“Every little thing gonna be alright”.  Bob Marley knows what’s up – and that is basically the attitude that everyone adopts on vacation.  As I mentioned, I currently live and work on Maui and most of my offices are poolside.  Frankly, it’s more surprising and rare to see someone with a “perfect beach body”.  The majority of folks have some fluff and some have a lot of fluff.  It’s the times we live in.  You won’t be alone.

I go on a lot of what I call, “swimsuit vacations” because snorkeling is my jam.  I love the weightless sensation floating in the sea gives me and you’re instantly transported into another world.  Caribbean cruises, Hawaiian Islands, the Amalfi Coast, Greek Islands and Mexico are all doable vacations for the plus sized person!  You just need the right tools and the right attitude.

I order all of my clothes online from bras to bathing suits.  There is simply no store on this island that can accommodate me – but that’s OK.  Over the years I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t for my body and I rarely have to return an item purchased online.  Ladies and gentlemen there IS a bathing suit out there for you.

Personally I have three swimming looks.  I own multiple swim dresses, which are one piece bathing suits that have a long skirt that goes down to mid thigh.  I have a swim skirt that has a built-in underwear and flows down to just above the knee.  I wear this skirt with either a tankini top or a short sleeve rash guard.  I have various cover ups of various lengths as well – but my favorite thing to do is wear a light cotton dress over whichever suit I’ve chosen and head to the beach/pool. Once out of the water I put on a cover up or a light cotton bathrobe.  I’ve even gone as far as ordering extra large Turkish towels online so I have a towel long enough to go all the way around me with room to spare.  Turkish towels are not bulky and travel really well as they are light and dry quickly.

Gentlemen, rash guards are your new bff.  It’s not going to be strange that you’re wearing them as they are absolutely en vogue on beaches these days – mainly due to their natural SPF factor.  People of all ages and sizes are using them in lieu of layers of reef destroying sun screens.  You’ll blend in and have a bit more confidence.  However, this by  no means means I think you should cover it up!  This is just IF you want the extra modesty – here is an option.  They’re light weight, dry quickly and are available in all imaginable sizes.

If there is anything I know to be true – it’s that almost no one is looking at you, thinking about you or caring about what you’re wearing or what you look like.  99.7 % of the time, people are thinking about themselves and are hardly noticing the outside world.  So, that voice in your head saying, “They’ll all look at the extra fluff on my arms and judge me”, or “The whole beach is watching me get out of the sea and judging me” is just YOU thinking about yourself obsessively.  Everyone else on the beach doesn’t give a rats patootie if you need to adjust your swim skirt a bit or if your love handles are showing.  They’re listening to the little voice in their heads thinking about themselves obsessively wondering what YOU think about their hair or bikini.

I’ll be posting in greater detail about specific ocean activities in the future with personal experience and advice.  For now, this post is to convince you that there is a swim costume right for you and that you CAN do it!

Attitude really is everything, so I want you to own whatever swim outfit you choose and keep you head high!  This is your one shot, folks, do not let fear get in the way of your dream vacation!

Final thought:  I’m not doing this blog to sell you anything so I haven’t posted any sites where I do my shopping, a simple google search can get you there.  However, if you have specific questions about anything I’ve mentioned,  don’t hesitate to email me and I’ll let you know where I’ve shopped.