Pinoy PLU Signal: Wet Area Patrons

Ok, let’s make it official. I declare that staying for a long time in the wet area of gyms and spas is a very strong Pinoy PLU signal. Unlike other signals I’ve shared before, I think this one will give you the highest probability of telling whether a guy is indeed one of us.

If you try to think about, it’s quite easy to see why this particular signal is true. First of all, Filipinos are generally quite modest especially with strangers. That alone is a disincentive for many Filipino men, gay or straight, to stay in the wet area where they need to be in towels. In fact, many straight guys I see in the gym don’t even bother with the wet area and just use the locker area as a place to store their belongings and to quickly change clothes. Some straight guys may indeed take a shower or even use the sauna or steam room but will not linger for longer than is necessary.

A second reason why straight men usually forgo the wet room is simply because they, by definition, aren’t physically attracted to other men. Thus, there’s no reason to stay long in the sauna or steam room—there is simply no eye candy for them to ogle at. Conversely, there’s also no reason for them to flaunt their gym-fit bodies there, unlike, say, on the shores of Boracay. Their target market are not other men.

That said, straight guys do indeed use the wet areas. Soaking in the heat and sweating it out is quite relaxing. A typical therapeutic session involves showering briefly to get wet, staying for about 5 to 10 minutes in either the steam room or the sauna, then concluding by cooling off with another shower. There’s an option to go to the other hot room, but this is not often done since one hot room session is enough.

One key difference in telling the straight from the gay at the wet area is the length of time spent there. PLU guys loiter around longer and frequently go back and forth between the steam room and sauna. They often stay in the area for 20 minutes or more. In fact, some notorious gay people don’t even bother with the gym floor itself and instead go straight to the locker room to press their luck.

Another crucial sign that a guy is game, short of physical contact, is if his eyes roam all around the sauna or steam room. Straight guys usually just close their eyes and avoid eye contact. Unabashed gay guys, on the other hand, will turn their heads to scope out the market.

Anyway, if you’d like to read more, I’ve explored gay men’s fascination with the showers, steam rooms, and sauna in several previous blog posts:

• Gyms: the ultimate discreet PLU place
• Discreetionary: Fitness Feast
• Having fun in gym locker rooms
• Fitness First vs. Gold’s Gym
• Sizzling hot!