Shower etiquette at the swimming pool

thriftyemma

My local pool is mixed sex, but with lockable cubicles, so very rarely see anyone getting changed.

My previous pool was female only, and open plan. It didn't bother me getting naked in front of other people. I obviously didn't flaunt it, but I didn't do a contortionist act trying to dress under my towel.

The grossest thing I ever saw was an older women, completely naked, shaving her bikini line in the communal showers. :eek:

theoretica

A friend lived in Amsterdam for a few years and says she was a little taken aback the first time she went swimming - a mixed sex changing room with no cubicles. But other people weren't embarrassed so she soon got over it.

onlyroz

Torry_Quine wrote: »

It was where you said you have to be naked at some point. I would never use a communal changing room.

What terrible things do you think will happen if another woman catches a glimpse of you naked?

Torry_Quine

onlyroz wrote: »

What terrible things do you think will happen if another woman catches a glimpse of you naked?

I don't think terrible things will happen. I just am not comfortable with anyone seeing my body or indeed seeing other people. Is that really that hard to understand?

onlyroz

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I don't think terrible things will happen. I just am not comfortable with anyone seeing my body or indeed seeing other people. Is that really that hard to understand?

I suppose not, but in my experience people just get on with dressing themselves and don't go around gawping at other people.

amistupid

jetplane wrote: »

daft question - we have communal changing rooms with lockable showers at our pool. I always take my swimsuit off and shower, wrap a towel around me and then walk to a cubicle (as do others - or so I thought). This week I came out of the shower and a woman announced that I was disgusting to take my swimsuit off and walk around nearly naked.

Are you sure a boob hadn't popped out?

chocdonuty

I could never strip naked then walk to the cubicle in just a towel,
Nothing to do with being a prude it's just I have a fear of dropping my towel!:eek:
How do you manage to get from the shower, holding cossie and shampoo/conditioner, then unlocking locker, removing dry gear and getting safely to a cubicle without flashing?
I do the full works, seem ridiclulous to shower and change twice but do it wearing a cossie.

Homeownertobe

At my old 'traditional' gym everyone bar the oldies was wrapped up in a towel, but in my current one it's all communal and the showers are together at one end and the changing benches and lockers at the other. I can't say I've noticed anyone doing the one-legged hop here but once you've showered together, there's not much point of trying to hide anything.

Savvy_Sue

elsien wrote: »

I went to boarding school. I'll strip off pretty much anywhere.

So did I, but we NEVER stripped off in front of each other there, and it took me a while to get out of the habit of dressing under a towel.

elsien wrote: »

Although as the showers at my pool are not only communal but are in full view of the pool, I do draw the line at that.

Me too!!!

waterbaby wrote: »

When we swam in Reykjavik, a naked shower was mandatory before swimming. An attendant was always watching, to make sure that everyone complied! A little out of my comfort zone, but all the Icelandic women were obviously thoroughly comfortable with it, so I was ok too.

I visited a Swedish friend, in Sweden, and she took me to a place where you alternate sauna with a plunge in the sea - and everyone, without exception, was naked the whole time (men and women separated) and the wearing of costumes would apparently be have been thought bizarre. So I stripped off, and felt quite at ease very quickly.

DH really can't understand why anyone would use a sauna with a costume on (although he has to wear trunks at his gym), but was astonished when using one in the USA to find chaps sat there in tee-shirts, shorts and TRAINERS! :rotfl:

waterbaby wrote: »

But in answer to the original question - as long as the towel was well secured, I wouldn't give it a second thought - as others have said, you're covering up more than if you had your costume on.

I agree. Actually I dislike using our council run pools because I don't like moving around a mixed changing area with nothing but a towel on, and did once nearly lose my towel heading back to the cubicle, but it's no big deal, they're just bodies underneath!

Savvy_Sue

BTW, DH agrees that at the gym, it's the older chaps baring all, and the younger ones trying to stay covered up, although he doesn't get any sense that the older chaps make the younger ones feel uncomfortable.