"There's a yeti in the pool! Swim away, swim away!"

So... my fiance and I are finally down in weight enough that bathing suits are not a travesty anymore, and I was thinking that swimming and pool games would be a good way to get in some cardio that won't kill our young, lithe joints before their time.  (And YES WE HAVE A WEIGHT ROUTINE.  SWIMMING WOULD BE ADDITIONAL)

Thing is, my fiance looks like Bigfoot with his shirt off.  I know that he'll say no to shaving or waxing his back, and quite frankly, he would practically have to do his whole body to not look really strange and... shaven.  (He's got some Jewish heritage.) 

What are people's honest opinions about really hairy men in the pool?  He's lost almost 90 lbs (and was REALLY self-conscious about his weight back then) and so this has never been an issue before.

I swim a lot -- I often see men who look like they are still wearing a sweater. Makes no difference to me. Some men are more hirsute than others -- not their fault. 

However -- he should be sure to shower before getting in the pool -- this will help get rid of any loose stray hairs on body. Stray hair (from men, from women, it's irrelevant from where), is the bane of a pool operator's existence...

I say embrace his hairiness!

I come from a family, on my mother's side, where the men have more hair on their backs than on their heads. My dad has no chest hair to speak of. Uncle _______ was my mom's younger brother, and me and all my cousins were much taken with him because he rode a Harley and wore a leather jacket and took us for rides.

When I was four years old, I am reported to have observed that "brave men have lots of hair, because look and Uncle ___ and look at Daddy...".

Embrace the brave hairy man!

My husband is the hairiest of men, and (unfortunately) he loathes it.  He uses "Nair" on his back regularly and trims all of the hair on his entire body with a clipper.  You'd never know he's as hairy as he is. 

Thing is, the hair doesn't bother me when it's there, but I really like seeing his body when it's not.  He's got a gorgeous bod!  I think I might be suggesting that when your fiancé decides he's buff enough, he might want to give Nair-ing his back a try so that he can appreciate his efforts a bit. 

Oh, I don't know.  It's all a question of personal preference.  As for what others think in the pool...well...if it's a pool that has kids in it sometimes (like all pools do) there are worse things in the water than body hair!!!

Oh, I embrace him daily!  I'm just afraid that the other swimmers may not take to him so kindly.  XD  And as someone who was obese his whole life until recently, he's kinda sensitive about his body. 

As long as he's willing, we should give it a try, though!  Thanks for all the advice. 

Now we need to go get swimsuits.  :D

I've never shyed away from pools and he can't be hairier than me and I just posted a pic to prove it.

Wow, thats a lot of hair.  Do you use a blow dryer on it after showers? 

I wouldn't worry about it.  Especially if you are doing lap swim.  Most people are too busy with their workouts to worry about what anyone else looks like.  'Great white whale' is what comes to mind when my husband gets into the pool, but no one has ever said a thing and he swims a lot.

trhawley -- He's actually about the same hairiness-level as you, except his back hair is black and patchy. XD

I wouldn't worry about the hair issue.  My husband is also quite hairy, but more on his chest than his back.  Except from his friends, who find any excuse to make fun of anyone in their circle, there's never been a comment.  As for me - I'm so fair skinned that I've been told that I shouldn't swim in outdoor pools because I might blind the pilots of any planes that have the unfortunate chance of flying overhead.  No joke - someone actually told me that - though I'll admit it was in high school (those high school girls can be so cruel ). 

Hee hee - as I remember it, that same girl had a bird take a **** on her head! 

i personally wouldn't have any issue at all about seeing a hairy guy in the pool next to me! you guys should go for it!

All body hair grosses me out but obviously I am the minority here.

So, on that note, swim!

It doesn't bother me.  It's totally natural, ya know?  I mean, he's a man; men have lots of  hair sometimes.  It's fine.

Have fun!

Original Post by coach_k:

I swim a lot -- I often see men who look like they are still wearing a sweater. Makes no difference to me. Some men are more hirsute than others -- not their fault.

However -- he should be sure to shower before getting in the pool -- this will help get rid of any loose stray hairs on body. Stray hair (from men, from women, it's irrelevant from where), is the bane of a pool operator's existence...

I enjoy and fully endorse this post

I agree with other people that showering is really nice and considerate. =P

But I don't see why it's an issue. I know that swimming, whether in a pool or at the beach, is a fashion show for some people. However, OTHERS are there to actually have fun or exercise. I think hair is perfectly natural on a guy.. a ton of it might not necessarily be ATTRACTIVE (to me at least) but it's not repulsive...

now if it was a woman with a hairy chest/back/legs what would we all say?

 

me personally, thats too much hair for the bedroom but on a stranger?  wouldnt bother me a bit.  nor would i say s**t or giggle or anything.

go swimming!  enjoy it!  and congrats to you both on your weightloss!

haha i wish my boyfriend had more body hair. sometimes i feel like i have more than him!

some people might be grossed out, but who cares about them? i doubt anyone will stare or make a comment. but if it makes him feel better you might try removing it. probably once he sees how much effort that takes he'll learn to accept it.

Original Post by drea99:

now if it was a woman with a hairy chest/back/legs what would we all say?

I'd be pretty grossed out... not with hairy legs but with chest and back definitely. Basically the same if I saw a guy with breasts and a bikini top. =P

Thanks Societal Norms.

Hubby's best friend is loaded with hair and I have never thought anything about it.  I think its kind of cuddly personally.  He's self conscious about it and I have always encouraged him that it's a positive trait.

Enjoy your swim!

I am crazy about hairy men!  My BF is like Harry on Harry and the Hendersons.  I always tease him about wearing a sweater under his shirt.  Embrace the hair, and have fun swimming. 

I'm going to say... hairy back? Gross. Title of your forum post? LMFAO.