Water polo players
 

What do most water polo players wear to a beach or public pool when not playing water polo?

I suppose it depends where in the world you are - here in Florida most of them wear board shorts to the beach. Most will only wear speedo-type suits to practice or matches. And occasionally to pools for swimming laps, etc. And I should end with - unfortunately.

Water atheletes seem to just see swim briefs as athletic wear and are no more likely than the average man to wear brief stuff for rec, which in the US is unlikely...

I had a feeling it was not a swim brief especially in the USA where I live. Foreign countries I would figure it might be OK to wear swim briefs outside of playing water polo.

I think water polo players are pretty much like swimmers - they have no problem wearing skimpy, tight Speedos, Turbos, etc. in the pool for competition, but would feel a bit 'out of place' wearing those suits to a beach or pool - sadly. Several years ago I was swimming in a university's outdoor recreation pool and saw a guy from the varsity swim team doing laps two lanes over from me - and wearing his brief team Speedo. But when he stopped to get out, he had a pair of shorts on the deck at the end of his lane - and he pulled them on while still in the water, then hopped up onto the deck. Maybe embarrassed to walk on deck in his little Speedo? This surprised me - the school name was printed on his suit, so everyone would have thought, "Oh, that guy is on our school swim team!" But he covered himself in the shorts. Too bad.

At a public pool in San Francisco where I occasionally go for exercise swimming, about 1/2 the younger guys wear briefs of square cuts.

However, they still wear them to the showers and the locker room. There doesn't seem to be much concern about other people seeing them in short suits.