Florida’s fragile nude beaches

Haulover’s plea for funds reveals a wider battle to keep naturism alive in a hostile political climate

At Haulover Beach, the most famous nude beach in America, a plain laminated sign recently appeared on a pole in the clothing-optional section. Its message was blunt: Haulover Beach needs your help.

The sign points to a fundraising push by South Florida Free Beaches (SFFB), the volunteer group that founded the clothing-optional zone in 1991 and has defended it ever since. For decades, Haulover has seemed untouchable—a global destination drawing more than a million visitors each year. But SFFB president Ken Tauer warns that the beach nearly lost its nude status in the last Florida legislative session.

A South Florida Free Beaches sign at Haulover urges donations to fund lobbying and protect Florida’s most famous nude beach. | Photo via SFFB

“Some of you have heard about the near ban on nudity at Haulover by Florida’s 2025 legislature,” Tauer wrote in a letter to beachgoers. “Only two things likely saved us. First, our lobbyist personally negotiated an alternative,” and the second, he said, were organized factions whose claimed mission was “protecting children” gained traction in Tallahassee, fueling discussions about whether children should be barred from the presence of nude adults. “Now,” Tauer warned in his letter, “I very much believe we could lose our nude beach within a year.”

A veteran lobbyist at risk

The “lobbyist” Tauer referred to in his public letter is Ramon Maury, who has spent 32 years successfully working the halls of Tallahassee on behalf of naturists. Maury has been the movement’s watchdog, catching threats hidden in obscure bills, negotiating fixes in committee, and persuading legislators to leave Florida’s few nude beaches and private clubs alone.

But the cost of keeping a lobbyist on retainer is now in jeopardy. For years, Florida naturists have been fortunate to retain Maury’s services for just a fraction of what such representation typically costs. Even that vastly discounted sum is now beyond SFFB’s reach without immediate help. “The payments to the lobbyist are too critical not to pay,” Tauer told Planet Nude. “We have to convince beachgoers that now only THEY can save our beach!”

This is not lost on beach advocates in Florida. Shirley Mason, founder of the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute and a former President of SFFB who first spearheaded the effort to establish Haulover’s designated clothing-optional beach, said the answer is clear: “Florida’s situation is unique with opportunities and perils, and having a well-connected lobbyist has proven to be essential. We need lobbyists throughout the country, in every state, and they have to be educated [about naturism]; Ramon should be the instructor for this.”

Ramon Maury at the Florida Capitol | Longtime lobbyist and advocate for nude recreation.

“People say, ‘If he’s a nudist, he should do it for free,’ or, ‘Just pay this guy $20,000 and let him go lobby the legislature,’ or, ‘Haulover will never close, this beach makes too much money for the county.’ We’ve heard every excuse,” Mason told Planet Nude. In reality, she says, lobbying services typically range from $90,000 on the low end to an average of $250,000 a year. “Ramon has 40-plus years of experience and a reputation in Tallahassee that’s invaluable. We could never have won the battles we’ve faced without him. It costs money to do this work.”

Mason added that the task is harder now than ever. “In our hyper-partisan political climate, representing people who want to take off their clothes to swim, sunbathe, and socialize with their families is near impossible,” she said. “It’s past time for everyone who benefits—nonprofits, businesses, and individuals—to contribute if we believe this is a freedom worth keeping.”

Without funding to keep Ramon Maury under contract, naturists will face the 2026 election year—when culture-war bills are expected to intensify—without their most experienced advocate.

What’s at stake

Maury’s record shows what’s at stake. In December 1986, an administrative rule quietly adopted just before Christmas banned nudity in all Florida state parks—summarily wiping out dozens of long-standing skinny-dipping spots in one stroke.

Advocates in the state have spent the last thirty years fighting to get these spots back. “Once it’s in there, reversing it is almost impossible,” Maury recalled to Planet Nude. When a massage therapy bill inadvertently threatened to outlaw nudist resort spas in 2023, Maury not only fixed the language but also secured a carveout that positioned AANR in Florida law as the accrediting body for naturist clubs. By writing AANR into statute alongside institutions like the Florida Bar and the CPA Association, the law effectively recognized AANR as the oversight authority for naturist spaces—something Maury said would have cost any other lobbyist hundreds of thousands of dollars to achieve.

Florida has been lucky, Maury admits—fortunate to get by on a shoestring of lobbying and goodwill. But the current threats run deeper. The state’s political climate has shifted sharply, and naturism could easily become collateral damage.

Haulover Beach in Miami | One of the most popular and longest-standing clothing-optional beaches in the United States.

Meanwhile, Haulover’s local defenders are left scrambling for resources. Maury estimates nude recreation contributes $7.2 billion annually to Florida’s economy, yet few of those who benefit—resorts, clubs, or even everyday beachgoers—contribute to the lobbying that keeps it legal.

Support South Florida Free Beaches

South Florida Free Beaches, the group that founded Haulover’s clothing-optional section in 1991, says it cannot meet the current threat alone. The organization has mentored and protected the beach for more than three decades, but lobbying costs have pushed it to the brink. “Without this fundraiser, our financial situation will be in jeopardy… now only beachgoers can save our beach!” Tauer said.

In his letter to members, he warned that SFFB has already exhausted its dues income for the year and that fundraising is the only way to keep a lobbyist in place as the 2026 session approaches. “Remember if we didn’t exist the nude beach would disappear—the same thing goes for next year,” he wrote.

For those who value Haulover and the future of nude recreation in Florida, SFFB is asking supporters to join as members or contribute directly to its legal action and lobbying fund. 🪐

Join South Florida Free Beaches as a member or donate to the SFFB legal action and lobbying fund here:

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Disclosure: The author serves voluntarily on the Board of Governors for the B.E.A.C.H.E.S. Foundation Institute and on the Public Relations Committee for AANR.