Current Use for Naturists

[Beelox]

As a long time visitor to this beach from out of town, I was looking forward to a summer of naturist bathing with my wife at the weekend, we travel around 300 miles two or three weekends a month in the summer to come here, we are so disappointed that it is being forcefully closed. What have people been doing in the latest good weather, are people using other parts of the beach without problem, will we be able to turn up and turn right instead of left and bath naked the other side of the path? i would be interested in peoples thoughts or experiences over the last few weeks.....

[NEW-NATURIST]

Hello Beelox

The beach has not been "closed-off" as such, its still open for people to walk on when the guards are not there. Even when the guards are this is debatable given what Hampshire Police have said. The guards have appeared 3 times to my knowledge in the last couple of months - not a great hinderence. During the recent hot weather the beach has been very busy and there is basically no change to the numbers of people turning up.

You'd be very unlucky to see the beach closed on a hot sunny day, however Qinetiq may turn the screw even tighter now that they had their Secret Clause thrown out by the Cabinet of the City Council.

My advice is continue to come down and enjoy the beach - everybody else is.  If Qinetiq put up a cordon then it'll soon be ignored by kids/beach goers as its basically unenforceable on the day.

[Beelox]

ahh good - will be giving it a try for the first time this year then Sunday as long as the weather behaves...will be well pissed off if we are stopped!

[gbolt66]

have not been able to get to the beach this year,maybe soon so can we sill use it?

[hpuk]

I used the beach for the first time ever on Friday May 21, just for a couple of hours around late morning. I live in Southampton and found it very easily from the directions given on this site (from home to the beach in 40mins). I parked in the car park and walked the path beside the caravan park. I passed a couple of dog walkers who gave me a friendly hello, presumably knowing where I was heading in my motorbike gear. Feeling a bit nervous I didn't wander too far onto the beach, just three concrete blocks to the left.

Everyone to my left was sans clothes, while to my right there was a mix of clothed and non-clothed. I could also see a family happily playing within the same area. I was pleasantly surprised to see a few couples and even a lone female on the beach. I guess on a week day I had in my mind expected to only find single males.

While i was there two young chaps in hi-viz jackets walked past eastward along the fence and then back again several minutes later. With hindsight they must have been the security guards previosuly mentioned, but I just thought they were employees on their lunch break such was their air of authority(!). Once my cheeks began to feel hot I packed up and left and as I turned on to the path, the two 'guards' were sat on a forklift or something just chatting.

Only after reading here did I find out that the day after the tape went up across the beach!

Anyway, if the reason Qinetiq wants to ban us is because prospective flat residents will be put off buying, then I'd have thought moving us to the west in front of the caravan site will not make any difference as anyone living above the ground floor will still be able to see naked people from their windows. I do not know how popular the rest of the beach further west still is, but expect local people would soon complain if they feel naturists are encroching on their public beach.

[Greenman]

I was down on Monday morning, 21st. No guards or anything. Lovely in the water too.

I would have thought that having a naturist beach outside would be the biggest selling point for any flats. I am sure that a lot of beach users would love to rent or buy them. I certainly would if my circumstances were different. The area does not have much else going for it.

Regards to all,

Brian

[matt23]

Hoping to get to the beach in the next couple of weeks for the first time this year. Are the security Guards showing up much at the moment? Also is the beach getting much use during the week at the moment?

[Michael H]

The beach is getting a lot of use.  The guards seem to only show up on grey, miserable days when there aren't going to be scores of beach users to turn away! 

[matt23]

Sounds good to me! Will be making the trip down in a couple of weeks. Just hope the weather doesn't let me down!