Nudists aim to break skinny-dip record at Blind Creek Beach nude beach in St. Lucie County

It’s a special year for the annual skinny-dip at the Blind Creek Beach nude beach.

The Treasure Coast Naturists ' July 14 event will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of nudist tolerance at the St. Lucie County nude beach, according to the nonprofit that promotes a clothing-optional lifestyle. The annual group photo is scheduled for noon.

The group also wants to break its 2022 record number of 769 people simultaneously skinny-dipping there. The 651 people who skinny-dipped in 2023 fell short of the goal, said Cindy Thiboutot, secretary for Treasure Coast Naturists.

But counting is not an exact science. The group only tracks how many rubber bracelets it hands out.

The world record for the largest skinny-dip was achieved by 2,505 women in Ireland in June 2018, according to Guinness World Records .

Blind Creek Beach, just north of the St. Lucie nuclear power plant, is one of only three nude beaches in Florida, according to Visit Florida, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation . The other two are Haulover Beach in Miami and the Cape Canaveral Seashore — specifically Apollo Beach in Volusia County and Playalinda Beach in Titusville, not Brevard County where nudity is prohibited.

The St. Lucie County Commission officially designated 36 acres of Blind Creek Beach as clothing-optional in June 2020. The state owns the 408-acre preserve, but the county manages it and is responsible for installing and maintaining signs notifying the public of the nude beach and for providing restrooms. Before that, the Treasure Coast Naturists had maintained it as a nude beach since 2014.

The county is planning a $1 million project to build ADA-compliant bathrooms with showers to replace the portable toilets, and to create 176 designated parking spaces to replace the free-for-all parking in an open field.

The nonprofit, originally named Friends of Blind Creek Beach, promotes this etiquette:

• Apply the golden rule. Your nude beach conduct should be the same as your textile world conduct. Practice politeness and consideration.
• Respect the privacy of others. If there is a lot of room, then give people a respectable distance. Recognize when you are unwelcome.
• Never walk on the dunes. Respect wildlife and environmentally fragile areas. Some places were never meant for humans to tread.
• Avoid endangering the natural habitat with fire, pollution or even potentially dangerous food items.
• Public sexual activity is inappropriate and illegal. Your beach neighbors may call 911 when inconsiderate individuals violate lewdness prohibitions.
• Keep the beach clean and remove your trash. Carry out cigarette butts. Pack it in, pack it out and leave only footprints.
• No glass containers on the beach. Bring non-breakable containers. Practice safety.
• Pets are not permitted on the beach.
• Refrain from generating noise pollution. Use earphones or keep radio volume low.
• Exercise common courtesy with cameras. Do not photograph people without their permission. Practice politeness by asking first. Never photograph any children but your own.
• Gawking is rude, just as in clothed society. Refrain from this uncivil behavior.
• Dress before leaving naturist beach areas. The parking lot and trail are for the dressed.
• You are encouraged to walk along the shoreline, where you’ll avoid kicking up sand as you pass others.

Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com . Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Nudists aim to break skinny-dip record at Blind Creek Beach nude beach in St. Lucie County