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[monkeyfish]

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[kensington25]

Hi there monkeyfish, well that's a good question. You have got to do what feels right. Personally I would ask but then again I am very nosy when it comes to questions but that might not be right for many people. Perhaps you could ask something like if he ever goes to the beach and say something like isn't it funny we to wear clothes when we swim or maybe just ask a general question about skinny dipping and see how he reacts to test the waters.

It all really depends on what boundaries you are prepared to push and what your friend is like. Is he relaxed, tolerant, uptight or easy going etc?  William

[darren26]

I always test people with questions or comments to see if they would be into nudism, and how they view nudism in general.  I have found it does not always work though. I tested a friend once and she failed badly, then 2 years later she comes back from a trip with pictures of the fun day she had at a nude beach.  I was so surprised. 

I have told a few of my friends of my lifestyle and found that their reaction is not as bad as you think it is going to be. I would only tell friends that know me really well though.  You might be surprised how many start asking about it and become interested in trying it.

[Pyre]

If you're unsure then as William and Darren have already said, test the waters with something that isn't directly related to yourself or the subject. One thing that I might do is to talk about where they might go on holiday next year, suggest a place and then mention that you heard there was a nudist beach there. Then you can gauge the reaction and move on from there. If there is no reaction then leave the subject but come back to it subtely like you went skinny dipping at a beach once on holiday and ask the person if they'd ever give something like that a go. On the other hand, if you're feeling a little braver, say that you've been to a nude beach and what are his/her thoughts on it. Hope that helps!

[mike345]

i usually brought it up in experimental context, saying something like "we were drinking last saturday, and a bunch of us went skinny dipping in the lake. it was awesome..." to start the conversation. implicate others. groupthink! or just ask, if you don't care.

[Disenchanted]

I don't usually bring it up unless I trust the person. If they bring it up enjoying nudity or skinnydipping or something of the sort, I ask them innocent little questions, like if they do it often or if they've only ever done it alone. Just conversation, not jumping down their throats to make them get naked.

Last time I tried that though it didn't turn out so well. Turned out the guy is a bit hormonal and has some female issues. It was the classic case of "Well, I'll get naked in front of the girls, but a casual hour or two of walking around naked with a friend is pretty gay".

[HelicopterBob]

Just check their tanlines.

[Delta]

I doubt you'll have to subtly search for clues in an environment in which tanlines are visible.

[marcel]

If i think someone is a naturist, firstly i would talk a little bit around and not directly on the topic to be nude... that it could be very funny to schwimm nude and so on and later i would ask what does he or she think about and when the person answering very seriours i know he/she isn't a naturist... if the person likes to talk about to be nude then i know... yes... it is a naturist^^

[bjoseph]

my personal favorite way is play "ten fingers" or "truth or dare" ask questions like "have u ever skinny dipped" or "Have you ever streaked" or "does any one else walk 'round there house nude"

[artinprogress]

Or just throw them into a nudist resort and see how they take to it  ;D

[HelicopterBob]

Thats hard core man.

Kind of reminds me of the witch tests.  Like a witch can't drown so lets dunk her under and if she lives we need to kill her and if she died well then...sorry.

I think that there could be a much easier/nicer way to "test the waters".

[Sam2000]

Although I've not actually put this strategy into action yet I think it would be best to make a joke or something about it, or make a comment as some people have posted before;

"Isn't it funny that we shower withouth clothes, but we go swimming wearing them?" Or something along those lines. I think that would work.

I'm currently in the same situation as you currently so I'm going to try it out!

[artinprogress]

Thats hard core man.

Kind of reminds me of the witch tests.  Like a witch can't drown so lets dunk her under and if she lives we need to kill her and if she died well then...sorry.

I think that there could be a much easier/nicer way to "test the waters".

Well thats true, then my idea is find someone who is a nudist and invite your friends over for swimming or something and the nudist who is out would just be naked, see how they take to him/her. Though that would be hard to so, otherwise just bring up naturism in a conversation and see how they take to it.

[saralee]

If there's been anything in the news about nudism you can use that as a topic for discussion - people's reactions can tell you a lot. That video of the man walking round Times Square in the buff, for instance.