Started hrt! :D Concerns about swimming pool

[Emma_]

Hi!
Soo, I started my HRT yesterday! (yay) I feel very satisfied that I started it tbh
But I have concerns about something - swimming.
I am aware that hrt will make changes in my body, but how long can I still swim 'as a male' in swimming pools? Unfortunately as a women I believe that it would be quite hard to do it without doing srs? :s

How you are doing in the pool? Are you still swimming (how?) or you've made a break?
Thanks for sharing experience

[Tessa James]

Hi Emma,

I had that same question a couple of years ago and concluded my swimming pool days were over especially since I do not tuck.  Since then I have been very happily surprised by my transition.   After a couple of months going topless was no longer an option and i won't ever live as a man again anyway.  I found nice one piece swimsuits that have a mini skirt built in or as an option that cover my rather diminished bottom bits nicely.  I have been in several public pools with no problem at all and, as usual, most people are busy with their own fun.  You don't need SRS to be comfy in a swimsuit IMO.  We have friends here who are outstanding in bikinis too.

[Mallory]

I grew up on the east coast and around Wilmington, NC.  Women are not confined to bikini's or one piece bathing suits; they make feminine "board shorts" and other apparel that is both seasonably fashionable and comfortable.  A t-shirt along with board shorts sounds perfect until you're comfortable with presenting as female; then I'd just add a bikini top and rock the shorts. For imagery: think Blue Crush.

[ImagineKate]

It really depends. I can wear a two piece bikini with minimal tucking and it looks pretty decent. No real bulge to speak of. But some of us have bigger problems down there (to use a pun) so that may not work.

I like the board shorts with the bikini top idea though. I'll need that for the water parks this summer with the kids. It's our favorite activity.

[Sabrina]

I haven't quite figured this one out yet. I've always disliked swimming growing up because of my protruding sternum and was afraid of getting made fun of. Being that I have small but noticeable breast growth due to hormones, I can't swim in male mode cause of the breasts and not in female mode because I didn't have enough female features as of yet. I'll work on it one of these days.

[Rachel]

I uses a rash guard last season. This season I will need something with a design. Use areola and nipple protectors. Prior to HRT I used a t shirt. I never felt comfortable with an exposed chest.

[Jenna Marie]

I would have had to stop going out topless within the first month of HRT (except it was winter, thankfully), so my advice is the same as it was for myself - when the shape of the breasts starts to look female, that's the time to quit taking your shirt off in public. Well, not that I ever took my shirt off, but it was also when I started being unable to go out without a bra.

As for swimming, it's perfectly possible to wear a women's bathing suit without GRS. I specifically went looking for the ones with a cute little skirt that they make for middle-aged women who are self-conscious about their bodies, and it worked perfectly; in fact, I got a two-piece where the top accented my bosom and the bottom had the skirt. I have never even tried tucking, and I was not tiny down there, and I wore that to the beach and the pool for 2 years without a second glance from anybody. I would think that it'd even be possible to wear a second, tighter/smaller bikini bottom under the skirted bottom if need be, though I was fine without anything additional.

[katrinaw]

Hey Emma, Yes the changes do become very apparent and will depend on your endo systems... as for swimming, I used to wear tight rash vests and sometimes a loose tee over the top, depending on thickness and material of the rash vest... however I no longer swim unless alone at this stage in moving towards a very transitioning stage, harder to hide body shape, boobs and womanly limbs now
I was a late in life HRT starter, for many reasons not of my doing, however the process also takes a lot longer in later life than younger life.

L Katy 

[DanielleA]

I found that starting out small and working my way up to wearing a two piece infront of all my family and friends was smart. I started wearing all male clothes (boardshorts, tshirt ect) then swapping  the shorts for womens swimshorts and  I don't really care about the general public so wearing female swimwear was never a problem at the beach. I also tuck with tape before swimming.

[Sammy]

Yup, no swimming pools and gyms for me anymore - now, home and street are my gym (not swimming pool, lol).
Theoretically, I could venture into guys changing room, but I dunno, in the end of the day, who would be more confused - me or them.

[Ms Grace]

It really depends on quickly you develop - even then, depending on the size most people will probably think they are moobs rather than boobs for at least a little while. After that you're going to need to look at covering them up or going in female more. I can do female mode with a little bit of tucking and a one piece female swimming costume. Looks good!

[Cindy]

I wear a bikini at the beach and a leotard at the gym. I'm non op. While YMMV the junk disappears and is easily hidden.

[Zoetrope]

At this point - 3/4 through Aussie summer - I am very close to saying 'to hell with it' and just going to the beach regardless.

I mean, if you wander 500m down the coast at my beach, you will find old boys tanning their todgers ... so why should I care? :~D

[Jenny07]

I miss it a lot. Used to swim quite a bit with squads.
Did it for 40 years so it is part of me as a top level swimmer.

Makes me quite sad that I will not be able to swim for some time.

[Cindy]

I miss it a lot. Used to swim quite a bit with squads.
Did it for 40 years so it is part of me as a top level swimmer.

Makes me quite sad that I will not be able to swim for some time.

Sis you just have to get use to guys being jealous of having a woman beat them in the pool. You don't have a problem being an elite cyclist!

You are a leader to transgender female athletes. Be proud! We look up to you.

Says the winner of the 400 metre supermarket wheezing contest.

[Jenny07]

Yeah I used to lead the squads for many years.

Was proud I swam with aussie reps and beat them.
Best was 6 * 100m going on the 65 second repeats. Just think about that for a sec.
That's all the rest I got but I did it while the others couldn't.
Most people struggle doing 50m in a minute.
Always liked to race people kicking as I could kick 50m in 35 sec while they swam.
They rarely beat me even with a dive.


Sort of a stress release going for a swim at the ABC after work.
It's so hard giving up the things you love for this BS.

One of the best pools in the world. Have a look at it.

[Cindy]

Yeah I used to lead the squads for many years.

Was proud I swam with aussie reps and beat them.
Best was 6 * 100m going on the 65 second repeats. Just think about that for a sec.
That's all the rest I got but I did it while the others couldn't.
Most people struggle doing 50m in a minute.
Always liked to race people kicking as I could kick 50m in 35 sec while they swam.
They rarely beat me even with a dive.


Sort of a stress release going for a swim at the ABC after work.

One of the best pools in the world. Have a look at it.

Among all of us are people we look up too. Be she a trans movie star, or a model, maybe a trans Lt Colonel, or a leading lawyer. We also need our athletes. Aussies love sport!  You honey are an elite athlete, I know your past

You are a world leading athlete at a level few men or women can even think of approaching. Be proud! You inspire me.

Be proud. You are an incredible woman.

[ImagineKate]

Yup, no swimming pools and gyms for me anymore - now, home and street are my gym (not swimming pool, lol).
Theoretically, I could venture into guys changing room, but I dunno, in the end of the day, who would be more confused - me or them.

Yeah I need a new gym because I can't use the locker rooms as I'm not out at work and the gym is at work.  It will be temporary for a few months though.

[CrissyMarie]

Wow, I didn't realize this was a concern.  I just tuck back in bikini and gently lay scrotal skin around the base to give the appearance of vaginal lips and go swim.  I rocked a normal bikini for the last month of this past summer, nothing noticed or said.

[Sammy]

It is an issue here because when subsribing to gym or pool, we need to register and they often ask for ID (personal code) to issue gym/pool card. On the basis of that card, the managers issue keys for either male or female lockers - and with male ID they will obviously give a key for male locker room (which is a place I dont wanna be ).