"Staring is a big no-no": All the questions you have about nudism, answered.

Ah, 2019. It’s been the year of the micro bikinis, crotchless festival pants, and butthole sunning, and now it all makes sense.

According to research from Eventbrite, nude events across Australia have increased by 265 per cent in the past four years, meaning there’s never been a more socially accepted time to embrace your birthday suit.

Speaking to Mamamia‘s daily news podcast, The Quicky, the founder of Get Naked Australia, Brendan Jones, answered many of the things we’ve always wondered about being a nudist. And there were a lot.

Here’s a concise list of everything we learnt.

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First up… why???

According to Brendan, going nude around other people is great for increasing self-confidence, while also saying ‘no’ to social stigma.

“Self-confidence is I think the biggest one,” says Brendan.

“If you imagine how many people generally see you naked, you might see your family growing up, and then maybe your partner. So that leaves a lot of insecurities. Whereas if you are naked with a bunch of other people, generally – if they’re the right people – no one looks at you.

“They just see you as a normal human, and all those insecurities about being judged just go out the window.”

It also puts everyone on a “level playing field”, socially speaking.

“If someone dresses in high-end clothing, or designer stuff, you naturally put them as though they’re somebody important. But if no one’s wearing clothes, then we’re all on the same playing field,” Brendan continues.

“So it does remove that that social stigma.”

 

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How do you become a nudist?

Glad you asked, because Brendan has a step-by-step guide:

1. “If you’re not confident enough going outside, start [by staying] naked for an hour after you’ve had a shower. Just be used to being naked and [not] getting dressed so quickly. Then start moving into the outdoors.”
2. “Go on the national parks website, or go on our website. We’ve got a couple of great locations you can go to start out in nature, or on your own where there’s really no risk of being seen.”
3. “If you’re uncomfortable being seen naked, then do it on your own first, then do it with a friend, and as you build up confidence, reach out and join social groups. There are a few out there.”

Do people look at each other’s… bits?

Well, there are rules.

“We like to say that, ‘you see but you don’t look’,” Brendan said. “You can’t not see it, because it’s just there, but you don’t stare,” he says.

“Anyone who is openly staring at people’s bits is there for the wrong reason. So it is a big no-no.

“If you’re there because you want to be free in nature and just have that self-confidence, and just be in touch with nature, you’re not [going to be] staring at someone.”

Logistically, how does one ‘protect’ themselves when sitting down?

The answer is simple. Towels.

“My naked experiences and my social events are mostly outdoor-related. So maybe that’s skinny dipping in a river, or going to some of Sydney’s nude beaches,” says Brendan.

“[Either way], you always have a towel with you. So you’re just sitting on the towel.”

And if you’re at a beach, and fall victim to a rogue grain of sand, just let Mother Nature do it’s thing. By this we mean, find your nearest body of water, and dunk yourself in.

“Most of our events involve water as well. So if you get sand in places where you don’t want it, go for a swim,” he says.

Easy.

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Are photos allowed?

Generally, it’s a ‘you do you’ situation. But if you’re that way inclined, Get Naked Australia’s Instagram account acts as a hub for nudist nature inspiration.

“Our account is basically encouraging more people to try getting naked in nature, and we’ve seen that grow exponentially over the last few years,” he says.

Unfortunately, Instagram has its own set of rules. Something Brendan clearly finds frustrating.

“Any hint of any genitalia – even from a distance – gets removed [by Instagram] straight away,” he says.

What are the best nudist spots in Australia?

“The beaches,” says Brendan, straight off the bat.

“We’re an island, we’ve got plenty of coastline and the beaches are by far the best places.”

He includes Cobblers Beach in Sydney, and Maslin Beach in South Australia, as some of his favourites.

 

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What kind of other nude events are there?

If you prefer letting it all hang out with your fellow nudists (no weirdness intended), there are options for that, too. You can enrol in a naked yoga class, or naked hiking trips, with Get Naked Australia frequently organising events, such as their recent naked sailing trip around Sydney Harbour.

The athletically inclined, can even try their hand at the annual ‘naked Olympics’ in South Australia.

Wait, what? Did you just say ‘naked Olympics’?

Yes, you heard that right.

We did a bit of digging, as it turns out that every year Maslin Beach hosts the ‘Pilwarren Maslin Beach Nude Games’ in which enthusiasts can compete in a range of novelty activities like water balloon throwing, three-legged races and sack races.

The event was formerly known as the Maslin Beach Nude Olympics, before The Australian Olympic Committee intervened in 2013.

With nudism on the rise in Australia, what will this community look like in, say, another four or five years?

According to Brendan, Australia doesn’t have “the best culture” around nudity, but he does see this changing.

“We’re seeing less and less creeps on the beaches, [and] more and more young people involved,” he says.

“We’re shifting to more of that European culture where it is just very natural.”

You can read more about Get Naked Australia via their website, or follow them on Instagram @getnakedaustralia. 

How do you feel about nudism? Tell us in a comment below.