I started being a nudist at 26. Although I was nude at home with my wife and was perfectly comfortable nude around her, my experience with social nudity ws rather limited, so I was still a tad self-conscious. For example, I was always aware of my body posture, who around me was nude and who wasn't, and even how my wife was sitting and how much of her other people could see. My turning point was when we decided to spend a long week-end at some friends' home. After two days of non-stop nudity, and with our hosts being completely comfortable with their nudity, my awareness of my body started vanishing, and I became completely at ease being nude in front of anyone. I was 29 at the time.

REACTION

1. After being a long-time closet nudist I decided to try social nudism for the first time last year at the age of 63. I was very apprehensive before my first experience because I'm a rather shy guy, and I had no one to guide me. On my first visit to a nude resort I was alone and quite nervous, but when my clothes came off it became apparent that whatever I feared wasn't happening. Instead I felt wonderful. I can't explain why I found it so exhilarating. It was euphoric. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. Not only do I find it incredibly comfortable to be clothes-free, but I believe there is a psychological aspect to nudism. I wish I had been introduced to this lifestyle a long time ago. There will never be enough opportunities for me to be nude.
2. Having been born nude, one would think that I was comfortable with it from the start. However, I was born on the kitchen floor and, not that I remember very much of the event, I can't imagine it was that pleasurable! In any case I had nudist tendencies from very early on, walking around the house nude even when others didn't. Also at college and grad school in the dorm and on vacation. OK, I guess the first idea was right, as CMx2 said, from about 7 minutes.
3. WFirst that I remember was about age 8-10, when me and the next door neighbor girl would go nude when ever possible ... until we were caught, then not again until I was 18 and in the US Marine Corps on my first leave from San Diego USMCRD, 1967 and I found Blacks Beach. Then not again until I was 57 ... why oh why has it been so long :) bk-yd-nude
4. hmmmmmmmm, I'd have to say that somewhere between 14 and 15 years of age. I began spending lots of time in my room in the nude and only out and about in other parts of the house when I was home alone. As the opportunities arose at home I spent more and more time naked doing everyday things, like laundry, cooking and other chores. It took me a few months after my initial experience with being nude in my room that I actually became comfortable with nudity. After our marriage, at age 20, I couldn't wait to come home on military liberty so I could spend most of the weekends with my wife nude. It got to the point where I hated getting dressed and like Cheri, felt more comfortable being nude then I did clothed.
5. My brothers, sisters and myself were always what some would call wild children. In that we grew-up on a big farm with our nearest neighbors a mile or better away. So we always ran around the yard nude and our parents just gave up on trying to keep us dressed. They eventually saw the wisdom in allowing us to run around nude when they realized how much money they were saving on clothes that they didn't have to buy for us or have mended or washed. Sally
6. I am from a very large family that was raised in a very small house. With two or more kids per bedroom and only two bathrooms and brothers who didn't bother to knock before entering, I got used to nudity from an early age. By my mid-teens I was comfortable with being nude for extended times, mostly doing homework in my room or laying on my bed reading, or even walking around the house a bit ("Annie, put your robe on!" LOL!). When I was around 16 I discovered the joy of being nude outdoors...in the backyard anyway. I still have an old and faded photo one of my brothers took of me playing my guitar in the nude while sitting on the old throw rug that was in the patio. Hey, it was the 60's and I wanted to be a hippie. By the time I got my own apartment, which was small but seemed like a mansion to me, I began to always be nude at home. It's a habit I have retained to this day, and probably couldn't change if I tried. I don't even own a robe anymore. :-) Annie
7. From birth for me. Age 11 tried to go nude while sleeping, my mother would have none of that. Officially a nudist at 18 with the visit to my first nudist club. And finally, at age 56, I'm most comfortable with my nudity whilst others seem horrified that an eccentric carmudgeon (I prefer bold iconoclast) would go nude at my age and weight. To those I respond "tough beans". Take care and ... Keep it Bare !!!
8. I think I have always been comfortable, being nude around others. Or maybe I should say, I have always enjoyed being nude--period. While I don't impose it on others (i.e. walking through the house naked, when staying with friends), I am not the least bit hesitant to do it here, at home. I remember even as a very young child, taking off my clothes at every opportunity.
9. From the point in time I can remember from I was about eleven when I first began to to enjoy my body and being comfortable nude. I can remember my Dad taking me into the sauna we had in our condo building at age eleven and when he stripped his bathing suit off to enjoy the sauna I thought nothing of doing the same. After that when ever I had the opportunity around the condo, rest of the family out of the house, I would strip right away and enjoy the freedom of walking around nude. I would venture on to the balcony and enjoy the suns rays. At eleven I also stopped wearing pj's and wore underwear to bed, they came off the moment I was under the covers. I know my Mum knew I was sleeping nude as she found my underwear many times lodged at the base of the bed in the sheets! My parents never said anything. I began to enjoy outdoor public nudity when i was thirteen. i grew up in the Bahamas and we had lots of great remote beaches etc. I would ride my bike about 5 miles or so to a remote beach area called Barbary Beach on Grand Bahama, park the bike and walk the beach nude. On one of my visits I arrived to find some cars parked and some people on the beach. As I approached behind the rocks I could see it was a group of four women and a man tanning in the nude. One of the ladies saw me and motioned me over. I learned they were dancers from the local casino show from Britain. We chatted and I joined them for the afternoon. After that meeting I met up with them almost once per week at least and there were always different people but all from the show. This continued for the better part of five years until i moved away to go to University. david
10. Body awareness started at age 12. That was the first time I became aware of my body changing. Up until that point my body just seemed to be there. I was 12 when my first whiskers sprouted. It was the first time the "unmentionable stiffness" came to rear its ugly head - so to speak. At that point I began to enjoy being nude as a conscious decision separate and apart from bath time. Jay
11. who can forget those school showers after gym class that started in junior high,i think everyone was terrified the first couple times but after that it just seem natural even though it wasn't coed. several years later when i went to a nudist resort it took seconds to strip nude and fit in to the lifestyle,i think alot of the youth now days miss out on what the older generation grew up on and that maybe why you don't see as many young nudist as you do the older ones
12. My girlfiend at the time and I were in our late teens - but that was in the late 1970s - and nude was the new "black" - at least for us. This was at our favourite beach though, nowhere else. When I finally married my wife (a different woman)was less keen, and so it happened only occassionally. Still does - can't predict it. Sometimes she is cool to go nude and go for walks on the beach and at other times she will not even go topless when there is really only me and her on the beach. I love it all the time i can now!
13. Thats an interesting point sailawaybob. Having grown up in the "younger generation" I agree. Unless delibrate effort is made to remove body/taboo inabitions younger people today seem to be very body shy. Its as if the shy awkward period that comes wtih preadolescence never goes away! Very diisturbing. I guess all we can really do is raise more of our children to be nudists and hope it sticks. Andrew
14. I felt comfortable being nude as far back as I can remember. I was what you might call a home or closet nudist since I never wore clothes around my house or to sleep. It always felt more comfortable and free that way. Also as I got older and I put on weight I had issues with how I looked in clothes. Being nude helped me overcome those issues. Cathy
15. I've always been comfortable nude in private, or in intimate situations (essentially still private). To date, I have only been nude in a non-private area once where people could see me. I had the opportunity to enjoy a hot tub with co-workers (that had only met me 3 days earlier, and we still hadn't had a chance to talk -- essentially our first meeting on a personal level), but I didn't have a bathing suit. One of them suggested that I didn't need one, so I went for it. It was in the common area of a hotel. I'm surprised I did it, too. But I bonded with my co-workers big time. They loved me after that. I was 27 at the time.