (Plus, you feel like you’ve gone to a party and everyone’s wearing the same thing.)  Personally, I happen to like being naked. It’s never bothered me.  I often get home from work, disrobe, and sit naked on my couch eating cereal.  (Did I just cross the line of too much information?)  Some people are uncomfortable naked.  I’m not.  What I do have a problem with, however, is being ugly and naked.  Statistics show that the number of people who enjoy nude sunbathing is proportionate to those who should put something on.  Like a tarp.  Or one of those tents that they use when they’re debugging a house.  That one of the reasons why I prefer the sanctity of my blanket.  I can feign sleep (or death, if necessary) should some naked old man approach me and start to discuss today’s undertow as he squats liberally in front of me.

Sunscreen:  I’d be remiss if I didn’t stress the importance of proper protection.  Those regions that rarely see the light of day are the first to succumb to the sun’s deadly rays.  Hence, watch your behind, or your buns will be toast.  As for – how do I say this politely – garnishing your weenie, yes, your little buddy needs sunblock, but remember, you’re in public.  There a fine line between safety and pleasure when applying lotion to Mr. Happy.  I’ve seen guys go at it like they’re greasing a fire pole.  So take it easy.  Don't make things hard on yourself.

When it comes to accessories, there are certain things you should and should not bring to a nude beach.  Telescopes and binoculars are definite no-nos.  You may think of this as a ball game, but I’m sure the Red Sox would beg to differ.  Likewise with a camcorder – carrying a video camera at a nude beach is the pervert’s equivalent of driving by a schoolyard with a van full of candy.  As for ready, avoid books with titles like Justice of the Piece.  Stick to Field and Stream, Reader’s Digest or the Gideon Bible.  Sunglasses are a must.  If you’re gonna ogle, at least do it behind your Maui Jims.

As for your random beach bump-ins, there are obvious encounters. Besides bodies that you’d rather not see naked, piercings are immensely popular.  Popular, I surmise, because they’re in places that wouldn’t necessarily be exposed at Publix (unless you shop at the new one by the bay).  I’ve seen nipples that look like parachute rip cords.

And below the belt, I’ve seen piercings that made me recoil.  (Come to think of it, I’ve seen coils down there, too.)  And little napkin rings.  And something called a Prince Albert.  I’ve seen less metal at a gun show.  And shaving.  Hmmmm.  Apparently trimming the hedges has become all the rage.  Some folks go for the close cropping; others like it smooth.  I haven’t seen topiary this creative since I was at the Botanical Gardens.

Nude sunbathing can be a kick, an exciting way to liven up an otherwise dull day at the beach.  For the ladies, it means being able to wear a sundress without worrying about unsightly strap lines.  For the guys, it means there’s no need to adjust the boys: it’s a wind sock now.  For all of us it means an escape, a break from our daily worries and cares, a moment’s freedom where less is so much more – except when it comes to that sunscreen.