swimming pools

[CharleneT]

Ok, I can handle most of what I am encountering ... doing ok too

I need some exercise and right now my best choice and favorite is swimming.  I haven't for some time and do love it.  BUT obviously it does have some subtle problems associated with it ( can you say tucking issue of the month? ).

I have friends who wear swim suits that have a skirt like bottom to help with a little stealth.  Other than that, do you folks have any suggestions about what I might run into and how to deal with it ?  Experiences you've had ?

I live in a cold clim ... hence beaches are out right now.

Charlene

[Janet_Girl]

Tape and tuck before going to a indoor pool, wearing your suit under your street clothes.  Change in to dry clothes in the restroom.  Otherwise schudule private time at the pool, if possible.



Janet

[myles]

My SO is a cis gendered female who can not stand the way she looks in swimsuits so she wears men's larger than needed swim trunks over her suit.
Myles

[CharleneT]

Can't do the  private time thing ... public pools.  I am looking into a swim dress, not cute, in fact down right matronly.  Still, might just work !  This is definitely on the edge of the average RLE though !

[pheonix]

Can't do the  private time thing ... public pools.  I am looking into a swim dress, not cute, in fact down right matronly.  Still, might just work !  This is definitely on the edge of the average RLE though !

The crotch area should be black - it will hide any unwanted bulges better-- as you swim the skirt will move around.

[Naturally Blonde]

Good subject and something that also bothers me a great deal as I don't have a very big bust and I have a bit of a belly. So far I've avoided the swimming pools despite being full time for quite a few years.

[Miniar]

I used to swim every day when I was 8-12 years old...
Every Day...

And I love the water.
A lot...

And I haven't felt comfortable going to the pool at all in a few years now..
I really miss it.. and I don't know when/if I ever will feel fully comfortable going back there again.

[tgirljuliewilson]

For me, even before hormones, things shrank quite a lot the more and more I lived as a woman, to the point where I could go out using only a panty and panty liner under a thick one-piece suit.....

It's all relative to what your anatomy will let you show (get away with)....

[Lachlann]

I used to swim every day when I was 8-12 years old...
Every Day...

And I love the water.
A lot...

And I haven't felt comfortable going to the pool at all in a few years now..
I really miss it.. and I don't know when/if I ever will feel fully comfortable going back there again.

I'm the same way. Can't wait for top surgery.

[Cindy]

Yes for FtM is must be more difficult from a practicle point. Until surgery. BTW, sorry not trying to hijack the thread. How obvious is the scaring after boob surgery? Although lots of guys in Australia swim with a T shirt on for skin cancer protection so it may not be an issue. Also of course guys don't look at guys boobs. Guys look at girls boobs. And girls look at the budgie hunters
I think an Aussie may need to explain that

Cindy

[Lachlann]

Yes for FtM is must be more difficult from a practicle point. Until surgery. BTW, sorry not trying to hijack the thread. How obvious is the scaring after boob surgery? Although lots of guys in Australia swim with a T shirt on for skin cancer protection so it may not be an issue. Also of course guys don't look at guys boobs. Guys look at girls boobs. And girls look at the budgie hunters
I think an Aussie may need to explain that

Cindy

If you take care of it, the scarring isn't so bad, and people usually don't jump to conclusions that you got chest surgery like that. You can easily get away with 'car crash' or such if someone does ask. My skin type requires I wear a shirt anyway, though.

[CharleneT]

Well ... I have found a decent suit. It is a "swim dress", kinda crazy name in a way, it is really just a regular one piece suit with a small skirt built into the bottom.  Anyway, I should do for that issue... In the mean time I talked to the person in charge of the city pools and explained my circumstances.  They have some experience with TS folks and have a work around.  I can use the restrooms to dress, then go thru a staff door to get to the pool area.  The downside is that each time I get to "out" myself to the staff by explaining why they need to let me thru the door, and I cannot take a shower before or after ( I can dry off in the restroom on my way out).  The only other option they offered was using the men's locker room (I'm MTF).  While I can barely get by right now with that, soon my breast development will make it too weird. 

My other option is to go in stealth and see how it works.  Officially, in this state, they are required to allow me to use the facilities for the gender that I am presenting in ... but they basically told me they do not plan on following the law.  Their defense for this was simply put as "we need to take care of the needs and wishes of the average user of our pools..."  SO, if I go stealth, maybe get in some sort of trouble and *maybe* become the test case for the new law.  I really do not want to be the test case ....

Pondering what to do !

Charlene

[Bombi]

Get some women's surf trunks and a rash guard. Feminine but acceptable.

[Naturally Blonde]

Get some women's surf trunks and a rash guard. Feminine but acceptable.

women's surf trunks? never heard of them? are you serious? I want look feminine and I certainly don't want to look like a bloke? For someone like me it's got to be a complete swim suit which is tailored to the right shape.

[Janet_Girl]

Google 'rash guard' and you will see some great stuff.


Janet

[pheonix]

I'm the same way. Can't wait for top surgery.

Lachlann,

Not knowing what sort of size you are up top, I apologize in advance if my suggestion is useless.  I had developed breasts during puberty (a decent sized a cup) and based on my experience, people go out of their way to explain away breasts on a guy.  If ur blessed enough to only need a little tissue removed for surgery, you should be able to swim ok.

Back then, when I went swimming, I wore a thick black cotton t-shirt.  Only occasionally was I asked why and a simple "I burn easily" ended any interest from people.
Post Merge: January 01, 2010, 09:55:26 AM

women's surf trunks? never heard of them? are you serious? I want look feminine and I certainly don't want to look like a bloke? For someone like me it's got to be a complete swim suit which is tailored to the right shape.

Look into them - they are becoming very popular.  My girlfriend wears one and they can be very attractive.

[Naturally Blonde]

Lachlann,

Look into them - they are becoming very popular.  My girlfriend wears one and they can be very attractive.

Genetic females can wear anything and get away with it. But for a 'male to female' with very little female fat distribution and fat accumilating in the belly only it's really not an option. I need to keep the middle area covered and the best way to do this is with a tailored swimsuit that will pull in the offending area. For my situation a bikini isn't going to work either.

[Eli]

I've got some mad love for water, be it swimming pools, lakes or the ocean.

One of the biggest things I am looking forward to once I can afford top surgery is being able to go to the beach and take my shirt off and just enjoy the ocean in my trunks. That'll be real bliss. (Admittedly I'd probably have to put a shirt on after about 20 minutes due to my cheap pale skin, but who's counting? )

Sadly I find that I sort of avoiding situations where I might end up swimming because of the bathing suit issue.

When it's unavoidable/Ijustdon'tcareenough I wear an old female one piece bathing suit, with male swim trunks over it, and a dark T-shirt overtop.
It's not really the optimum solution, especially for passing, but I haven't really spent the time/money to figure out a better solution.

[AweSAM!]

I hope that during my HRT, I can sufficiently hide any breast growth during the summer months of July and August. This will be trying  , but I should be able to accomplish it , despite working as a swim instructor... Too bad I love the water so much. I am also unsure that I will be able to 'completely' hide any changes from my peers in the summer time. Already, I see some minimal fat redistribution and I'm only on my 3rd week of HRT, so by the summer, who knows what could happen.

[tekla]

The only reason anyone takes off their shirt to go into the ocean here is so they can get the wet-suit on.