FAQ

Frequently asked Questions

  1. What is Naturism?

    Naturism is the clothes-free enjoyment of recreational activities in appropriate outdoor settings such as a legally set apart Naturist/Clothing-optional beach used for skinny-dipping, sun-bathing, or even volleyball.  

  1. Who are Naturists?

    Naturists are Veterans, business owners, artists, educators, retirees-every type of person of any profession or age, as even entire families enjoy outdoor recreation au naturel!  

  1. Wouldn’t setting apart outdoor venues for Naturists encourage “immoral” behavior?

    Each legally set-aside Naturist/Clothing-optional beach mentored by BEACHES Foundation sponsors a hands-on “Friends of” organization and a formal Beach Ambassador Program designed to assist park staff. The very successful Haulover Beach in Miami-Dade County and the newest County-owned Naturist/Clothing-optional beach in St. Lucie County, Blind Creek Beach, both follow this model as will all other beaches acquired through BEACHES Foundation.

    Friends and Beach Ambassadors are responsible for providing education on  beach etiquette, environmental care, raising funds for capital improvements, and sharing information about local supporting businesses. 

  1. What are Florida’s current laws regarding Naturism/Nudity?

    Florida has strong sanctions for lewd nudity but merely being nude in appropriate or set apart venues, including areas visible to the clothed public, is not illegal in Florida.  Hence, Florida has 2 legal Naturist beaches on its Atlantic Coast (and another 2 on Federal lands on the Atlantic), many Naturist resorts and campgrounds throughout the state, and several gated, private Naturist communities, mostly found in Pasco County.   Most often, signs that announce the presence of clothes-free people are all that is needed to notify the public that nudity may be encountered past a certain point.

  1. Won’t setting apart areas for Naturist use be giving public lands away to a “special interest”?

    Naturists understand that they are often asking to use some portion of public lands in order to pursue their lifeways.  But, just as setting apart a portion of a public beach for the use of dog owners, trails on public lands for off-road vehicles or mountain biking, or waterways for thrill craft, setting apart a stretch of beach for skinny-dippers has little overall impact on the vast amount of public lands available for all other types of uses.

Adapted from Naturist Education Foundation “The Lawmaker’s Guide to Skinny-Dipping Issues”