Swimming Pool - Dress Code

Dress Code

In public swimming pools, dress code may be stricter than on public beaches, and in indoor pools stricter than outdoor pools. For example, in countries where women can be topless on the beach, this is often not allowed in a swimming pool, and a swimsuit must be worn. For men, wearing shoes and a shirt on a beach is acceptable, but often not in a pool.

At beaches, many people swim with clothes on and wear beachwear, but at pools (especially indoor pools) more minimal attire is often worn, such as lycra briefs for men or lycra one-piece tanksuits for women. Swimming with clothes on often results in objections from lifeguards at pools, especially indoor pools, as they can potentially weigh the swimmer down should he or she need to be rescued. In France and some other European countries, board shorts are usually not allowed for hygiene reasons. In Scandinavian countries and in particular Iceland, rules about clothing and hygiene are especially strict. Bathing suits are sometimes doubled up (wearing one brief inside another) when diving from a high board, so that the swimsuit does not rip on impact with the water.