Get out of the Speedo Closet

[Justin88]

It's called Playalinda beach. It's on Cape Canaveral near the space center. Apparently the far northern areas are clothing optional, but I haven't ventured up that way... yet.

Wow.... I don't get up there much. I live in Palm Beach County. There's supposed to be (or was) a clothing optional at some place here called Air Force beach, but I never found it. Near Fort Lauderdale is Haulover Beach which is an official legal clothing optional beach. Haven't been there.

[flspeedos]

It's called Playalinda beach. It's on Cape Canaveral near the space center. Apparently the far northern areas are clothing optional, but I haven't ventured up that way... yet.

Wow.... I don't get up there much. I live in Palm Beach County. There's supposed to be (or was) a clothing optional at some place here called Air Force beach, but I never found it. Near Fort Lauderdale is Haulover Beach which is an official legal clothing optional beach. Haven't been there.

I've heard about Haulover. I'll probably check it out if I ever get down that way.

[mlockwood]

flspeedos i am up near Lake Mary. I go out to Playalinda all the time to speedo. want to meet up?

[flspeedos]

flspeedos i am up near Lake Mary. I go out to Playalinda all the time to speedo. want to meet up?

That would be awesome! I'm really slammed with work right now (summer finals), but I'll PM you when things settle down for me.

[Phoenix-pierce]

Something iv noticed and its prolly been discussed on this forum before, but size seems to affect price and price can affect what people wear.

Today i went looking for some running shorts. I prefer to wear as little clothing as necessary, and i figured running shorts would be great. What i noticed was that the tiny little running shorts were, in most cases, twice as much as the basketball shorts that go down almost to the ankle. These basketball shorts were HUGE, almost to the capri pant level. I can buy a gaudy pair of basketball shorts in almost any brand for 15-20 bucks. In the same store, the tiny flimsy little running shorts were $45!!! Needless to say i opted out of buying them. (by the way, i also had to drive to four different sports stores just to find one that sold mens running shorts.)

I see the same thing in swimwear. You can buy board shorts or regular swim trunks everywhere for less that 20 bucks. The one place in town that sells Speedo style swimwear (which oddly isn't the same one that sells mens running shorts) charges around $30 for the cheapest plain black Speedo. Go into some of the fancy ones like Aussiebum and your spending $65 and go even further to the damn sexy ES brand and your almost at $100! Now stop and think, what if next to the board shorts, there was a rack with 10buck speedos. I bet frat boys would buy the shit out of them just to be goofy. "hey lets get drunk and make everybody look at our junk!" With price and society, people will be more inclined to go with the maximum cheap coverage of the board short. If Speedo style swimwear was cheaper, i bet alot of people might give em a try.

[Texas_swimmer]

Something iv noticed and its prolly been discussed on this forum before, but size seems to affect price and price can affect what people wear.

Today i went looking for some running shorts. I prefer to wear as little clothing as necessary, and i figured running shorts would be great. What i noticed was that the tiny little running shorts were, in most cases, twice as much as the basketball shorts that go down almost to the ankle. These basketball shorts were HUGE, almost to the capri pant level. I can buy a gaudy pair of basketball shorts in almost any brand for 15-20 bucks. In the same store, the tiny flimsy little running shorts were $45!!! Needless to say i opted out of buying them. (by the way, i also had to drive to four different sports stores just to find one that sold mens running shorts.)

I see the same thing in swimwear. You can buy board shorts or regular swim trunks everywhere for less that 20 bucks. The one place in town that sells Speedo style swimwear (which oddly isn't the same one that sells mens running shorts) charges around $30 for the cheapest plain black Speedo. Go into some of the fancy ones like Aussiebum and your spending $65 and go even further to the damn sexy ES brand and your almost at $100! Now stop and think, what if next to the board shorts, there was a rack with 10buck speedos. I bet frat boys would buy the shit out of them just to be goofy. "hey lets get drunk and make everybody look at our junk!" With price and society, people will be more inclined to go with the maximum cheap coverage of the board short. If Speedo style swimwear was cheaper, i bet alot of people might give em a try.

Thats a good point, I have never paid attention to how much more they cost compared to board shorts.

[Justin88]

With price and society, people will be more inclined to go with the maximum cheap coverage of the board short. If Speedo style swimwear was cheaper, i bet alot of people might give em a try.

Yeah, I think you're right.

SwimOutlet.com has their own brand speedos (called "Sporti" ...used to be "ClubSwim") which are about US$12.00 in their Eurocut. Run just a little small but are great for the price. Had a dark green pair but traded them with someone. Thot they were kind of hot. Sometimes H&M will have a speedo style suit on sale. Never tried one since the H&M store here is a ways away.

[Red^^Speedo]

I go out to Playalinda all the time to speedo.

I do, too.

[frankjath]

I don't mean to upset anyone. I admit I don't go to the local wave pool wearing my speedo.

I don't wear n2n suits, thongs, see thru or unlined suits, etc for swimming. I've never had sex in the showers or locker room.

If guys are being arrested for regular speedos it is pretty pathetic, and of course I wish more guys wore swim briefs.

All I am saying is I've never been bothered for wearing mine and most people have been friendly.

I have lived in southern California my whole life and wear my N2NBodywear suits to the regular beach (not thongs even though I own several), which is predominantly board-shorts. and I am 20 years old and in college so I have not fallen to the pressures of society, I have always liked to do my own thing anyway. Short-shorts are becoming more popular among guys here in CA. I was at the beach today with my sis and cousin and we were about to leave and to my surprise there was a cute guy in a black athletic speedo. It was like finding a needle in a hay stack. I think we were the only two wearing speedos on that beach. It was packed because it was around 90F which was so hot. No one seemed to have a problem with it. The suit I wore was this one.

[Justin88]

I have lived in southern California my whole life and wear my N2NBodywear suits to the regular beach (not thongs even though I own several), which is predominantly board-shorts. and I am 20 years old and in college so I have not fallen to the pressures of society, I have always liked to do my own thing anyway. Short-shorts are becoming more popular among guys here in CA. I was at the beach today with my sis and cousin and we were about to leave and to my surprise there was a cute guy in a black athletic speedo. It was like finding a needle in a hay stack. I think we were the only two wearing speedos on that beach. It was packed because it was around 90F which was so hot. No one seemed to have a problem with it. The suit I wore was this one.

Cool post. Thanks!

[olafbenzfan]

Excellent OP that offers deep insight to a newcomer European regarding how big the "speedo" problem is in the US and also the UK.

Unfortunately also in Europe most guys wear boardshorts, but there is a positive trend back to more fitting swimwear like in Asia.

For me it is just difficult to understand why many people have a problem, or even find "speedos" disgusting. Victorian past, unwell in their body, caring about others too much or thinking having a small/too big bulge.

Wearing normal swimwear (that's how I call "speedos") is just natural and comfortable when in water and sunbathing. It is also more hygienic because drying fast. Of course when leaving the beach you pull on boardshorts over them.

Wearing boardshorts in the water is just stupid, carrying a bubble of air with you and feeling the wet when coming outside with the bacteria growing inside.

I am really happy having discovered this site which appears also to be open towards all sexual preferences (I am gay) and hope the contribution from a non native English speaker will be appreciated.

I am not related to the Olaf Benz company, but think they have the sexiest collection of swimwear. Speedos are not very common in Europe.

[electric2010]

Welcome to the group! It is good to have new opinions.

[California Dolphin]

If the Europeans are not fond of speedos, why not try the old fashioned 1960s era "Trunks"?

They were basically water resistant version of what used to be called "Gym Shorts".

CD

[ffboy357]

Hi,

my first post here. I am from Eastern Europe and Speedos were the usual swimwear in my country for almost whole of my life. I could even say that during the so-called communist era, there were not any other types of swimsuits. I mean, the shops were just having some standard models and that's it! You can't buy anything else.
There are a lot of men wearing speedos here - young, old, fat, skiny, etc.
Don't hurry to say - wow - it was paradise. There were so many others drawbacks of life in such communists country.

You can say my country is extremely homophobic place. And yet almost 99% of the male population wore speedos on the beach.

Unfortunately, dork shorts (as I call them) are on the rise in the past 10 years. It is the western fashion syndrome. Though - no one will look at you or make comments if you were in speedos - no matter if you are a teen or a grand pa.

When I was in my twenties - I even wore thongs on the beach and there wasn't any problem with it.
Nowadays thongs are extremely unpopular and you can rarely see someone wearing them (besides women).
And even women thonging is on the fall.

Actually it was funny, because as I said we were not having a lot of choice in swimwear and when thongs hit the market around mid nineties, when you go to the beach you can see 80% of the women were in thongs.
And there were some men too - not very much - but you can spot them on daily basis.
I haven't seen a man in thong in the last 5-7 years now.

I also feel that somehow in the very young population (teenagers) speedos are becoming more and more gayish.
Here are my thoughts on this process:
Back in time, under communist regime, nobody read, watched movies, talked about gays. So, people could not have been able to make any association between gay and speedos.

Nowadays, people are free to communicate and express and read and watch movies, etc. So, the speedo - gay association becomes available. Hence, beaches are populated with increasing number of guys in shorts.

As far as I know, speedos were extremely popular during the 80-ties in the US. What happened after that?

It is interesting I have never read post from other people from Eastern Europe - so if anybody lives in the region please share your opinion.

I am sorry if my English is bad.

P.S.

just to make my post more beautiful, here is Mr. Lochte in a tight white speedo.
http://cdn03.cdn.justjared.com/wp-conte ... end-26.jpg

[Justin88]

Welcome! I think you'll like this site. Interesting what you write about Europe..

jj

[ffboy357]

Just to be specific - I am really talking about small part of Eastern Europe.
I have no idea how the things are in the Western part.

I have some pictures from this year (2012) summer, from the public beaches in my country, so if someone is interested what exactly is the situation - I could post a few...

[jwnyc]

The gym I belong to has an outdoor lap pool that’s open during the summer months. I’ve tried to go there most days after work to get in some laps and take in some sun before the end of the day. I am by far in the minority in my speedo. Most everyone else is in board shorts or jammers. During the whole summer I’ve only seen one other speedo and that was a couple of times on a swim instructors who’s in the water most of the time teaching younger kids.

Last night however for the first time someone else, wrapped in a towel, walks up to the pool, drops his towel uncovering his blue speedo, and then hops into the pool two lanes over. Finally, I was thinking, someone else has the courage to wear a perfectly appropriate suit for swimming laps. I’m not sure if this guy saw me at the pool on a prior day and decided that he too would speedo-up. Regardless, this was the first time all summer where I've been at the pool and guys wearing speedos were not the minority.

My point is the echo the earlier comment, that I think the more of us that don’t cave into social perceptions and wear what ever we want when hitting the beach or pool, that more guys will hopefully have the courage to do the same.

[California Dolphin]

I haven't been to a pool in 4 years so I don't know if speedos are back.

However I go out jogging in short running shorts and I've noticed over the past year, the shorter look in men's wear is starting to catch fire!!!

[Bede735]

I was in London last week and there were loads of guys walking around in shorts. The weather had been scorching a few days before but it had cooled down. One would have been perfectly comfortable wearing a pair of trousers.
So how come they don't get embarrassed showing off bare legs in a city centre, but they can't wear swim briefs in a pool, when most of the time your legs are under water?

[JohnC]

Nice post jwnyc. I decided to swim at the county park pool a few weeks ago since I needed to get rid of my farmers tan before they close the pool for the season here in Pennsylvania. The pool is huge and is normally set up with 5-6 long course lap lanes (meaning 50 meters). Most of the pool is open area without lap lanes so it attracts lots of annoying kids.

I was determined to wear one of my turbo suits - the first time I took my shorts off at the lap lanes and just got in the water. I went to the pool again a few days later, and got out of the water and was shocked when I noticed a young guy walking down the steps and the length of the pool deck in his speedo. He turned out to be one of the lifeguards. A couple days later I saw him again and he did the same this time with a friend (another life guard) both of them wearing black suits - I don't know if this was normal routine for these guys since I only swam there a few weeks, but man was I proud of them anyway.

Two other lifeguards wore speedos in the water and put shorts on immediately getting out of the water.

I also saw a few others swimming there in August wearing small suits. So maybe a total of 10 or 11 guys wore a speedo. Not a huge number out of the crowd that goes there, but not meaningless, either.

I spent some time laying out, and only ever saw one other guy lay out in the grass in a small suit (this was last weekend and it was really quiet as they have closed the water slide for the season - meaning almost no kids - yeah!). I had some annoying experiences with little girls "eww" is the standard line. But other than that, no trouble.

It was really cool to see a few guys walk on the pool deck in a speedo.

The general public may not wear small suits, but some swimmers still wear them. I want to swim there again next summer more often.