doesn't skinny dip.

I wrote this paper for my swimming class because frankly, I don't care that much about how to swim the the breast stroke correctly. I hope my teacher thinks it's funny because I had a fun time writing it and I think you'll all enjoy it. Especially those who actually do enjoy skinny dipping. You know who you are. ;)

The "Skinny" on Swimming and Modesty

At BYU the pool is a place of extreme modesty. We are required to wear suits that cover our entire body, but in less conservative waters this is not always the case. In most competitive situations, swimmers wear the obligatory full or partial body suit, but often, in recreational atmospheres, swimmers go completely without clothing, a pastime called “skinny dipping.”

I, personally, am not a skinny dipper. I have never spent an extended time naked in the water except for a long, hot bath. I am extremely modest. However, I am intrigued by the fact that many people do enjoy skinny dipping. It is a popular pastime for young, Tom Sawyer-like boys and rebellious teenage girls. It is featured in many popular films including: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Oklahoma!, Jaws, The Blue Lagoon, On Golden Pond, Return to Blue Lagoon, Dante’s Peak, and the latest version of The Parent Trap. What is the appeal for it? Perhaps it is the sense of excitement caused by the danger of someone seeing you naked; perhaps it is a desire to re-connect with nature. Either way, skinny dipping remains a popular pastime in the water.

Skinny dipping has been around for centuries. In years past, swimming suits didn’t even exist. When they came into popularity, they were made out of material not conducive to swimming such as wool, which became heavy and itchy when wet, so most people opted to go without. It was even common in public pools, where both genders freely swam without clothing until it became less socially acceptable in the 1960s with the advent of supposed “equal rights.” Nowadays it would violate laws of public “decency” to swim naked in a public pool, but it is allowed on many specially sanctioned beaches across the US; European beaches in general are accepting of nudity.

In closing, skinny dipping is not a harmful activity, but it can be embarrassing to those who have never done it before. If you would like to try skinny dipping, here are some tips: only invite friends you don’t mind seeing naked, be accepting of your own body, go skinny dipping in cloudy water, go in dim lighting or in the moonlight, make sure the water isn’t too cold, don’t push anyone to go—you don’t want to lose a friend, and above all, just take your clothes off and jump in!

Works Cited

“How to convince people to go skinny dipping.” Wikihow—The How-to Manual That
You Can Edit Accessed 13 Jun., 2008.

http://www.wikihow.com/Convince-People-to-Go-Skinny-Dipping


“Skinny Dipping.” Wikipedia Accessed 13 Jun., 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinny_dipping