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I just got back home from having spent 5 days on a business trip to Orlando. It was my hope that on Wednesday and Friday afternoons and Saturday that I would be able to get to Playalinda beach. On Wednesday, it was raining so I did not go. In a moment I will tell you about Friday and Saturday trips. These are my fourth and fifth trips to Playalinda. I have know for about 20 years that a section of this beach has had a clothing optional tolerated part for many years.
For those that do not know, Playalinda is a beach in the Canaveral National Seashore operated by the National Park Service in Florida. The seashore is about 25 miles of undeveloped land just to the north of the Kennedy Space Centre and about one hour east of Orlando. The winds and waters of the Atlantic Ocean carve the beaches into fine sand and then a spine of dunes backs the beaches.
To get there, exit I-95 on to Highway 406 for Titusville. After reaching Titusville, one drives about 5 miles to the Park Entrance and then after paying the entrance fee (currently $5), one drives for about another 5 miles until reaching the dunes that back the beach. Taking a hard left a driver heads north up the access road to the beach. Along the access road skirting the dunes are numbered parking lots from 1 to 13. At each parking lot is a boardwalk to get to the beach. The dunes are high enough that a driver cannot see beach activity from the road. On some days when I am there, parking lots 1 and 2 can be full ? often signs of fishermen. Around lots 7, 8 and 9, there are a number of cars and suv?s since I understand that this area is popular with wake boarders and surfers. In all my visits I have seen surfers changing out of their clothes into board shorts in these parking lots.
To access the clothing optional section, proceed all the way to the last parking lot, number 13. There are two boardwalks (13 and 13A). Traditionally, the clothing optional beach was north of 13A, although on Saturday, there were lots of people tanning nude between 13 and 13A.
When you enter the park after paying your fees, there is a sign that states, ?NUDITY ON THE BEACH OR IN PUBLIC IS PROHIBITED BY BREVARD COUNTY ORDINANCE 95-21?. This same sign also appears somewhere closer to the beach. However, I must add that there is a typed sign posted on the entrance to boardwalk 13 that now states that beach users may encounter nude use on the beach and that the park rangers cannot and will not enforce this ordinance (I expect because it is not enforceable in the National Park and the courts will not uphold simply nudity charges) and that beach users should be aware of the risk of seeing nude people. The notice continues to state that any individuals participating in sexual or lewd activity will be arrested and charged. I am encouraged by this development since the beach came under attack about 10 years ago ? something I could not comprehend as naturists certainly drive long distances to get to the beach and with 25 miles of sand, why can?t a part of the tract be used by naturists, particularly the part in the middle that is not accessed by many. Here is the text of the official notice - NOTICE**************** YOU MAY ENCOUNTER
ACTIVITIES BEYOND THIS POINT THAT THE PARK SERVICE DOES NOT CONDONE NOR SUPPORT. PRESENTLY, THERE IS NOTHING THAT RANGERS CAN DO TO CONTROL THE NUDITY THAT YOU WILL ENCOUNTER. THERE IS NO FEDERAL LAW AGAINST NUDITY, UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY LEWD ACTIVITY. THERE IS HOWEVER, A BREVARD COUNTY
ORDINANCE PROHIBITING NUDITY IN PUBLIC PLACES. AT THIS TIME, RANGERS CANNOT ENFORCE COUNTY ORDINANCES, BUT BREVARD DEPUTIES AND STATE
F.W.C. AGENCIES OCCASIONALLY MAKE ARRESTS AND/OR ISSUE CITATIONS FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE COUNTY ORDINANCE. (PERTAINING TO NUDITY). RANGERS WILL CONTINUE MAKING ARRESTS DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND SEXUAL MISCONDUCT. Talking to regular users of the beach, it has been several years since enforcement actions were taken by County deputies for nudity.
Any way, Friday was a wash out, so to speak. I left Orlando in sun in my shirt and business pants and when I got to the beach changed into a t-shirt and some shorts. The weather was overcast and looked like it might rain at any moment. I went up and over boardwalk 13 and walked north along the beach ? no one was there except for some guy in a black shirt and jeans standing on boardwalk 13 A. I went by him and continued up the beach a bit to a log and sat for awhile wondering if I bothered to slip off my t-shirt and shorts, given the weather and the temperature. There was no way I was going to swim, the surf pounding in on the beach made it dangerous. After about 15 minutes I decided I would get naked and walk along the beach. The other fellow was still at boardwalk 13 A as I walked north along the beach. After walking about two miles I turned around to head back to my clothes. By now there was a light mist falling to chill the body although I did think it was nicer to be walking naked in the rain without soggy clothes. As I started to come closer to my clothes, I noticed in the distance that the other fellow too had stripped down and was enjoying the naturist beach. As I got to about 5 minutes from my clothes, a heavy downpour came down ? and in its own way, being naked in the downpour was great. I stopped to talk to the other guy ? he comes to the beach sometimes, hoped for better weather, saw that I went naked and decided to join in (proof that often it takes only one to start), and commented he did not care how wet he or his clothes got since he was on a motorcycle and would get wet going home anyway. After a while in the rain, I decided to head back to the hotel.
On Saturday, I was at the beach at 9 am. Already, lot 13 was full so I parked in lot 12. It is about a five-minute walk to lot 13. As I walked along the beach, it was clear that a naturist group of about 30 people was at boardwalk 13, and came across a banner, Happy Birthday Sheila. The group had also posted a caution sign that nude sunbathers would be encountered. The group was the Playalinda Beach Bums, a social Yahoo group that promotes naturist use of the beach. Further down the beach, beyond boardwalk 13 A, was CFN ? Central Florida Naturists. CFN had set up a volleyball court and I watched part of a game later in the day. There were about 25 of them.
At about 10 am, my guess is that there were more than 100 naturists stretched out along the beach. Some in groups, some as couples, and then singles.
Like my other trips to the beach, I am amazed at how many women come to this beach ? since many beaches are 90% men. I would be interested in any women that know this beach that can comment. Perhaps it is considered a safe beach for women.
Some other observations ?
(a) The beach is clothing optional, although I would estimate 90% to 95% are naked. Those not naked on Saturday were some kids with their parents, and several couples where one was naked and the other was not. There were two guys in microthongs together.
(b) This forum also includes lots of discussions about smoothies or shaved naturists. Last year when I was at the beach, there weren?t really many shaved naturists the day I was there. This year, almost all of the women were smooth or trimmed in some way and I would guess that about ? the men were smooth and some others were trimmed. One look that I often don?t see at the Toronto nude beach were men that were smooth in their pubic region but maintained chest hair. I am more used to seeing smooth all over, and maybe just keeping leg and arm hair. I have never been smooth and am now wondering if I should give it a try on a future trip although being smooth all the time is not something I think I want.
(c) Piercings are also discussed ? belly buttons for women seemed popular, some nipples for men and women and two or three with genital piercings.
(d) This forum often included discussions about erections. I can say that a fellow two males over from me was reading a magazine called, LETTERS, ? and I can only imagine what the letters were about since he seemed to be having a hard time managing erections. Its not that he was being rude or lewd, but those of us on the beach could tell he was aroused and was trying to sit in his chair, knees drawn up so it was not so evident. One other fellow I noticed on a walk arrived with his wife and after they set up their beach chairs and towels, stripped down and had an erection. He and his wife went for a swim to cool down ? no one seemed to fussed as he walked to the water with his erection.
(e) There were about ten kids at the beach ? something I don?t often see in Toronto.
(f) No sheriffs or park rangers came down the beach.
(g) The ocean was warm for swimming and had calmed down so a number of us, me included, went in.
I have been to a number of public nude beaches and still think this is my favorite beach, for many reasons ? its natural beauty, the possibility of naturist walks for miles, the crowd, the ability to mix socially if that is what one wants to do or to simply stake out a private spot on the beach for quiet times.
For those that do not know, Playalinda is a beach in the Canaveral National Seashore operated by the National Park Service in Florida. The seashore is about 25 miles of undeveloped land just to the north of the Kennedy Space Centre and about one hour east of Orlando. The winds and waters of the Atlantic Ocean carve the beaches into fine sand and then a spine of dunes backs the beaches.
To get there, exit I-95 on to Highway 406 for Titusville. After reaching Titusville, one drives about 5 miles to the Park Entrance and then after paying the entrance fee (currently $5), one drives for about another 5 miles until reaching the dunes that back the beach. Taking a hard left a driver heads north up the access road to the beach. Along the access road skirting the dunes are numbered parking lots from 1 to 13. At each parking lot is a boardwalk to get to the beach. The dunes are high enough that a driver cannot see beach activity from the road. On some days when I am there, parking lots 1 and 2 can be full ? often signs of fishermen. Around lots 7, 8 and 9, there are a number of cars and suv?s since I understand that this area is popular with wake boarders and surfers. In all my visits I have seen surfers changing out of their clothes into board shorts in these parking lots.
To access the clothing optional section, proceed all the way to the last parking lot, number 13. There are two boardwalks (13 and 13A). Traditionally, the clothing optional beach was north of 13A, although on Saturday, there were lots of people tanning nude between 13 and 13A.
When you enter the park after paying your fees, there is a sign that states, ?NUDITY ON THE BEACH OR IN PUBLIC IS PROHIBITED BY BREVARD COUNTY ORDINANCE 95-21?. This same sign also appears somewhere closer to the beach. However, I must add that there is a typed sign posted on the entrance to boardwalk 13 that now states that beach users may encounter nude use on the beach and that the park rangers cannot and will not enforce this ordinance (I expect because it is not enforceable in the National Park and the courts will not uphold simply nudity charges) and that beach users should be aware of the risk of seeing nude people. The notice continues to state that any individuals participating in sexual or lewd activity will be arrested and charged. I am encouraged by this development since the beach came under attack about 10 years ago ? something I could not comprehend as naturists certainly drive long distances to get to the beach and with 25 miles of sand, why can?t a part of the tract be used by naturists, particularly the part in the middle that is not accessed by many. Here is the text of the official notice - NOTICE**************** YOU MAY ENCOUNTER
ACTIVITIES BEYOND THIS POINT THAT THE PARK SERVICE DOES NOT CONDONE NOR SUPPORT. PRESENTLY, THERE IS NOTHING THAT RANGERS CAN DO TO CONTROL THE NUDITY THAT YOU WILL ENCOUNTER. THERE IS NO FEDERAL LAW AGAINST NUDITY, UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY LEWD ACTIVITY. THERE IS HOWEVER, A BREVARD COUNTY
ORDINANCE PROHIBITING NUDITY IN PUBLIC PLACES. AT THIS TIME, RANGERS CANNOT ENFORCE COUNTY ORDINANCES, BUT BREVARD DEPUTIES AND STATE
F.W.C. AGENCIES OCCASIONALLY MAKE ARRESTS AND/OR ISSUE CITATIONS FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE COUNTY ORDINANCE. (PERTAINING TO NUDITY). RANGERS WILL CONTINUE MAKING ARRESTS DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND SEXUAL MISCONDUCT. Talking to regular users of the beach, it has been several years since enforcement actions were taken by County deputies for nudity.
Any way, Friday was a wash out, so to speak. I left Orlando in sun in my shirt and business pants and when I got to the beach changed into a t-shirt and some shorts. The weather was overcast and looked like it might rain at any moment. I went up and over boardwalk 13 and walked north along the beach ? no one was there except for some guy in a black shirt and jeans standing on boardwalk 13 A. I went by him and continued up the beach a bit to a log and sat for awhile wondering if I bothered to slip off my t-shirt and shorts, given the weather and the temperature. There was no way I was going to swim, the surf pounding in on the beach made it dangerous. After about 15 minutes I decided I would get naked and walk along the beach. The other fellow was still at boardwalk 13 A as I walked north along the beach. After walking about two miles I turned around to head back to my clothes. By now there was a light mist falling to chill the body although I did think it was nicer to be walking naked in the rain without soggy clothes. As I started to come closer to my clothes, I noticed in the distance that the other fellow too had stripped down and was enjoying the naturist beach. As I got to about 5 minutes from my clothes, a heavy downpour came down ? and in its own way, being naked in the downpour was great. I stopped to talk to the other guy ? he comes to the beach sometimes, hoped for better weather, saw that I went naked and decided to join in (proof that often it takes only one to start), and commented he did not care how wet he or his clothes got since he was on a motorcycle and would get wet going home anyway. After a while in the rain, I decided to head back to the hotel.
On Saturday, I was at the beach at 9 am. Already, lot 13 was full so I parked in lot 12. It is about a five-minute walk to lot 13. As I walked along the beach, it was clear that a naturist group of about 30 people was at boardwalk 13, and came across a banner, Happy Birthday Sheila. The group had also posted a caution sign that nude sunbathers would be encountered. The group was the Playalinda Beach Bums, a social Yahoo group that promotes naturist use of the beach. Further down the beach, beyond boardwalk 13 A, was CFN ? Central Florida Naturists. CFN had set up a volleyball court and I watched part of a game later in the day. There were about 25 of them.
At about 10 am, my guess is that there were more than 100 naturists stretched out along the beach. Some in groups, some as couples, and then singles.
Like my other trips to the beach, I am amazed at how many women come to this beach ? since many beaches are 90% men. I would be interested in any women that know this beach that can comment. Perhaps it is considered a safe beach for women.
Some other observations ?
(a) The beach is clothing optional, although I would estimate 90% to 95% are naked. Those not naked on Saturday were some kids with their parents, and several couples where one was naked and the other was not. There were two guys in microthongs together.
(b) This forum also includes lots of discussions about smoothies or shaved naturists. Last year when I was at the beach, there weren?t really many shaved naturists the day I was there. This year, almost all of the women were smooth or trimmed in some way and I would guess that about ? the men were smooth and some others were trimmed. One look that I often don?t see at the Toronto nude beach were men that were smooth in their pubic region but maintained chest hair. I am more used to seeing smooth all over, and maybe just keeping leg and arm hair. I have never been smooth and am now wondering if I should give it a try on a future trip although being smooth all the time is not something I think I want.
(c) Piercings are also discussed ? belly buttons for women seemed popular, some nipples for men and women and two or three with genital piercings.
(d) This forum often included discussions about erections. I can say that a fellow two males over from me was reading a magazine called, LETTERS, ? and I can only imagine what the letters were about since he seemed to be having a hard time managing erections. Its not that he was being rude or lewd, but those of us on the beach could tell he was aroused and was trying to sit in his chair, knees drawn up so it was not so evident. One other fellow I noticed on a walk arrived with his wife and after they set up their beach chairs and towels, stripped down and had an erection. He and his wife went for a swim to cool down ? no one seemed to fussed as he walked to the water with his erection.
(e) There were about ten kids at the beach ? something I don?t often see in Toronto.
(f) No sheriffs or park rangers came down the beach.
(g) The ocean was warm for swimming and had calmed down so a number of us, me included, went in.
I have been to a number of public nude beaches and still think this is my favorite beach, for many reasons ? its natural beauty, the possibility of naturist walks for miles, the crowd, the ability to mix socially if that is what one wants to do or to simply stake out a private spot on the beach for quiet times.
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