Almost 300 people braved the waters at Harrisons Cut in Papamoa yesterday stripping off in an attempt to break the world record for the largest number of people to skinny dip at a single venue.

The attempt, organised by The Edge radio station, fell short of the 414 person goal with a total of 299 registering for the nude dip.

The Edge's Jay-Jay Feeney and Dom Harvey with two skinny dippers.

A total of 299 people stripped off to participate in the skinny dip world record attempt organised by The Edge.

Only 120 people were signed up to take part in the skinny dip just three days before the event and it was a rush to register those who turned up on the day.

The Edge Breakfast announcer Dom Harvey thanks everyone who shed their clothes for the event and hopes to attempt the skinny dip world record again next year.

'We had high hopes that Tauranga would be the place to break the record. It just wasn't meant to be this year.

'If only we could combine the results but it had to be at a single venue.”

The day before the radio station had also attempted to break the record with a skinny dip attempt at Sumner's Beach in Christchurch where 226 participants registered.

'We had a great afternoon at both. Stay tuned as we might try again next year when the water is a little warmer.”

According to The Guinness Book of World Records, the current world record was achieved by a mid-summer skinny dip in South Wales in the United Kingdom on June 19 last year.

The skinny dip was attempted by a total of 413 people.

Nudist Andrew Pointon says although the world record was not broken yesterday he is proud the event attracted nearly 300 people – not including those who watched on the side-lines.

'This is a wonderful moment for Tauranga having the world breaking event happening here. There were quite a few spectators. I thought the turnout was fantastic for Tauranga.”

Andrew is proud people turned up despite the cold and windy weather conditions.

'It was quite funny we were all lined up naked with numbers on and it wasn't the warmest of weather.

'There was a lot of brave people by the time that rolled around. I take my hats off to them for braving the conditions.”

In the case of public stumbling across the event not aware of what was happening Tauranga City Council and The Edge decided to corner off an area of the beach specifically for the participants.

'It's just a safety barrier there so that some people won't be offended,” says Andrew.

'Some people get offended at seeing genetalia and that's the problem. When people see genetalia they think of other connotations that are linked to it and they don't really step back and say it's just mere nakedness.

'There's no connotations to it, there's nothing sexual about it, there's nothing perverted about it, and that's the way just being naked is, just feeling good in your own body.

'It's a fun event it's just another form of having fun without your clothes on.”