There’s something primal about stepping out of your clothes and jumping into the drink, bare skin meeting water and the natural world. No fancy swim gear, no artificial barriers—just you, the elements, and an age-old tradition that has persisted across cultures.
Skinny dipping, often in cold water, is more than a cheap thrill. The tradition has a surprising history and an equally intriguing list of benefits. It’s a practice as old as the act of swimming itself. Through its history, it has evolved from common practice to rebellion, wellness ritual to clandestine pastime.
The Early Days: Function Over Freedom
Long before bathing suits became de rigeur, people swam naked because, well, that’s what they had. For ancient cultures, bathing in rivers, lakes, or the sea was as much about survival and hygiene as it was about recreation. In ancient Greece and Rome, public baths functioned as social hubs, and though they involved some level of undress, it wasn’t quite the hedonistic plunge we imagine today. The Romans were thought to wear an ancient form of underwear called a subligaculum—a sort of loose-fitting loincloth. Even if they were somewhat clothed, the preference seemingly remained wearing next to nothing.
In Medieval Europe, however, societal shifts pushed nudity—and by extension, skinny dipping—underground. By the Victorian era, exposed skin was discouraged, and swimwear began to resemble body armor; its primary function to conceal the body as opposed to facilitating sensory feeling outdoors. Seaside fashion in Victorian England looked more like flannel pajamas than anything you might find off the rack at a department store today. By the Edwardian era, women were wearing woolen bathing costumes and overdresses. But despite the cultural push toward modesty, skinny dipping never truly disappeared. It merely found quiet, hidden places to flourish. Celtic monasteries upheld the practice of a cold water plunge, perhaps “to dampen their unruly libidos” or else to “capture the attention of the sceptical, Pagan folk of Britian and Ireland,” writes Nick Mayhew-Smith for The Outdoor Swimming Society.
Rebellion, Romance, and the Rise of Skinny Dipping Culture
The modern idea of skinny dipping as a form of rebellion took root in the early 20th century. Women were allowed to compete in swimming events at the 1912 Olympics, and Annette Kellerman of Australia is credited with “shifting social attitudes towards acceptance of female participation in swimming and beginning the modernization of female swimwear,” reports Fashion History Timeline. Necklines cut lower and hems drew higher. Early photos from Copenhagen’s Helgoland bathing club show women competing in swimming competitions in more modern swimwear. Bathing came into the mainstream, and skinny dipping shifted in response. While some urban dippers in Copenhagen continued the tradition of the bare-bummed cold plunge, many others suited up.
In the 1920s and '30s, as beach culture exploded and the first "bathing suits" came on the scene, a counter-movement arose. For artists, free spirits, and those on the fringes, skinny dipping became a way to reject societal constraints and reconnect with the environment in an era increasingly dominated by technology and urban life. In skinny dipping, they cast off the constraints of industrial fabrics and brought their bodies into immediate contact with the natural world.
During the 1960s and ’70s, skinny dipping went more mainstream as part of the countercultural movement—the Oxford English Dictionary traces the first use of the verb “skinny dip” back to 1964. The practice was a statement against the status quo, an assertion of freedom and simplicity that eschewed the capitalist imperatives of the time. Hippie communes and music festivals in the U.S. and Europe normalized nude swimming, cementing it as an activity associated with liberation and self-acceptance.
Cold Water Skinny Dipping: A Tradition with Benefits
Beyond its social history, skinny dipping is a personal act, too: many of its effects are quite physical. While skinny dipping may be more comfortable in warmer climates, there’s a special place in history for cold-water plunges, particularly in Northern European cultures. Throughout Scandinavia, people have long embraced cold-water swimming—often naked—as part of their sauna culture. Across time, people in Denmark and Finland have sweat in saunas and then plunged into icy lakes and rivers. It’s not about showing off; it’s about wellness, community, and bodily resilience. Copenhagen’s bathing clubs have long supported this social culture, encouraging people to sweat and dip in the heart of the capital.
Today, science backs what these cultures have long known intuitively: cold-water immersion can offer a range of benefits, especially when combined with the freedom of swimming au naturel.
1. Boosted Mood and Mental Clarity
There’s nothing like the shock of cold water to jolt you to life. Cold water skinny dipping releases endorphins—natural mood lifters. Some studies even suggest that cold-water immersion can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
2. Enhanced Circulation
When your body hits cold water, blood rushes to your core to protect your vital organs. This kick-starts circulation, which can have lasting health benefits. It’s like an internal workout for your vascular system, encouraging your heart to pump efficiently and improving blood flow to your extremities when you return to warmth.
3. Skin Care and Immune Health
While skinny dipping won’t turn back time, cold water can improve skin tone by tightening pores and reducing puffiness. Regular cold dips may also support immune function by prompting the body to adapt to stress, which can help it cope with everyday challenges more effectively.
4. A Sense of Connection and Freedom
There’s an undeniable sense of freedom that comes with skinny dipping, especially in oceans, bays, and creeks. Without the confines of a swimsuit, you’re truly in touch with the water and your surroundings. It’s an invitation to ground in nature and step back from the rapid pace of modern life.
Skinny Dipping in the City: Finding the Balance
For those of us not nestled by a forest lake or seaside cove, urban skinny dipping offers a way to bring this age-old practice into the city. In some cities, dedicated cold-water swimming clubs encourage year-round swims, sometimes in the early morning when only a handful of die-hards are brave enough to join. In Copenhagen, urban harbor baths have become popular spots where locals dip in both summer and winter, with the boldest bathers choosing to embrace the cold, swimsuit-free.
The magic of urban dipping, even when not in the buff, lies in integrating encounters with nature into the busy rhythms of city life. There’s no long trek to the coast, no need for elaborate plans—just a few minutes in cold water to recalibrate. If you’re lucky enough to have a quiet spot and feel like trying it sans suit, the experience can be that much more rejuvenating. And perhaps there’s a climate benefit too: if people pause and appreciate the relationship between their built and natural environments, maybe that builds support for new policies and infrastructure to protect the world around us.
Embracing the Skinny Dip Mindset
So why not take the plunge? Skinny dipping, especially in cold water, is not just about its physical benefits. It’s a mental shift—an invitation to be vulnerable, step outside your comfort zone, and embrace the simplicity of our most human impulses. Whether you’re at a remote lake or by a city harbor, there’s a fortitude required to strip down, face the cold, and jump in. In a world where so much feels curated and controlled, skinny dipping reminds us of something raw and real. It’s a moment outside of time, an opportunity to experience your body and the water in the most natural way possible.
So next time you’re by the water—city or countryside—consider leaving your swimsuit behind, if only for a moment. The water will welcome you as it has countless others across the centuries, asking you to join this age-old ritual of freedom, interconnection, and reinvigoration.
