Today was my last training with my son. Next week, his team starts trainings again (end of the lockdown for kids). We were at the same outdoor pools because indoor pools are closed due to covid. The weather was bad : cold, rain and wind. It was very difficult to get out of the locker room, to run in the wind and to jum in the water (warm water luckily). Of course, I was wearing my thong swimwear like always. So, as we were ready to run, a women came from behind and told to my son that he was courageous ! Obviously, she had seen my thong and my thong was not a problem for her. I did all my training with my thong swimwear and, like always, no issue. Other swimmers don't care... I just avoid to do breaststroke. I swim crawl, backstroke, sometimes butterfly (not actually beacuase I 'm not enough trained). Just thong it !

It seems that France is more liberal than Canada, and the French are more lenient towards nudity. You're right about the fact that kids and families tend to go to outdoor pools in the summer, and only true swimmers go to indoor pools. Anyway, I am going to check out a few outdoor pools this summer. I am going to wear a thong under my boardshorts, and as soon as I see a thonger at the pool, I am going to take off my boardshorts.

Kiyoothong, don't wait for someone else to be brave first. You will spend most of you life waiting. Be brave. Lead the way. What is the worst that can happen? Someone in authority asks you to put on some shorts. If at first you feel shy, wear a very brief speedo style suit with narrow rear. If you get complements then try a thong.

I am not convinced that French are lenient or more liberal. But I am sure that real swimmers are more tolerant toward thongs than the average people. That is the reason why I am more comfortable to thong in an indoor pool during winter, with only swimmers, than in an outdoor pool during summer. I agree with Jm_Runs. If I wait for an other man to be brave first, I won't never wear a thong at the swimming pool. If I can often see women with thongs or cheeky swimwear, I have never seen a man with something smaller than a brief at the swimming pools (and brief are the norm here). So, I am proud to say I lead the way. I am proud to do it. This morning, I swam in a new pool where I had never swam before. With un-locked down, I have to look for outdoor pools opened, where I had never been before covid. Luckily, some cities are opening the outdoor summer pools one month in advance. So, this morning, I swam for the 2nd time of the week-end, but not the same place. I was a little nervous as I was in a new swimming pools because I don't know the place, the rules, the changing room, etc. Swim caps are compulsory ? Paddles are authorized ? Shower is possible ? Is there an organization for lanes ? And, of course, thong swimwears are accepted ? I didn't find the rules. So I decided to go blind. Just before entering the water, the lifeguard saw my thong. He frowned. It was clear that he noticed me. He kept an eye on me only during my first lap. I did my swim laps during more than 1 hour (about 4.000 meters). No issue. The lifeguard came several times at the end of the line for chatting with others swimmers (they know each others). It was obvious that just after a few laps, he "forgot" I wore a thong and considered me like a swimmer. I was leaving the pool at 11:30. From afar, the lifeguard told me "bye" and give me a thumb up. Of course, the "thumb up" is not for the thong. The thumb up was here because I respected the covid protocol and I was wearing the mask. But, if he gave me a thumb up, it was also because my thong swimwear was not a problem. If you swim normally, thong swimwear is unseen. One more time, in a new pool, no issue with thong swimwear. Just thong it !

Going about your business of swimming and enjoying the pool normally is the key. I swim at LA fitness and swim laps wearing a thong all of the time. I then go in the hot tub to relax. I often go in the sauna for a while then shower off and go back to the hot tub. I never get any ugly looks or comments. At LA fitness, the glass wall of the pool is on the other side of the entry and check in desk so you are very visible. Just do your thing and act normal and you are fine. I think thongs are becoming the norm. Maybe not for men but the more of us that wear them the sooner it will be acceptable.

I’m going to agree with EVERYTHING stringueur said 100%.
“I have worn my thong swimwear at neighborhood indoor pools several times, with no issue.In fact, I think that it is easier in an indoor pool than in an outdoor pool. It's counterintuitive.Most of the oudoor pools are opened only during summer, and during summer there is a lot of kids, families, and rednecks. So it is not easy to wear a thong (more it is not easy to do swim laps with the crowd). So, if an outdoor pool is a good place for a teen who want to thong (because she can display herself around the pool for dating young men), it is not the best place for a man.I prefer to wear my thong swimwear in an indoor pool, during winter. There is few people, less kids, less families, only swimmers who don't care what swimwear I wear.Thonging in a neighborhood pool is easier than in a far away pool. You can go to the pool several times before thonging. So, you know the places. Lifeguards recognize you and know you are a swimmer. You can read the rules. You can do it gradually with the cheeky strategy.In the past, thonging was linked to tanning. People wore a thong for tanning, in order to reduce tan lines. Nowadays, thonging is not linked with tanning anymore. Thonging is a way of life. That is the reason why you can see more and more thongs in indoor swimming pools (almost only women).So, yes, I am used to thong at my neighborhood indoor pools, and there is no issue.And I can tell you that when you chat with the lifeguards, while wearing your thong swimwear, it increases your selconfidence, and you are totally confident the next times. “

I live in the US any my experience thonging for lap swim is almost a perfect copy of what stringueur said. I must also agree with JM-runs

“ don't wait for someone else to be brave first. You will spend most of you life waiting. Be brave. Lead the way. What is the worst that can happen? Someone in authority asks you to put on some shorts. If at first you feel shy, wear a very brief speedo style suit with narrow rear. If you get complements then try a thong.”

That is EXACTLY how I did it. I started with a basic Speedo Solar brief, then to. Sport Euro, then a Gary Majdell “Ultra Greek” to my now regular choice a Desmitt thong. Part about talking to the staff and others in your thong, DOES in fact do wonders for your self confidence. With the US slowly coming out of COVID lockdown I’m really looking forward to getting back in the pool. Will wear bring both my ultra Greek and my thong first time back, if I recognize enough of the staff, thong for sure. If more new faces then will make the introductions in my U.G., then transition back to my thong.

Exactly ! What I call the "cheeky strategy" is the best way to thong at the swimming pool. Cheeky strategy : - First, a brief. - Next a bikini with a 3/4 back cover. - Next a brazilian bikini with a half back cover. - Next a cheeky swimwear. - Next, the thong swimwear. Of course, you can skip some steps if you are comfortable. Last year, when my country came out lockdown, it was the perfect time to start to wear a thong at the swimming pool. Swimming pools were not busy. Few swimmers. No families, no redneck. Lifeguards, staff are happy to see swimmers come back. People were more concerned about covid than about my thong swimwear. People wanted to chat, no matter I wore a thong. So, I think that the end of the lockdown is the best time to start thonging at the public swimming pools.

I miss swimming laps since all the gyms closed for Covid. I unfortunately was at a gym that closed it’s doors for good because of Covid. I loved our pool.. Olympic size pool with no lifeguards and separated from the rest of the gym. Made thong lap swimming much easier! They did have one camera in the pool area but the old guy at the desk never watched it I’m sure. I miss the routine of daily lap swimming with the same folks everyday. I never had any issues and it is true that other swimmers did not really care. I pretty much did what stringueur said as far as a build up to thong lap swimming. I walked out there first time with a standard 1 inch speedo which was a huge step for me. Realized most of the competitive swimmers wore speedos briefs as well. I wanted to be totally confident in just walking around in a speedo first. My next step was a few different bikini style suits that had narrow sides maybe 1/2 inch. I never wore any bright colors and no patterns. Realized again nobody cared or even noticed the bikini style suit. I got comfortable walking to and from the pool in that. I then made the step to a conservative thong. I didn’t walk around as much but did walk from the pool shower/bathroom in the thong and right to my lane. I pretty much did that for a few months. Every now and then I’d wear a thong that was much smaller than a desmitt thong but I didn’t want to push it to much. I think only a handful of times I wore a g string with a couple swimmers around. I do remember right before they closed I was at the level confidence where I would have normal conversations with other swimmers standing in just a thong and it was all normal. Now, another company bought this gym and they are currently rebuilding the place and will be open soon. I’m thinking of joining them and start swimming again but I might have to go back to speedos again. New company, new rules, etc etc.. I’m sure I have to get a feel of the place to see what is acceptable. Hopefully it won’t be much different. If there are lifeguards I think it might make it hard to thong.

I also swim at an LA fitness from time to time in a thong. I used to take a bikini, square cuts, and some trunks with me just in case but i've learned that literally no one cares. Just swim like a normal person and no one has ever said a word. Not taking a backup has done wonders for my confidence, just be yourself and you will be so much happier.

Wallygr40, that’s a great way to just get past the fear and just bring only a thong to swim in. I for sure always brought backups in my bag at first just incase I felt like the situation wasn’t favorable. I would always wear a thong but had a bikini or speedo over it. It helped knowing I could strip down to the thong if I wanted or leave the speedo cover on. As I got more confident I started wearing just my thong under long work out pants to walk into the gym. It’s sort of like the beach.. you just got to go for it sometimes and just act normal.

I used to swim in a thong at my LaFitness, but the manager said it was not allowed, after 5 months of swimming in one. I called corporate, it took some doing to find a number. They said thongs are not allowed. I think it is up to the local manager and area manager. Might try again.

Tobias, just wondered what brought about the change in the managers mind? Did someone complain?

Ohharley, I think one woman did. The funny thing I asked ahead of joining if wearing a thing in the pool was okay. I was placed on hold then told as long as I had on a thong I would be fine.

stringueur -- I have seen men (and women) use the Cheeky Strategy many times. I personnaly think some people do better with this approach either if they are uncomforable with thonging or unknowing of how others might react. If it works for you or helps you to get acceptance from those around you, Great! I find the "Cold Turkey" apporach to work better for me. Simply wear whatever you do if you are not thonging, then one day throw a thong on and wear that. This I think legitimizes a thong as "just another swimsuit" with people who have seen you and recognise you from the past. In fact, just showing up in a thong, and then perhaps going back to something with more coverage makes it seem you are wearing "another swimsuit" and show little regards for the particular styles as being one better than the next. Going to the Cheeky Stragegy, I have seen people go to the pool on suscessive days or even switch suits as they spend a long day at the place where they are at. These people have a number of suits like you explain, perhaps not every one but still many styles. As the day wears on, they simply switch out from one suit to another. If anyone asks why their swimwear is changeing, they can say they don't want strong tan lines, that they changed because the weather is warmer, or most anything else that might make sense. For this way of getting acceptance, it is sometime a good idea to get all suits in the same fabric so casual glances by people who are there a long time do not result in as stong one "that person just changed" reaction from others. In any event, the important thing it to wear what makes you comfortable. One of the things you can do to normaize thongs more is to do the following. I have seen groups of boys/men where most are in board shorts (that they ae comfortable in) but one or a few have on a Speeo brief or less. I think this also legitimizes the thonging or minimal swimwear look since here we have a group of people, perhaps all men, perhaps a family, perhaps some other arrangement and some people are obviously comfortable with little on while others want to cover more. As long as they interact with each other like any other group on a beach or at a pool, a viewer will take note of this at some level and may decide that thongs or other minimal swimwear is not all that big of an issue. One thing to always remember -- It is rarely worth taking on a person who obviously does not like you swimwear. It empowers them to have you react in a hostile or adjectated way and this makes them feel their opinions are worth more than yours do. Taking on an anti thonger will also stir most thong wearer up, making it hard to enjoy your day. Simply ignore the complaints, move, cover up or leave for another location. This is especially true if it is police, a ranger, or other person in athority. Getting on their bad side can result in worse "trouble" legitimate or not. Certainly, if an athority says thongs are against the rules, you can ask "what exactly are the rules", "how am I suppose to know what the rules are", or even "can you check it out for me? I would like to know more about this." It never hurts so have a friendly witness along both if something does happen and as a person you can simply share beach or pool time with, regardless of their sex, or how much they choose to wear or not wear. The more people in a group (even just two) the less likely you will have extreme negative reactions.

At the outdoor pool local YMCA, the high school and university swim teams held practice. 60-70 swimmers. 10 lanes for their work and 2 lanes for the public. Some men wore skimpy-somewhat cheeky, some speedos, others bike shorts. Women, a few cheeky, 3 or so mostly thong. 
From experience, a wide back thong is much better to swim, unless you do want the drag.

It seems more commonplace and acceptable, and the new Speedo collection says the same.   https://www.speedousa.com/women/womens-swimwear/bikinis/color-block-cheeky-hipster-style-7192113

During this 3-day weekend, I swam in a pool in my in-laws town (outdoor, 50m) I swim occasionally in this swimming pool since 20 years . This is the pool in which I see the most women in thongs, not every time but very frequently. Since 2018, rules have changed : thongs are forbidden, swim caps are compulsory. However, last summer, I still see thongs. It seems the staff doesn't enforce the rule. So, this weekend, I decided to do my swim laps with my thong, regardless of the rule. On saturday, the first day, I was about to jump in the water when I saw the lifeguard warning toward me. I thought I was going to have some problems. But I realized that the warning was for the man, just under me, because he had taken off his swim cap. I did my swim laps with no issue. Bare buttocks is OK. Bare head is NOT OK. On sunday, I did my swim laps with my son. No issue. I saw a female swimmer with a OPT (One Piece Thong). She was about 30 y.o. and obviously she was used to swim with her thong. On monday, third and last swim training. Still with my thong swimwear and still no issue. Two teenager girls came to swim in my lane. One was wearing a very cheeky one piece swimwear which was transforming into thong quickly. They didn't mind my thong. I chatted a little with triathletes. It is very funny to see that the staff enforce the rules about swim cap but don't enforce the rules about thongs.

Stringueur, perhaps the staff enjoys seeing more bare skin of these very fit swimmers!

Swam laps today at my gym pool in a skimpy bikini. 1/2 the lanes were full. I just jump in did my workout and jump out. No issues. A smile from a regular. Tomorrow maybe something smaller. I added new photos. What do you think of tomorrow’s suit? Should be pretty quite at pool during time I go.

Hi. Great post. What is tomorrow’s suit? What brand? It looks really good on you. Go for it and let us know how you get on

I love the choice of tomorrow's suit. Can't wait to hear how it goes with that suit. I am sure you will get some positive comments.

Well I made the plunge. Same amount of people as last time, but mostly women. Nothing was really said just some greetings and some smiles. got out And wrapped a towel around my self then went to one of the sun loungers in the back row and laid out buns down for a while. I guess I’m making baby steps but it was a great day. Seems like most of the women’s suits these days are cheeky or half back which is great!!

Very well done you. Bet it felt really good

I've always wanted to wear a thong during lap swim, but during the summer months they always have private swim lessons so there are quite a few small children around. The area where I live is quite conservative so I've always stuck with speedos. On a few occasions I've rolled the top part back and down (where the drawstring usually is) which makes the sides about half the width they normally are. Doing this, you also need to pull the back up to make sure your crack is covered and, in turn, makes it look more like a Brazilian or half back cut. It also allows you the option to flip the top back out and pull them down if you ever feel uncomfortable.

I also bought a swimsuit from the brand Addicted that is basically a string bikini style, but it has a thicker band along the side so it's not a true "string". I wore it for the first time this week. There were two high school age girls lifeguarding and no one else was there so I said "just to warn you guys, I'm trying out a new style suit today. I've never seen this before, but I wanted to give it a try to reduce drag." They both replied with "no worries, wear what you are comfortable in".

Afterwards they asked how I liked it. I told them I loved it. They said they were glad to hear it. I then decided to test the waters by telling them I met some lap swimmers in Miami that wore thongs. I wanted to gauge their reaction to see whether they would be ok with it or if they would be standoffish. I made up a little story about how I lost a bet with one of the swimmers and ended up having to lap swim in a thong while I was there. I told them it was actually quite comfortable and freeing.

The one girl smiled and the other said "I bet that's great for swimming laps. Your suit ends up going up your butt anyways so I guess it makes sense. I think this area is too conservative though so I'd never even dare to do that".
I was like "Yeah, I get a bit nervous even in speedos, but it's about the most minimal I can go for this area before people start staring". They didn't seem like they were against it, but they didn't have that same "wear what you are comfortable in" attitude. Even females in this area don't wear thongs or even anything that shows any cheek so I think they were a bit surprised to hear that people (even men) wear thongs for lap swimming.

My sister in law knows I wear thongs and is very encouraging so I'm considering asking her to come lap swimming sometime and then ask if I'm going to wear my "Miami" suit to make it look like it's not my idea (don't want to push it too much and get kicked out). That way I could be like "I'd love to, but idk if they allow that here". Then gauge the lifeguards reaction again and see.

In my country, all the indoor swimming pools reopened on June 9. Of course, I returned to the my local swimming pool in order to restart swim training. Unexpectedly, not so many swimmers. Of course, I wore my thong swimwear like I did before lockdown. No issue, like before. After 7 months of closure, I take the time to chat with the lifeguards to take news. I think it is important to socialize with lifeguards / staff or at least to be polite and courteous with them. Yesterday, it was closing time. We were only 3 swimmers in the pool when they asked us to leave on the speaker. Whereas I was coming out of the water by the wall of the end of my lane, the female lifeguard walked toward me. We know each other since several years, so I knew that my thong is not a problem with her. She chatted with me while I was putting my face mask and was cleaning my stuff. But, THE problem is I had to turn my back to pick up my paddles and pull buoy at the edge of the pool. She had a full and close view on my buns. I couldn't do otherwise because my paddles were on the edge of the pool and she was here. I am convinced that this female lifeguard came close to me, when I was coming out of the water, just to have a closer view when I packed my stuff. It is not the first time she take a second look on the back of my swimwear and she clearly enjoys what she is watching.

I had a odd occurrence the other day at a gym I visited as a guest. My regular gym closed down permanently due to Covid and so I’ve been without a pool to swim laps in in over a year. I mentioned on here before that I baby stepped my way to wearing a thong for lap swimming and got to a point where the regulars got used to what I wore. Fast forward to last weekend, I paid a guest fee at another gym that has a nice indoor lap pool. It had about 5 lanes and usually there isn’t a lifeguard on duty. Since this was a new gym I held off on wearing a thong, so I decided to wear a bikini I recently bought on eBay. It’s a pretty narrow back (rio style) but has 1/2 sides. I felt this was ok enough for swimming laps as it’s not a thong but not a speedo either. This place had your male/female locker rooms that you could change and walk right out to the pool. It also has a swimmers locker room for male and female. I put my bag in the locker and head out in my flip flops, bikini and a towel. As I get out to the pool the life guard is swimming some laps and one other swimmers in a lane. I walked the far end of the pool and jump in. I start my laps and swam for a good 30 min or so. In that time 2 middle aged men came to the pool and started swimming there laps and the lifeguard was walking all over cleaning around the pool, hosing the concrete etc. He walked by me multiple times and never really acted like anything was wrong or even seemed to care about what I was wearing. I was about to wrap up and got to the end of the pool and took a breather. He kinda stopped hosing the concrete and walked straight to me and squatted by me. I was kinda confused as to what he wanted because I’d been there for almost a hour. He said “hey.. is that a swimsuit?” I was uh.. yeah in a confused way and said they are swimwear material if that’s what you mean. He kinda stared at me and was like well are they speedos? They kinda look like a thong and I go well yeah…it’s a suit but it is pretty narrow. He then goes I don’t really mind but I’m afraid those guys will complain and cause a problem. He was pretty nice about it.. but also I could tell he was trying to say cover up and I might need to head on out before they complain about it. I could have caused a scene but I think he was trying to keep something from happening. I never noticed the guys looking at me or anything.. or maybe they mentioned something to him as a I was swimming I don’t know. I have never had anyone say anything about my swimsuit before while swimming laps and of all the times it happened, I’m not even wearing a thong! Haha Maybe he thought it was a thong but I told him I was wrapping up and I got out and dried off. He was cool about it but I figured I would fight about it.

2021 has been a wonderful year for swimming laps outdoors in our community 50 meter pool. Rarely have I been the only one wearing a thong or cheeky suit amongst those coming to workout out or simplify enjoying the sun & water. This year has been 100% thong suits for me as I try to get back into better shape (darn COVID). Yesterday I smiled as the neighboring lane was being used by two 20ish year olds practicing and playing with different stokes & kicks. She was wearing a one piece workout friendly thong while he wore a more modest speedo brief. Everyone could tell she was enjoying the freedom & comfort of her suit as she moved through the water. I don’t know if it was a ‘1st’ new experience for her or not (skin did not show signs of a summer tan) but certainly her experience will not be the last in enjoying water gliding more across the body & less suit restrictions. There was almost a giddiness about her as she swam & rested between laps on the side of the pool. It was great to see the two of them simply being there, not worrying about acceptance, not being an exhibitionist and just having fun together as they practiced their swimming. When she noticed I was wearing a thong I’m sure she felt more comfortable and also likely said something to her male friend that maybe he should try a thong - LOL! Although I have yet to witness another guy wearing a thong, brief speedos are the norm for males. I hope I was a good example and get to report someday that I’m not the only male benefiting in wearing a thong during workouts. It’s difficult to imagine going back to a speedo brief cut. It’s great to swim at a facility that you know wearing a thong is not an issue. I feel gratitude to all the ladies that have helped shown thongs are acceptable for males & females. I’m grateful for the lifeguards that never made me feel uncomfortable and fellow swimmers willing to share the lanes. Be a good thong ambassador - don’t be a negative person to others or the lifeguards. If you have never tried your lap swim workout in a thong, you are missing out!

Update from my previous post:. I haven't been able to get my sister in law to come lap swimming yet, but the main lifeguard at the pool i swim at was gone the past week so it was another guard covering for her. I'm almost always the only one there (I swim over lunch break so it's not a super popular time). So when I arrived on Monday she immediately asked if the Miami story I told them earlier this summer was true. I told her it was true and that I even had it in my swim bag. She said she didn't want to sound creepy but asked if she could see it because she didn't know they made them for men. I showed her and she asked how I liked it. I told her I really loved swimming in it, but people here are way too conservative and I didn't want to ruffle any feathers. Her exact response was "who cares?! As long as everything that needs to be covered is covered you're fine!". I told her I was a bit nervous and scared because my wife isn't very supportive of me wearing them and with the conservative nature of our town I always felt like it would be negatively received. She said she totally understood but hoped I could work up the courage to wear them. She also said she was the manager all week so I had a few days to take advantage of it if I ended up going for it. I didn't do it on Monday, but when I showed up Tuesday she asked if I had considered it. I said I had thought about it a lot and really wanted to but was still hesitant. By this time another guard showed up and I said I was even more hesitant now that there was another person around. The other guard asked what we were talking about and the main guard said "he wants to try out a thong speedo, but he feels like people will judge him for doing it". The other guard said "I get that, but you should do it! Just be yourself! You swim a hundred times more than anyone I know so if anyone gives you a hard time just challenge them to beat you. You know you will win and they will feel pretty silly having lost to the guy they were making fun of. Even better yet, bet them and make them wear a thong if they lose". I told her she made my day, went back to the dressing room, changed from my speedo to a normal black thong, and walked back out. They both did a little cheer and told me I looked great. I did 2,500 yards over the course of about 45 minutes and then got out. There are two elevated guard chairs on each side of the pool and the one girl typically sits on the near end because it is closer to the guard house. I typically swim in the farthest lane out of courtesy if anyone else would come so they don't have to walk as far, but this time she sat in the chair directly above my lane. When I got back to the guard house the main guard asked how it felt and I said it was the most amazing feeling ever and that I would most likely do it all week. Then the other guard got back to the guard house and asked how i liked it and I told her the same thing. I still hadn't changed at that point and a third girl walked into the guard house and ended up seeing me. She smiled and said "trying out another new suit?". And I said "yes, sorry if this one is a bit offensive". The main guard told her the same thing she told the other guard when she first arrived and the third guard's response was "well you look confident in them and confidence is key! Trends all start with someone brave enough to be different. Maybe you're the catalyst?". I told them all they had no idea how appreciative I was for their support and that I was sad that the main manager would be back next week and I wouldn't be able to swim in a thong while she's the manager. The main guard said that her and the second guard are the managers on the weekend (they don't offer lap swim on the weekends) and that they are typically there an hour early to do chemical tests and they told me I am welcome to come then. Needless to say I'll be swimming every weekend!

Underwhere4, great story! Congratulations. The guard is correct, confidence is king. I hope you have many more days of enjoyable swims.

underwhere4, Yes, as RapidBlue mentioned, congratulations are in order! I'm glad all the guards were supportive of your choice. I'll be they could tell you some stories, so a thong shouldn't be a big deal. I wish you were able to keep going when the regular manager returns, but it appears the lifeguards have already made arrangements for you on the weekends! Great story with a happy ending. Thanks for sharing it.

I've had a week in London, sightseeing. I chose accommodation that offered a swimming pool, sauna and steam room, and had a 'no children' policy. I brought my collection of g-strings, different one each day. I felt that it was easier to start off wearing them in the sauna, because it seems more acceptable to be nude there. I soon went on to the main pool, and had no problem there. I didn't go out of my way to be seen, but went on as though it was perfectly normal - as it should be!

I am actually on vacation. During my vacation, I have to discover new public swimming pools for doing my swim laps. I'm always apprehensive when I go to a new swimming pool for the first time because I don't know if thongs are OK or not. Today, I went to an outdoor pool with my wife and my 3 kids. I decided to wear my thong whereas I could see from outside it was crowded. I walked along the pool in order to find a place to put our towels. I saw a (fat) woman who was wearing a thong. I immediately understood that I won't have any issue with my thongs. I saw at least 20 women with thongs. I was very happy to have been brave enough to wear my thong in a new place. It was an outdoor pool. So very crowd. I was the only swimmer and it was difficult to do my laps with all the people in the pool who didn't respect the lane. Usually, I swim with others swimmers, far from the crowd. But today, in this pool, I was in the crowd. Very good experience. No issue of course.

But my wife didn't dare to wear her thong. She regretted to have not bring her thong with her. We will go back in 2 days for my next training. She has already choosing the thong she will wear next time.

So it’s been about a year of thonging at the pool and nothing negative has happened so far. Since the outdoor pool opened, I’ve worn a smaller but still conservative Skinzwear thong and it’s been great. I mostly swim freestyle (front crawl) and somehow I get tan lines on my front side too.

A few people have initiated friendly conversations with me about random topics. One woman said she spent a summer nude on a boat and told me to watch out for sun damage. I’ve seen more and more thongs on women but none on men. Today I saw a lifeguard wearing a thong with really narrow strings and a small triangle. Other times I’ve seen women in thongs jumping off the diving board. Once I was sitting on the side after a swim when two girls in thongs set up next to me to lay out. 

I think it’s a mix of people being more accepting and people happy to be out and active. I hope it sticks because I’ve gotten so much better at swimming and this season my tan lines are awesome.

I’ll also add that I had been worried about running into someone I know at the pool, or worse someone my kids know. I didn’t want other kids to make it hard on my kids because of my thong. So long story short, other parents and adult friends have seen my thong. They’ve never asked me about it nor have they acted any differently in or out of the pool. Some have even shared a lane with me. When I’ve seen my kids friends, I usually stay off to the side and try to avoid them. Haven’t been outed so far. 

Hey all! Another big update! I took my kids to public swim over the weekend and the main guard was there. I wore a regular speedo for the first time to public swim while we were there and as we were leaving she said "looks like you're working up some courage!". I replied with "well a speedo isn't so bad when you've been swimming in them for 20+ years... You get used to it. idk if I'd ever wear a thong to public swim though, but i could probably do it during lap swim since my mind wouldn't be on who's looking at me or what anyone is thinking". She replied with "do you have one from your Miami trip yet? If so, you could try it next week. I don't have any kids doing swimming lessons so I think it would be fine. Maybe don't do it if I have kids out there for lessons though". I told her that was totally fair and that I'm not trying to be weird or anything. She told me she didn't think I was weird at all and every Monday she would let me know if she has lessons for the week or not so I know whether or not to wear a thong. I wore a black Desmiit thong on Monday and have been alternating between that and a blue Desmiit thong ALL WEEK!  As I was about to go change an older lady (probably in her 60s) came walking up to the pool house.  As she went past I told the other guard that I was considering not wearing it because I didn't want to give her a heart attack.  The guards reply was "I'd still do it if I were you.  You look great and at least she will go out happy!".  The outdoor pools will be closing in 4-5 weeks here so hopefully she doesn't have too many more lessons so I can take advantage! 

I wear thong swimwear at the swimming pools since a few years. I went to about twenty swimming pools, of all types (indoor / outdoor, winter / summer, small town / big city, etc.). I never had any issue, except one time last year when a member of the staff told me that thongs were not really authorized but it was not a problem ("not really authorized" doesn't mean forbidden). During my last vacation, I tried new swimming pools with no issue. I like to challenge myself and to try new pools. It is always apprehensive. Anyway, i have to do my training while on vacation. So, it is better to swim with my swim thong (always very conservative) The last one was perfect. The swimming pool was crowded but the lap pool (50m outdoor) was very close to the shower / changing room. So I had to walk only 10m between changing room and the outdoor pool. And then, when I start to do my laps, nothing can stop me. Even if the pool is crowded, laps pool is always quiet. I can tell you that when you swam 2 miles with your thong swimwear, in a crowded pool with other swimmers, your self-confidence is very high.

This morning, I went to my local swimming pool. Of course, I had my thong swimwear on me. I was on the edge of the pool, preparing myself for my swim session. A young male lifeguard came toward me and spoke to me, whereas I never speak with him before : "What are you doing here ? You are too early. Normally, you swim at 12:00 am and it is only 10:30 am. you swim earlier than usual". He was right. It was not my usual time for my swim session. We chatted a few minutes. You can swim with a thong, no one say a word. But if you change your usual swim time, lifeguards notice it immediately. I found funny the lifeguard comment about my session time. The coment was friendly and I found that it showed that my thong swimwear is not a problem.

STRINGUEUR POST # 486 Lifeguards get to know their customers, even if they never speak. They learn who is normally at a place and who is a issue -- either needing to constantly be reminded of rules or someone who distracts the lifeguards attention. Your lifeguard knows you. He knows when you come, he knows your swimming abilities, he knows you don't cause issues by rough-housing, and he knows you wear thongs. Most lifeguards are actually indifferent themselves about thongs. To them, they are just another swimsuit style. The last thing a lifeguard wants to do is be some type of rule enforcer except for things that are associated with his job. Thong swimwear does not contribute to accidents or life and death issues like other things can. I have had both male and female lifeguards recognize me after I have been going to a place for a while. They might wave, smile, or even enter into a short casual conversation with me. After many many visits, they might eventually make a comment or have a question about my thong. Once I was going to a beach month after month almost every day, and the lifeguard got more and more friendly. She talked with me about issues with boaters coming into the marked swimming area. She complained about trash pickup and Canadian Geese. I had a few thongs I normally wore, and she never said anything about them. Then one day, I wore a different thong. It was similar in style and exposure, just a different colour. During one of her walk bys she said "hi" as I laid out on my stomach sunning my buns. "I don't remember you wearing that swimsuit before," she said. "Is it new?" There was nothing negative or even positive in these comments, just an observation about my swimsuit. A few days later I wore yet a different suit to see if she noticed. This time she said "Nice thong." After this, she openly called my suit a thong and as I dug out different suits with different exposures, she commented on them. If my suit was smaller, like a G-string, she would comment on it being a different design than I had wore before. If I ask her if it was okay for me to wear on the public beach, she would just say that as far as she knew, my thong was legal. Sometimes she even told me which thongs she liked or disliked due to the style or color. Eventually, your lifeguard might become more comfortable with talking with you and discuss your thongs or other thonging issues. This should indicate to you that the lifeguard has noticed your thongs, has accepted them, and in no way finds you wearing them the least bit of a problem.

@Ohiothonger, you are right. However, I make a distinction between 'lifeguard" and "swim instructor". Lifeguard is a student job for summer (july and august). Lifeguards are young students (18 to 25 y.o). They guard beaches and swimming pools but don't have the right to teach swimming. Some are very good swimmers (competitive swimmers from the local teams) but others are not very good swimmers. The level of swimming required is not very high for this diploma (otherwise, we won't have enough lifeguards during summer). Swim instructor is a full year job. So they can be older (25 to 65 y.o). The level required is higher and the diploma is harder to obtain. Yesterday, I went to the swimming pool and I chatted with a swim instructor during half an hour before my swim session. We were standing at the edge of the outdoor pool. It was late (6 p.m) so the sun was very pleasant (not burning and I think not enough for tanning) on our backs. Unluckily, we chatted too long and I didn't have the time to do all my swim session. I did only half of my session. But, with COVID, it was a long time I didn't chat with this swim instructor. I think it is very important to be friendly with swim instructors or lifeguards if I want to continue to swim with my thong freely. When you spend half an hour to chat with the swim instructor just wearing a thong swimwear, the other swimmers/customers understand that thong swimwears are OK.

Here is me doing laps in a thong. There were several people around the pool, but I was the only one in a thong. No lifeguards, and people at the pool didn't complain. https://www.instagram.com/p/CS1aCrZn1JX/

I noticed that female lifeguards (over 30 y.o.) are very supportive for thong men. There is a lot of thong women all the year. So female lifeguards are may be tired to see thong women or may be jealous to see young thong women or may be annoyed to see their male coworkers ogling thong women. So, when there is a thong man, female lifeguards are very supportive. May be they think that it is finally their turn to watch a show, to watch a male thonger. A kind of "return match" between male and female lifeguards. Yesterday, I did a swim session in an olympic outdoor swimming pool in LYON (Lyon is a big city in my country). The pool is in the center of the city, not very seclued (the pool is visible from the street and from the runner / cycle path along the river), but a very beautiful nordic pool (outdoor open all the year, even during winter). I swam in the lane just in front of the lifeguard highchair. I was the fastest swimmer of the lane (french are not aussie, french people are not good swimmer...). I swam mostly crawl. But, I changed my stroke and decided to do backstroke. During backstroke, I could see perfectly the female lifeguard in the highchair. Her eyes were fixed on me and she had a very big smile on here face. It was obvious that she was happy, and she didn't try to hide her satisfaction or to turn her eyes elsewhere). Her smile was very supportive. It is not the first time I notice that female lifeguards are very supportive for thong men.

Stringueur: Glad you had time of your life getting ogled by female lifeguard.

Pool you described similar to one i visited. When i visited the pool their were 9 out of 10 lifeguards were female. I wore AQUX black white lettering with back seam briefs. Once i entered the pool deck i noticed female lifeguards giving others the look over to him. Once the spicy tanned lifeguard on her perch laid eyes on me it was very apparent she liked what she seen.
I was a bit uncomfortable with the attention from all the female lifeguards who were paying more attention to me then others their paid to look after. Felt if anyone drowned it be my fault since the lifeguards were subtly inching out of their designated area of the pool of supervision. I only could guess what the reaction would be if i had been wearing a thong swimsuit

In order to get to the pool deck you need to leave the pool towel at counter to be retrieved later, once you walk through the mandatory showers. As i went through i paused just before reaching for my towel on the counter. Nice young female lifeguard supervising the area was sitting up on the counter staring upon me. Knowing i was closely being watched i soaked myself under the sprinkler head while brushing my hands over my face and hair. I knew she was intrigued upon me or like looking at my body in such brief swimsuit. As i reached for my towel from the counter she gradually slid back off. I said hi to her, but she ignored me, explaining to her male counterpart lifeguard she needed to look and you don't understand us woman.
Fun as it lasted i began to lose interest in the pool since the replacements were less staff lifeguards were female. As you may guess i like to show off to the lifeguard ladies and get big reactions.

Yesterday, I was at my local swimming pool for my training (3 times a week). I proposed to 2 young swimmers (about 20 y.o) to do the hard workout together : 8x50m (swim 35", rest 25") 4x100m (swim 1'15" rest 25") 2x200m (swim 2'40" rest 20") 1x400m Of course, I was wearing my thong swimwear. I led all the laps. They thanked me for the session and didn't say a word about my thong. Youngs didn't care about thong swimwear. They were just out of breath... I am convinced that doing a swim workout with others swimmers helps to normalize men's thong swimwear. And Karens are speechless

I love swimming laps at my local pool. I have to be careful of how brief my swimwear is though. If my swimwear is too small, all the lifeguards stare at me and ignore everyone else. I would hate for some poor child to drown due to the distraction. Therefore, I only wear Rio cuts or larger for everyone's safety. It's the least I can do.

When you start to wear a thong swimwear at your local swimming pool, it is obvious that lifeguards stare at you in a first time. But, it doesn't last a long time. After a few sessions, they don't care anymore to you. A male thong swimmer is something very rare, so it is obvious that lifeguards are curious to this novelty. They are human. Moreover, when you are exposed at the edge of the pool, lifeguards watch at you to ensure if you are not exhibitionist. That is the reason why it is important to start your laps quickly and not to display on the edge of the pool. As soon as you swim a few laps, lifeguards consider you as a swimmer and don't consider you as an exhibitionist. Last week (monday), there was a new young lifeguard (may be 18-20 y.o.). He is substitute because a female lifeguard is pregnant. When he saw me swimming with a thong, it was clear he didn't know what the rules are. So, he called a confirmed lifeguard and asked him about my thong. I could see them when I was breathing while I was swimming. They chatted during 1 minute may be. I think that the confirmed lifeguard explained to the substitue lifeguard that thongs swimwears are OK for men because they are OK for women (it would be illegal to do a double standard for thong). And of course, I didn't have any issue. On friday, this lifeguard didn't care anymore to my thong. Actually, some of the lifeguards are more interested by my times than by my thong. Most of them are not able to swim like that. Either they never had the level (you don't need to be a competitive swimmer to be a lifeguard) or they no longer have the level for lack of training, or they are too old (all the lifeguards are not young). Lifeguards see very very poor swimmers all day (the average level during public hour is very low). So when they see regular and serious swimmer, it makes a distraction for them.

@stringueur : re "That is the reason why it is important to start your laps quickly and not to display on the edge of the pool. As soon as you swim a few laps, lifeguards consider you as a swimmer and don't consider you as an exhibitionist" Absolutely spot on - my philosophy exactly.

I totally agree with you stringueur. I've only been wearing thongs to lap swim this last summer, but I found most, if not all, guards notice whether you're a serious swimmer or not and thus are more accepting of wearing thong swimwear. I also agree with not showboating along the edge and just getting in and doing your laps right away. There were a few times this summer where I asked if I could lay out for a few minutes and tan after I finished my laps and every time they said it was no problem at all. A few even came out and tanned next to me.

Currently, I'm swimming at a new pool since the outdoor pools closed and have never worn anything other than a speedo at the indoor pools so yesterday I thought i'd try and work my way down to a thong. I wore an Addicted string bikini and no one said a word. I also told one of the guards how I wore a thong to lap swim in Miami to try and get a feel for how they felt about it at this pool. She never said I couldn't, but she did say there were a number of older folks that probably wouldn't understand why I'm wearing one. We talked for quite a while about how no one wears thongs in my area and she thought it was cool that I wore one so I'm going to bring it up again next weekend. Fingers crossed!

I don't think jumping into the water the minute you get to a pool is really all that important. What is important is not to make a spectacle of yourself. This means people should pretty much keep to themselves or people in their groups. This also mens that people should expose themselves unless they are 100% sure others won't care. etc. My experience is that lifeguards of both sexes can be very friendly, and that they basically enjoy people who don't pester them with a lot of dumb questions that the lifeguard can not answer. They also don't like people who do stuff like throw a kid who does not know how to swim in the water and them expect them to rescue themselves. Seeing you swim certainly does help liftgates to know your swimming actions will not normally make you an issue with them. Other things you can do is give the lifeguard time and a place to do his or her work. If the beach or pool is busy and there are lots of kids and rough housing, then the lifeguard will need to spend more time watching people. This inludes seeing and hearing;Just remember that they are being paid to keep people from drowning or having other issues while in the pool or lake. Always ask if they mind if you talk to them if you want to carry on an extended conversation. Most of the time, they will enjoy the chance to meet and talk with you, regardless of your swimming abilities. Also, don't try to talk them into thinking you are some type of swimming expert if you are not. They will know the minute you take your first strokes what type of swimmer you are, and you can't fool them. If you really are a bad swimmer and bending the truth about your abilities for example on diving, they may try to keep you off the diving board. But some places do not let the lifeguards stop you from doing something beyond you abilities. This can lead to a false level of assurance and can result in the swimmer getting into trouble later. Ohio parks have found that the number of drowning per 1000 beach visitors actually went down when they eliminated lifeguards at most beaches. (This is beach goers, not boating accidents.) It seems that many people took risks, assuming the lifeguard could keen them safe. With no lifeguard, they shyed away from taking as many risks.

Only 2 swim sessions this week due to school holidays (2 weeks). During holidays, you can see new swimmers (people on holidays or usual swimmers who change their timetable, etc.). First week, I swam when I noticed a couple come and swim in my lane. They were about 40-45 y.o. They gave me a double look but it last only 1 seconds and then didn't care. This type of second look is the "surprise effect" because a thong male swimmer is very rare. Usually, there is no kids in the swimming pool at this time. But after half an hour, I noticed 2 teenagers come to swim in my lane. They were the couple children. It was obvious that my thong swimwear was not a problem for this couple who was swimming in my lane with their 2 teenagers. Yesterday, there was more serious swimmers than usual, due to holidays, from the local swim team and the local triathlon team. So it was a little competitive in the lane. The girl next lane (a triathlete) was wearing a ultracheeky one piece swimwear. It was a OPT (One Piece Thong) during all her session. Her buttocks were fully on display. She pulled her swimwear from her butt crack only at the end of her session. 3 others women were wearing very cheeky one piece swimwear. 3/4 of their buttocks were on display. So, my thong swimwear was in the vibe. I noticed the substitute lifeguard was here. This time, he didn't give me a second look. Now, he is used to see me with a thong swimwear. He didn't care anymore to my thong. He even said me "bye" whereas I was leaving while the pool was closing. Unluckily, it was difficult to finish my workout because I chatted too much with triathlete friends. It is very pleasant to have the opportunity to do my swim sessions with my thong swimwear without issue. The more I swim my (conservative) thong : 1 - the less reaction I notice ; 2 - the more comfortable I am; All the lifeguards, most of the swimmers who come at the same timetable than me are used to see me swimming with a thong. When there are new users, they just have the "surprise effect" during a few seconds but as they notice the thong swimmer chat with others swimmers, with lifeguards, etc. they understand it is not a problem and don't care anymore. It is a virtuous circle.

I report my own experiences in order to encourage others thongers to take the plunge, even if I am aware that all countries are not similar. When you decide to wear a thong swimwear at your local swimming pools, the first times are the most difficult. First times, you are nervous because you are not totally confidence in yourself. Moreover, as others swimmers (and lifeguards) are not used to see a man with a thong swimwear, there is a lot of double looks. After a few sessions, others swimmers and lifeguards are used to see you and they don't care anymore. There are no double looks anymore. So, no double looks, it is easier. Moreover, you are less apprehensive because you have already did it. When there are new swimmers, as they have never seen you before, of course they give you a double look. But as others swimmers and lifeguards don't react, new swimmers consider thong is OK and go to their own business. Indifference from others regulars is your best encouragement. This is the virtuous circle. The more you swim with your thong, the less reaction there is. The less reaction there is, the more comfortable you are. The more comfortable you are, the more you swim with your thong... Etc.

@stringeur: For what it’s worth, I appreciate your posts and reports. I don’t yet have the confidence to try this locally myself, though I know from past vacations that I love the feel of swimming in a thong. Hoping for another vacation some time soon with a pool that will provide the opportunity to give it a go. But I appreciate you, and others, sharing positive experience that do encourage the rest of us!