Terrigal SLSC, NSW Central Coast, sends swimmer letter about ‘no nudity’ policy

Uproar as surf club tells off female swimmer for stripping naked in the changerooms: ‘Nudity is not acceptable’

  • Woman is told off by Terrigal Surf Life Saving Club
  • Club said her nudity was against their policies 
  • Club said it had family-friendly environment 

A regular ocean swimmer was left shocked after her surf life saving club told her she wasn’t allowed to strip naked in the communal changerooms.

Nada Pantle often used the changerooms at the Terrigal Surf Lifesaving Club after a morning swim on NSW’s Central Coast until she received a letter last month telling her she’d breached their policy.

The letter informed her she had ‘breached the no nudity clause’ and because the club has a family friendly environment, ‘nudity is not acceptable as per the Child Safe Policy’.

‘Should you continue to ignore the procedures/rules, you will be subject to disciplinary action and/or including termination of your membership,’ the letter continued.

Ms Pantle said the letter had made her feel ‘body-shamed’, and questioned how members could get changed without taking their clothes off.

Nada Pantle often used the changerooms at the Terrigal Surf Lifesaving Club after a morning swim on NSW’s Central Coast until she received a letter last month telling her she’d breached their nudity policy

‘They didn’t say what I did or who had made a complaint, but it sort of implied I’d done something almost sexual,’ she told the ABC.

Poll

Do you think people should have to cover up in communal changerooms?

  • Yes, people should be considerate of children and others 41 votes
  • No, people should be allowed to strip off 62 votes

A sign outside the changerooms reads ‘No nudity in change rooms’, telling members to shower in their swimmers and change with a towel wrapped around them.

‘If you are caught breaching this rule, you will be called before the club’s disciplinary committee,’ it continued.

Another member, Wendy Farley, also questioned how women are able to get out of their wet swimmers without getting nude.

‘I think that’s a bad message for all women. To cover your nudity and be ashamed of it,’ she said.

Jon Harkness, the CEO of Surf Life Saving Central Coast, said the club was following a policy put in place by Surf Life Saving Australia.

‘Numerous young people have raised the issue that they’ve felt uncomfortable in the changerooms at Terrigal and we need to make sure young people feel safe at all times,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

He said parents of the junior members had raised the issue with the club.

‘What the club is trying to achieve is a balance so people can still use the facility but with modesty,’ he said.

‘If a child is inside and two adults come in and get naked to use the shower, they’re going to feel uncomfortable.’ 

Mr Harkness said there are plans to revamp the changerooms and place individual cubicles.

‘I think (Ms Pantle’s complaints) are a little bit unreasonable given the circumstances,’ he added.

‘Surf Life Saving Australia is more than inclusive to all people from all cultures and with different shapes and body sizes.’

Ms Pantle has since left the club. 

The club informed members nudity is not allowed in the communal changerooms as it's a family friendly environment

The club informed members nudity is not allowed in the communal changerooms as it’s a family friendly environment

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