LOL this is a funny thread!
When I read the title, the first thing that came to mind, was it is probably Positive for the nude bather and Negative for the observer LOL
We used to winter vacation in St Martin, on the French side, where all the beaches were nude and our hotel pool was topless.
And then we spent summers in Fire Island...at least on Fire Island, the guys had good bodies, lol...but to tell the truth, I can live without seeing most of the bodies that really should be covered at all times :D

I went to one once, in 1990. The image of this heavy old man bending over is still burned in my brain.

I grew up in russia, where the bath houses were the only place to get enough hot water for washing. Separate days for men and women.

After that traumatic experience of seeing nude bodies I have no desire to be on a nude beach... unless I can shed off 20-30 years ;)

I went to a nude beach, but as I recall nothing in particular stood out.

Oh, I am so sorry.

Negative.

My wife and I along with 5 other couples were on a cruise that stopped in St. Martin. We spent the day at Orient Beach - clothing optional, but most opted out of their clothes. We had a blast! Just as our conversation began to lag, someone walking by (who by all rights should never take their clothes off - even in private)would be the spark that got things going again. All in all, it was a hoot!

PLEASE enlighten me. I JUST DON'T get why ANYONE has ANYTHING derrogatory(sp?) to say about clothing optional beaches. IF you GO....you KNOW you might see NAKED PEOPLE....(GASP) So WHY DO YOU GO???????? There are hundreds of beaches you could go to, enjoy and experience. WHY on earth would YOU CHOOSE to go to a clothing optional beach IF it is so OFFENSIVE to you? You Have A CHOICE.....if it SO offends you......GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!! JEEZ...............I DO NOT GET IT! Go SOMEWHERE ELSE.......and GET OVER IT! Life is too short....do YOUR thing...and I will do mine.....

AND a P.S. to my previous e mail...my husband and I NEVER went on a vacation alone until our children were in there teens....we started going to St Martin (YES, Orient Beach) about 5 yrs ago. NOBODY at home knows we go to this particular beach......and you know what? It Is NONE of their business...but please let me add.....the COOLEST thing I have EVER seen is a couple in their 70's....TANNED and NAKED , walking EVERY morning and EVERY afternoon up and down this beach! YES...they were wrinkled, YES they were tanned, YES......I HOPE to GOD that I feel THE way THEY do SHOULD I LIVE THAT LONG!!!! Guess it was NOT the "prettiest" sight I saw BUT you know what? I will THANK GOD if I live that long and can do what they were doing...and TO HELL WITH ANYONE who thinks its a bad thing. I ADMIRED them. GOD....PLEASE let me live long enough to UNDERSTAND why others are SO JUDGEMENTAL..............PLEASE, PLEASE GO SOMEWHERE ELSE where YOU can be comfortable.......STAY AWAY if you are so OFFENDED...then MAYBE "we can ALL just get along"....Have a BLESSED day

We go Haulover's clothing-optional beach once or twice a year and haven't encountered anything "negative".

Gawkers are not your fellow nude sunbathers. The curious one come over from the beach adjacent too the clothing-optional area.

Orient Beach on St. Maarten ~ Somewhat Negative

St. Barth's ~ Extremely Positive!

anybody else wondering why gfpaiges would come to Fodors and register for the first time just to top a 7 month old thread and go on a rant about the topic?

Welcome to Fodors. You should fit right in. 8-}

Maybe googlind nude beaches and this thread popped up?

tpatricco, I'm guessing s/he loves to get naked. But Geez, all that work to do caps and reg letters. Whew! Made my fingers tired just to read it. Even though I basically agreed with what they said.

Co-ed naked parties are the hot thing at Yale these days. Nudity on the beaches is spreading to the Ivy League. The horrors!

There certainly are enough beaches in this world to be able to set aside some of them for those that wish to go nude.

There are a few things you realize when on a nude beach:

1. 98% of the people in this world have very average or unremarkable bodies
2. It takes alot more than nudity to become sexual... somebody laying naked on the beach, by itself, is completely benign
3. A high concentration of nude people desensitizes you to it. There are just butts and boobs everywhere, and it becomes no big deal. You really stop even looking after a minute or two.

4. nude beaches tend to be much cleaner than clothed beaches.

Nude beaches are great - just remember the sunscreen!

You folks seem to let it all hang out on this site ... seems like the beach wouldn't phase you. Anyone travelling these days who would like to recommend good restaurants in Taos and Santa Fe?