Nick, The Flying Naturist

Nick is better known as The Flying Naturist. He is a lifestyle blogger and content creator who shares what it is like to live a clothing optional life on his website, FlyingNaturist.com. He writes about everyday naturist experiences, from swimming and bowling to vacation. Nick presents himself as an ordinary person and advocates that naturism is not about showing off or being provocative, but simply a way of life.

Q. Naturism is a lifestyle, but many people misunderstand it. What is your take on what naturism really means in its own right?

Most people do not understand the naturist lifestyle; they think it is all about sex and perversion, but they could not be further from the truth. Naturists like me live the way we do as we prefer not to wear clothing, as it is restrictive and can hide who we really are.

When we are out in public, we do not go out to be seen or stared at; in fact, if we are going hiking, as I often do, we do it mid-week and in the middle of nowhere. We enjoy the freedom to be as nature intended, which is why nude hiking is so great.

We do not engage in any form of sexual activity in groups or meet for sexual exchanges. Naturism is completely nonsexual. We do not body shame each other and don’t discriminate.

For me, the lifestyle of a naturist is to be free as we are born and to be around like-minded people who accept me for who I am.

Q. How did you get into naturism, and how did it subsequently become a lifestyle for you?

As a young lad, I found that I just preferred not to wear clothes. My parents were always telling me to put clothes on, so I would go to my room to be alone and naked. When they went out, I would sit in the garden nude, enjoying the feeling of freedom.

From there, as I grew, I became more relaxed with being nude and eventually went to a nudist beach. I got married and lived as a naturist when at home, and even my then-wife came around to the naturist lifestyle, and we would be nude indoors and in the garden.

At that point, I became involved with Brighton Naked Bike Ride and am now one of the organizers.  After getting divorced, I fully embraced the lifestyle and began my website and going on naturist holidays.

Q. Does the name Flying Naturist have any meaning for you?

The flying part of Flying Naturist is because I used to be heavily into paragliding. I used to enjoy walking up deserted hills nude and flying for as long as the weather would allow.

There are issues with flying naked. When you leave the hilltop and climb up in a thermal, it gets cooler the higher you go. Once you leave the warmth of the thermal, the temperature drops, and it can get very cold.

The landing is troublesome: if you are nude, you must land in the middle of nowhere, which is fine in Spain, where you can hike nude back to a road, but the UK is a bit more populated. Also, if you come in for a fast landing, the last thing you want is to be sliding along the floor nude or even worse, misjudge the landing and end up stuck dangling naked in a tree.

Q. How does traveling as a naturist change the way you see a place?

Naturist travelling takes a lot of planning. You don’t have the worry of needing to pack a lot of clothes, but you do have to work out your route as well as locate naturist-friendly hotels or campsites.

Driving nude in the UK is fine, so I do it most of the time. But in Europe, each country has different rules. You find yourself trying to plan your holidays so you can be clothed as little as possible, but most naturist campsites are in the middle of nowhere, so you get to see some fantastic places that most people will not.

Q. How do you find out if a destination is naturist‑friendly, and what do you look for?

Naturist places are easy to find via naturist websites in each country. Even just using an internet search engine will bring them up. For towns and countries, it is all about researching the information.

There are websites that tell you which countries are naturist-friendly and which to avoid. Another good way is to look at other naturist websites like mine, as you can see how people have got on in a place being nude.

Q. Have you visited any nudist resorts, naturist cruises, or beaches that have become your favorites? If so, why?

I have not done any naturist cruises purely as I am not the best at sea and find myself being ill. As to naturist resorts and beaches, I have been to a fair few in different countries.

I have also travelled around the UK to different naturist campsites. My favorite place so far is Vera Playa in Spain. The ability to be able to get up nude and have a shower. Then grab what you need for the day and walk straight out of the property onto the street still nude. Then to walk to the beach and swim and sunbathe nude before popping into a restaurant for a naked meal.

Having the freedom to walk down the street, be on the beach, have a meal, and shop naked without anybody saying a thing is fantastic. A close second is Fuerteventura, as the landscape is so different from the UK, and you can walk naked for miles without anyone caring. The freedom to be in the warmth, living the best lifestyle, and being relaxed.

Q. What are the biggest challenges of traveling as a naturist?

There are not really any big issues travelling as a naturist. The only challenge is using public —trains, buses, or planes—as you cannot be nude on them.

It is difficult as you are out of your comfort zone and cannot fully relax. Explaining to the person at the plane check-in desk as to why you have no suitcases is always funny. It is when you say, “I don’t need clothes on holiday as I am a naturist, I just need sun cream,” and you watch their reaction.

Q. What do you see as the biggest gaps in naturist travel today, and how do you hope it will evolve in the future?

I would love to see more naturist travel companies in the future, as well as it being possible to be nude on a flight, etc. I don’t see why we can’t be nude on a plane, as naturists always put a towel or similar down before we sit on any seat outside of our home.

Q. Is there anything about being a naturist that most people don’t know, but you’d like to share with our readers?

Being a naturist is a truly great lifestyle and has health benefits. Not having to cover the skin with clothing or makeup gives the body a way to be free and use the skin as it is intended. We live our lives free of tight clothing and can fully relax

A good way to see if naturism is for you is to go on a World Naked Bike Ride, as you will be surrounded by others who are also fully naked. There are rides all over the world, and you can just turn up. You don’t even have to be naked to ride. If you just want to experience being around naturists, you can stay covered.

Another way is to find a local naturist walking group. This is another way you can be out in the middle of nowhere and be nude with other people that you can chat to and learn about their experiences of the lifestyle.

Naturist swims are also another good way to try naturism, as you are basically only nude from the changing room to the pool. Once in the water, you are the only one nude, so it can feel less daunting.

I am always happy to chat via email or meet with naturists or others intrigued by the idea who want to learn more. I have taken a few people out who wanted to try naked hiking, letting them remove their clothes at any point on the walk when they feel comfortable.

Naturists are discriminated against and do, at times, suffer abuse in the form of hate crimes.

In recent years, it has become less common, but as with all things that are different, it takes time to become socially acceptable.

History shows us this, as in the past, people have had issues because of the color of their skin, sexual orientation, or even because of how they dress. Over time, these things have all become accepted as the world learns to accept its fellow persons for who they are, not what they are. Naturists will be accepted like this one day.

All photographs credit: Nick, The Flying Naturist