The Brains Behind Bare

Tom and Nancy, the owners of Bare Necessities, had an interesting start in the social nude recreation scene. They weren’t nudists who dreamt of building a travel company, in fact, they weren’t even nudists at all. Tom was a Grammy-nominated singer-turned-attorney and Nancy was a yoga-practicing banker, and together the two had a passion for scuba diving. Their Bare adventure began in 1989 when work conflicts caused them to cancel a scuba diving trip they had been planning. Tom came home that night with good news: he found another dive boat they could book for the following week. The (seemingly) bad news? The dive boat was chartered by nudists.

The novelty of scuba diving alongside naked strangers sparked Tom’s curiosity. He thought, “what have we got to lose?” Nancy, on the other hand, wasn’t completely on board. It wasn’t until she read a pamphlet describing nudism from a woman’s perspective that she warmed up to the idea. She opened the pamphlet expecting images of unrealistic female bodies, only to discover women of all ages, shapes, sizes, and colors giving their testimonies. It quickly became clear to Nancy that shedding her clothing was going to be therapeutic. It wasn’t about showing off your body or exploiting your sexuality, it was about finding yourself, loving yourself, and meeting people who accept you for who you are. So, they took the plunge!

After their experience on the dive boat, two more nakations®, and multiple conversations with the lifelong friends they had made, Tom and Nancy realized there was an opportunity to take Bare vacationing to a whole new level. That’s when they formed Bare Necessities Tour & Travel. Since 1990, Tom and Nancy have become pioneers of nude travel, something they certainly did not set out to become. In 26 years, they have successfully chartered over 60 Bare Cruises for nudists, naturalists, and whatever-you-call-yourself-ists.