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I'm not so sure that the premise of the question ("all swimming... was unclothed") is necessarily correct. If you look back a century or so - on the contrary, their idea of "bathing suits" was actually clothing that covered all, or at least most, of the body. That may well have been true in earlier times too. In halachah, we find a discussion about crossing ...

The Debriciner, Rav Moshe Stern in Shaalos U'Teshuvos Be’er Moshe 3:77 says it is permissible. The reasoning is that the Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 550:2 says that bathing is permitted on the three fasts (Tzom Gedalia, Asara B’Teves, and Shiva Asar B’Tammuz). Although the Acharonim argue on the Michaber and our minhag is to be Machmir, the Pri Megadim says ...

There are two reasons for not swimming, one applying more than the other: The Mishna Berurah 549:1 has a piece explaining that the purpose of the fast is a means toward introspection and teshuva. He concludes that those who fast and go on pleasure walks have grabbed the unimportant (tafel) and abandoned the important (ikar). A second point is brought in ...

TK, although I cannot definitively answer your questions, I can touch on some of the issues that I have discussed with an authority: "Mixed swimming" is a subset of forbidden relations (abizrayhu d'arayos)- loosely translated as promiscuity. However this would apply only when in the pool in proximity, but not when a male is on one side of a large pool and ...

It seems that both reasons are applicable. See Rama in Shulchan Aruch 551:16 which says that bathing for pleasure is prohibited. See Shulchan Aruch 551:1 and 551:18 which says that when the month of av comes in the more one should be careful and then says later on that certain parts of the day are more dangerous(see Mishna Brurah on 551:18). The Medrash ...

For Question 2: Igros Moshe forbids swimming in mixed beaches. There is no practical halachic difference between cousins/aunts/uncles and non-relatives for Yichud, negiya, etc. (especially that a convert is considered a new-born child). Even by women, Igros Moshe says to be stringent and not swim with a male lifeguard (she is technically not doing anything ...

The original prohibition as brought in the Gemarah Maseches Shabbos against swimming on Shabbos has to do with concern that one may perform "Gibul" - mushing the dirt at the side of the body of water into mud which would be a toldah of lash, kneading. As Yirmiyahu said there is also the concern of making a raft. Therefore in an outdoor pool most poskim do ...

In addition to the other excellent answers, I want to point out one more source because of its direct relevance to the specific question asked. The Talmud records (Megillah 5b) that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi publicly bathed in the city of Tzippori on the 17th of Tammuz. Tosfot and Rashba there already point out that he was making a public statement that the ...

Whats the problem? There is a difference between going to the bathroom and swimming. In the bathroom you are uncovered if you uncover yourself. In the lake or ocean or wherever you swim you are covered with water. You can even make a Bracha while in a Mikva as ladies do when they are Toivel.

The Aruch haShulchan writes (OC 551:31): אע"ג דאין אבלות לקטן כמ"ש ביו"ד סי' שפ"ד זהו בסתם אבלות אבל באבלות דרבים שהוא זכרון לחורבן בית קדשינו ראוי לחנך גם הקטנים [מג"א סקל"ח] ולאו משום דאבלות זו חמירא מסתם אבלות דאדרבא שיש דברים שמקילינן באבלות ישנה כדאמרינן ביבמות [מ"ג:] ע"ש אלא דבזה יש חינוך ליראת ד' שהקטן כשישאל על מה זה יבינו לו עניין חורבן בית ...