From the conservative repressed Midwest, straight dad of 2 loves his Speedos

[Birdsong73]

<t>Hi guys. Like I said, I hail from the Midwest (Indianapolis) which is known to be one of the most conservative places in the United States. Overt sexuality and nudity here (Mike Pence’s home state) are strongly frowned upon and wearing a speedo openly is uncommon at best.
Like many of you, when I was a child I always wore a speedo style swim suit. In fact, one of my earliest pleasurable memories was putting on a very tight swimsuit and loving the feel on my body. Before I got married (age 29) I got scuba certified. I remember seeing the instructor walking around in a speedo and I bawked at the idea of wearing one. That changed when I tried to put on a thick, heavy wetsuit with dork shorts on that gave me the worst wedgie. With a very supportive wife, I purchased my first speedo and wore them on my honeymoon diving, snorkeling, and at the resort pool (Cancun) I really enjoyed the feeling, functionality, and freedom of them over dork shorts. That’s all it took to be a closet enthusiast and I have been wearing them ever since. <br/>
To keep myself physically fit, I have been riding bicycles and have been swimming laps for over a decade. I swim laps at a local recreational center in a speedo most of the time. I like the freedom of movement it offers me as I glide through the water. I also wear jammers, but I find that a water pocket forms in the crotch when you scissor kick and it sloshes around. It feels weird and I don’t have that sensation in a speedo. Since I am a high school teacher and there are kids that go to my school who work at the recreational center, I am very cognizant of the looks and stares I get sometimes, I actually had a patron try to take my picture in my speedo as I was walking to the pool to make fun of me! Subsequently, I try to my best ability to be modest and wear shorts over my speedo when I walking out to the pool, slip off the shorts before I start swimming, and slip them back on after I am done. I am not the only man there in a speedo, but we are few and far in-between. Most men wear jammers or dork shorts (with shoes and underwear underneath sometimes which is nasty and just unhygienic). <br/>
I currently own about a dozen speedos and jammers and I personally like the TYR brand. I like the fabric, fit, and the 60’s psychedelic designs they have in orange and blue. I also have a rare discontinued Speedo brand thong that I wear sometimes under a drag suit. I recently purchased a Jockey brand swim brief only available in Europe that is so comfortable I have to check to make sure it’s still on. <br/>
I am going to the beach this summer with my family and I’m trying to muster up the guts to get into the water in my speedo. My daughter who is a swimmer could care less and my wife agrees that the long board shorts just look stupid and tacky. But, my in-laws will be there and they watch Fox News - nuff said? <br/>
I really am tired of living in such a socially backward state like Indiana and I look forward to the future when we will move to a more liberally minded area. In my opinion, men’s swimwear fashion in the US is puritanical and I clearly do not align my social or political views with the masses here in the repressive Midwest. I would like to think that environmentally conscious individuals would push pools to require men to wear briefs or jammers only. Not only would it minimize the amount of energy needed to clean pools and replace lost water absorbed by large bulky clothing, it is much more hygienic for everyone. Maybe we should move to France...

[Scottiebum]

Hi, welcome. Shame you have to cover up going to and from pool.
I am always surprised at the reaction to speedos in the States when American footballers wear revealing tight leggings and college boys roll about the floor in tight lycra for wresting!

[Speedoaddict]

Both of you, well said. Where I live in the UK you don’t see many in speedo swimming. I can probably count on my hand the total number I have seen.
I have seen people wearing underwear under swim shorts or gym shorts in the pool. Dirty gits. I agree we need the same rules as the french. It not just about attitudes but hygiene too.

[MrMusik]

Welcome Birdsong!

I definitely understand your your situation with the puritanical fruit loops. I live in Mississippi... the buckle of the Bible Belt.

My only suggestion is to not care what others think and be yourself.

[runnerguy]

Kansas City but also frequent St. Louis visitor

[BJE]

Welcome, I don’t think Indiana has anything on my state, Idaho when it comes to being conservative. In fact I doubt any place is more conservative. I never see other men in speedos but I wear them anyway.

I’m also straight, married and have four children

[tanodle5]

While not as repressive as the midwest, I can't exactly say I've felt welcomed and comfortable as a straight speedo wearer in liberal California. I guess it's just a USA thing...

[52dno98]

Alabama guy here. Also a repressive place. Welcome!

Did you wear speedos to the beach this summer?

[SEASPEEDO]

I think I agree with tanodle5, it's a USA thing.....

[blueflinch]

I really am tired of living in such a socially backward state like Indiana and I look forward to the future when we will move to a more liberally minded area. In my opinion, men’s swimwear fashion in the US is puritanical and I clearly do not align my social or political views with the masses here in the repressive Midwest. I would like to think that environmentally conscious individuals would push pools to require men to wear briefs or jammers only.

Commiserations, dude, on living in such a speedo-unfriendly region.

[diveguy]

I think I agree with tanodle5, it's a USA thing.....

Unfortunately, USA culture tends to sweep across the globe. As a result, I'm seeing far less men casually wearing speedos than in generations past, even in places that are traditionally speedo friendly. And the majority of the men I'm seeing that still wear speedos casually tend to be older, not younger.

But anyway, welcome to the forums, Birdsong73!

[NJFrenchy]

Welcome to the family!

[blueflinch]

I think I agree with tanodle5, it's a USA thing.....

Unfortunately, USA culture tends to sweep across the globe. As a result, I'm seeing far less men casually wearing speedos than in generations past, even in places that are traditionally speedo friendly. And the majority of the men I'm seeing that still wear speedos casually tend to be older, not younger.

But anyway, welcome to the forums, Birdsong73!

God, if we could just get the Hemsworth brothers (who are Aussie by the way) to wear speedos in a few blockbuster movies, we could reverse this global trend toward ever-greater levels of masculine dagginess in public.

[Red^^Speedo]

Welcome to the clan, Birdsong73!



There are Speedo afficiandos on both sides of the political spectrum, ya know.

[speedostud]

I remember when I moved to Australia, I was totally opposed to speedos and thought they were crass. It didn't take long for me to realize there was a practical use to them, so much easier for swimming, wearing under a wetsuit and other water sports. It took me a while to muster up the strength to wear them at the beach... I started out at the pool, where everyone was wearing them, and gradually got the nerve to wear them at beaches where I didn't know people. Once I got comfortable with that, I braved wearing them at my local beach and around friends... which soon became so regular that I laugh at myself for ever being so conservative. But... I still get a little bit turned on every time I see a pair, put them on, shop for them, or have the anticipation of wearing them to the beach or pool.

[blueflinch]

I remember when I moved to Australia, I was totally opposed to speedos and thought they were crass.

Don't understand the crass view. Probably because I've always really enjoyed looking at men in speedos. Maybe a woman in a string bikini is crass to my mind, as I don't like looking at women in bikinis. But if speedos are cool for blokes, then bikinis must be cool for sheilas. We can't have double standards now, can we?

[Thom]

<t>Hi guys. Like I said, I hail from the Midwest (Indianapolis) which is known to be one of the most conservative places in the United States. Overt sexuality and nudity here (Mike Pence’s home state) are strongly frowned upon and wearing a speedo openly is uncommon at best.
.....

Welcome. I lived in downstate Illinois for a short time on a project. Yikes, my heart goes out to you. I also lived in Chicago, but that's not really the Midwest. Speedos could be seen at the pool in the high rise where I lived, but that was long ago. That beautiful pool under a dome is still there, though.

[ChicagoDan]

<t>Hi guys. Like I said, I hail from the Midwest (Indianapolis) which is known to be one of the most conservative places in the United States. Overt sexuality and nudity here (Mike Pence’s home state) are strongly frowned upon and wearing a speedo openly is uncommon at best.
.....

Pretty sure I know which pool you're talking about, across from Lake Point Tower on LSD. Been there a couple of times a a kid years ago
Welcome. I lived in downstate Illinois for a short time on a project. Yikes, my heart goes out to you. I also lived in Chicago, but that's not really the Midwest. Speedos could be seen at the pool in the high rise where I lived, but that was long ago. That beautiful pool under a dome is still there, though.

[ChicagoDan]

<t>Hi guys. Like I said, I hail from the Midwest (Indianapolis) which is known to be one of the most conservative places in the United States. Overt sexuality and nudity here (Mike Pence’s home state) are strongly frowned upon and wearing a speedo openly is uncommon at best.
.....

Welcome. I lived in downstate Illinois for a short time on a project. Yikes, my heart goes out to you. I also lived in Chicago, but that's not really the Midwest. Speedos could be seen at the pool in the high rise where I lived, but that was long ago. That beautiful pool under a dome is still there, though.

I'm pretty sure I know which pool that is, across from Lake Point Tower on LSD. I've been there a couple of times as a kid, years ago

[Thom]

I'm pretty sure I know which pool that is, across from Lake Point Tower on LSD. I've been there a couple of times as a kid, years ago

Yes, that's the one. The building is at 400 E. Randolph and calls itself Outer Drive East. The place must be close to sixty years old now.

I also lived at Lake Point Tower on Lake Shore. They had an indoor pool that wasn't that great when I lived there. Maybe it's better now. During the summer, they opened an outdoor pool in a little park built on top of the garage.

Funny thing happened at the LPT pool. One night, while sitting on the pool deck, a friend and I got into a conversation with an older man we'd seen there a number of times before. He said an international cartel of some kind had put a price on his head, and one of their agents was in Chicago to get him. We never saw him again.