Swinging Couples

What is Swinging?

Swinging is the general term used for the practice of enjoying intimate relations with others while in a committed relationship. Although most discussions of swinging consider the participants as couples, some single women, and to a lesser extent single men, also participate. This depends greatly on the rules and guidelines set by local swingers' clubs and parties.

There are different levels of swinging couples can consider. Some couples enjoy the opportunity to be voyeurs and simply want to watch others have sex while maintaining a hands-off attitude. Other pairs are exhibitionists and like to be the ones being watched. A soft swap occurs when the watchers begin to participate by kissing and touching others' partners. Oral sex is also sometimes "allowed" in soft swap. A full swap means having sex with someone other than the person with whom you're in a relationship. Soft and full swaps may involve a one-for-one trade amongst couples or incorporate elements of threesomes and group sex. As you can see, there is room for a wide range of interests and comfort levels along this continuum.

Finding Swinging Couples

While you can take a chance on finding a like-minded couple at a party or other event, swingers need only go online to find personal ads and listings for local clubs. The following sites offer countless opportunities to explore the lifestyle:

• Adult Friend Finder bills itself as "the world's largest sex and swingers personals community." Membership is free. The site is open to profiles from men, women, couples, and groups. Users can search within these groups, dividing couples even further into male/female, male/male, and female/female pairs. Age range and location offer additional options for narrowing down your potential partners in swinging. There is also a section for transsexual, transvestite and transgendered members, offering yet another search option for swingers dating.
• SwingLifeStyle is another free online dating site for swinging couples. Members can search for males, females, or couples by zip code. The basic search results show the location, ages, and sexual orientations of couples along with a single image and a catchy title if users have provided them. Tame, moderate, and wild labels show what kind of encounters a couple is interested in. You must create an account to view additional details. The site also features a forum section with information on clubs and events and discussion of numerous topics related to swinging.
• International Swingers Day is August 16. In the meantime, this website serves as a bulletin board for weekly swingers events and provides links to local clubs, organized by state. Visit the add event page to have your own local gathering included on the site.
• If you're interested in a swingers-friendly vacation, Lifestyles Tours and Travel offers several options or Lifestyles Conventions will let you enjoy time in the company of swinging couples in a popular tourist destination.

Additional Online Resources

Couples who have questions about swinging or are interested in new perspectives on the activity may enjoy the following resources:

• Liberated Christians offers several articles on swinging topics like the history of the practice and making the most of the experience.
• Although LifeStyle Magazine is no longer in publication, the site offers an archive of past articles.