Whenever a group of people are enjoying a swim at a beach or swimming pool, there is a certain hesitation about nudity - often people are afraid of being the first ones to shed their clothes. It takes some guts to be the first one to get rid of the swimwear and see whether the others will follow suit.
The first time that happened, it made me feel uncomfortable. But then I realized that it was worth the try anyway - and that being the only naked one also has its charms. I feel so much more naked when I'm the only naked guy, and this nakedness is a turn-on for me.
So nowadays, when I'm with a group of people where not everybody know each other, I still tend to be the first one to undress. It is still interesting to see how they will react, but I end up being happy both when my friends throw off all their clothes and when they decide to keep them on... (And it also turns out that there are often someone in the group who are quite happy to see me naked and who are more than willing to undress as soon as they get alone with me...) So my advice is clear: don't hesitate. Nothing bad ever came out of nudity.
In England and elsewhere in Europe, it is totally natural and happens so often, it's 'hard' to keep track of. In America, the story is very different. In most of the US (except the right and left coasts), public nudity of any sort - whether rather innocent or flagrant -- is treated as a misdemeanor - a violation of civic laws.
Damn, that puritan ethic (smile). But then again, absence of permission. By simply overlooking the obvious, it sometimes makes the 'act' all that more exciting - I suppose. In Japan, where I spend most of my time currently, this kind of things happens as well. However, the main difference is the guys do try to conceal their privates while changing. Buttocks are not considered 'private' parts of the anatomy - especially for males.
Well, it's not OK to exposed your butt in publicly walking down the street, but a little harmless arse-flashing happens amazing regularly on beaches, sports fields, parks, and in other public areas when the necessity of changing in public calls for it. I wrote a lot about one such experience of watching a group of Japanese twinks who regularly meet to play frisbee soccer in a previous post here and elsewhere.
Atitlan (David; admin for YMNA, a Google Goup) wrote this short comment to accompany the above candid pics:
This looks like Brighton beach to me - lads down from London for the day. It is the sort of thing that happens at the British seaside. I remember as an impressionable 14 year-old glancing up from a book I was reading on the beach, to notice something that stayed in the memory. A lad a few feet away from me, a couple of years older, was trying to remove his swimsuit under his towel, only for the towel to drop and reveal a horizontal erection. His look was one of shock, mine must have been of admiration.