I went to a nude beach for the first time in my life this week.

I'm generally a shy person who suffers from body insecurity, and one of my friends suggested that visiting a nude beach might help me develop a positive body image, boost my confidence, and aid in socializing.

Taking his advice into consideration, this year, when I was in Florida for the summer visiting my cousin, I decided to go to a clothing-optional beach (alone). The sight of nude sunbathers and other people casually strolling around without any clothing was surprising, to say the least, especially since where I come from, nudity is considered shameful and taboo. For the first 15 minutes, I just stood at the parking lot and stared at all the naked people far ahead, enjoying their time at the seashore. It wasn't particularly sunny; the day was kind of cloudy and breezy.

When I finally walked down to the beach, put down my backpack, and started undressing, I noticed myself getting a boner. I thought this kind of reaction was natural in an environment like this and that people wouldn't make a big deal out of it. However, a few minutes into my stroll along the shore, a middle-aged woman approached me and kindly requested that I wrap a towel around my waist. She explained that the nude beach is a non-sexual environment and that boners (intentional or unintentional) are considered rude and indecent. She was a fairly nice lady and politely explained some of the unspoken rules and etiquette of a nudist environment.

Feeling embarrassed but wanting to respect the environment, I excused myself and immediately went back to my backpack to cover myself with a towel. From that point on, I carried the towel with me everywhere I went on the beach because I would randomly get boners at times.

My arousal wasn’t necessarily because I found other people attractive (although I am bisexual) but because of the realization that I was completely naked in a public space where people could see me. This experience has led me to wonder if I might have an exhibitionist kink or something similar.

Anyway, I didn’t talk to or socialize with many people due to my introverted nature, but I definitely enjoyed my time there in the sense that I felt extremely free and liberated, lying on the sand while the wind blew past my body.

To clarify, I fully intend to be respectful in my demeanor at such places, and I definitely want to visit the beach again when I return to Florida next year. In the meantime, regarding the advice I received from the lady about my boner, I would sincerely like to ask anyone reading this to suggest ways to manage or get rid of one. I’m aware of psychological methods to divert your mind (like thinking about boring or neutral topics such as your grandmother), but that doesn’t always work for me. Are there any physical methods—such as specific actions or activities—that could help subside a boner? Any help would be greatly appreciated.