Skinny dipping means to swim without any clothing, not even a swimsuit or a bikini. It is used to refer to swimming in unheated waters but is also used to refer to going naked in hot tubs or hot springs. It is a mischevios term for swimming expeditions that may occur at night time, involving both sexes, at places where people are supposed to wear swimsuits. Although no sexual activity actually takes place during such expeditions, it involves an element of sexual rebelliousness. Skinny Dipping was a norm in the early 17th century both in England and the US, where swimsuits were unheard of. It was considered natural for members of the same sex to swim without any clothing. It was towards the end of the seventeenth century, that swimsuits became the norm and skinny dipping came to be considered inappropriate. However, it is still fairly common in rural areas and there are nude beaches even in urban areas where people indulge in skinny dipping even today.
