Swinging into the Lake

from Bryan, Chiang Mai, Thailand

I got up this morning eager to go on a long hike. I rolled out of bed in my dark red briefs, pulled on my worn jeans with canvas belt, and a maroon pullover. This is my usual hiking outfit which often doubles up as swimwear.

I put on some socks and hiking shoes, grabbed my day pack with drinking water, some dry clothes and a towel, and was on my way.

It was really warm when I got to the little lake I was headed to after hiking for about 3 hours. For a while I walked around the lake to find a good spot for a refreshing swim.

Eventually I came to a nice sheltered beach with overhanging trees. The water looked like it got deep quickly.

Rope Swing

There were three teenage boys playing with a rope swing hanging out over the water from a tree. Two of them had stripped to their boxers and T-shirts, and were about to use the swing into the lake.

They saw me and said "Hello", not at all modest about being in their underwear or anything. I said "Hello" and asked how the water was, and they said they didn’t know yet, but were about to find out.

One guy, tall and good looking, grabbed the rope and swung out over the water, let go and landed with a big splash. He said the water was awesome, so his friend grabbed the rope and went in himself.

The third boy was still dressed in his jeans and a black T-shirt. I asked him if he was going to swim, and he said no, he didn’t bring any swimwear, but asked if I was.

I said I didn’t have any shorts or anything either and that I might just go in with my clothes on.

He laughed and said “Really? With all your clothes on?”

I said sure, why not, and took off my back pack.

He shouted to his two friends already in the water: “This guy is going to go in with all his clothes on!”

His two friends cheered “Hell yeah, do it dude!”

I smiled and said that I would do it only if their friend would go first in his clothes.

They laughed and said “Carl, you should totally do it, the water’s great!”

Carl laughed and said he didn’t want to, but his friends kept urging him.

He looked at me and said “you promise you will go in too?” and I said of course I would! He sheepishly looked at me and then his buddies who were taunting him a bit, and he said “f*** it, I’ll do it!”

I thought he would take his jeans off or something, but no, he grabbed the rope, walked back up the side a bit, and went for it. He sailed out over the water and with his friends’ yelling and cheering. He let go and went for a cannonball on his way in, making an impressive splash. He came to the surface and pumped his fist and cheered, along with his two buddies.

They all looked at me and said “now its your turn dude!” What could I do? I wanted to go in anyway, so they pushed the rope back to me and I grabbed it, not even taking off my hoodie.

I held on tightly and pushed off, bringing me about 15 feet above the water before I let go. I love the anticipation of knowing I am about to get totally soaked, and as I let go, I felt that wave of excitement for a second or so before I hit the water.

I went under, feeling the air and water and bubbles and everything soaking into my clothes all over. My jeans and shoes and socks, my briefs, my hoodie, were now slowing my swimming down, but it felt great.

I swam up to the surface and the three guys cheered. We high fived each other and then started climbing out to use the swing again.

The two boxer boys didn’t put on any more clothes, but they sure looked awesome climbing out of the water, thin cotton boxers and T-shirts clinging to their backsides, dripping water off.

I sloshed out and was totally water logged. I used the rope swing many times, as did Carl, neither of us taking any clothes off. It appeared as if Carl began to enjoy swimming in his clothes, slowly getting the swing of it.

Carl looked great when he climbed out, his T shirt clinging to his skinny frame, his tight jeans showing his boxers above his wet canvas belt.

When the threesome had enough, they scrambled out, two boys in wet boxers and T-shirts, one in all his soaked clothes. Carl peeled off his wet T, and wrung it out, with water dripping all over his jeans. He did his best to wring out his before putting it back on. Then he put his oversized hoodie on over the wet clothes, just to stay warm.

The two guys had dried off and put on their dry clothes over their wet shorts and shirts. They got damp spots in their jeans where their wet boxers were.

Wet Hoodies

"That was amazing," Carl said to me as I climbed out, "I didn't know how much fun it is to swim in my clothes."

"Really," the other two asked as they put on their hoodies, "What's it like? Does it feel good?"

"Yes, totally rad. Feels awesome. You should try it."

The two looked at each other, hands in their hoodie pouches, then a big grin: "Yeah, let's do it."

They went for the rope and one after the other swung out over the lake and splashed in. Carl and I followed.

We spend a while splashing around in our jeans and hoodies, having a lot of fun. It was good to see their happy faces with their hoods up.

"This is the best fun we had in ages!" they said as they finally climbed out of the lake and sat down in their dripping clothes.

After talking a while about more fun in wet clothes the three boys left, saying “Have an awesome day!” while I stayed behind. I sat in the sun to dry, and lay out on the rocks in my wet clothes for a while.

I swam a couple of times more before I hiked back, and along the way ran into the three guys again. Carl said he was nice and cool in his damp clothes, while the other two said they were glad that they had swam in their clothes too.

I said that was why I did it, knowing that the hike back would be hot and dusty. I went home in my damp clothes, and hosed myself off fully clothed, still with my shoes on. I got the dirt off me, and stripped off to my briefs before heading inside.

All my clothes are in the washer right now, and I am writing this in nice dry boxers, hoping to get out to the lake again soon and maybe converting one or two people as well!