Spent almost 2 weeks there...no problem at all....things were slow but most places were open...

No drawbacks to July - most everything is still open and no crowds. Good service.
Vendors aren't on Club O beach. Occasionally one might come through, but they're not supposed to.
The nude beach issue is no big deal at all. Don't worry your wife about stripping down right away - let her go at her speed - you'll love how fast it is before she's naked!! A few caring words and "I love you's" will sure help! :)
The only "bad" thing about Club O is the lack of privacy. It's a public beach, and the cruisers are mostly respectful, but many are not. We accept it, but sure don't like it. Some will say (especially the heavier or older Club O regulars), "Oh, give them a break - we were all new at one time", but my wife is very attractive, and she gets way too much attention. Some cruisers are SO rude and we can't help but think of all the privacy and security at any other nude resorts we go to that would keep them away. I say let them get naked just like any other nude resort and not gawk obnoxiously all the way down the beach. You might want to sit second row until you're ready for the front row of loungers.
Like us, put that aside and have fun on the beach and meet some of the nicest people in the world!

when we go to SXM, we almost always go in mid-june or early july. as others have said, it is less crowded. we always go to grand case for dinners and often the restaurants there will have 1-1 euros for dollars (usually if you pay in cash). that helps with the cost of dinners, of course. seldom are the restaurants closed for the season at that time of the year. jewelry shops in p'burg never close for the season but it is good to determine when cruise ships are in town and plan your visit to p'burg on the off days. you can get better deals in the stores then.

Thanks for the feedback and insight. The inevitable presence of some gawkers, especially in that this will be a first time for both of us, is something that we talked about. We both understand it's just part of being on a public beach. That and the risk of pictures being taken (neither of us want to end up on anyone's website) was our initial hesitancy. However, we've decided both are worth the risk and we are looking forward to the trip...even if it is almost a year away. Though I imagine we will take your advice and go for the second row of loungers as a little buffer might make us more comfortable.

Another nervous newbie tip..... Get your chairs at the far end of the beach, close to Papagayo's. About 90% of the gawkers feel akward and or have seen enough and turn around before they reach that end of the beach.
One thing that will shock you is how fast you will feel comfortable in your surroundings and how odd the "cruisers" look. Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestion Nola. It's always good to get insight and tips from those with experience. It's funny in that I never would have thought my wife would be open to going topless on the beach (she doesn't think she's got the confidence to go fully nude) but she was the one that opened the door for us to make the trip. Life's just full of surprises!

I predict she will be fully nude on either day 1 or day 2. My wife said the same thing and was completely nude within the first 30 minutes. Have fun. --sxmdoc

One downside to July is it is hurricane season. I have found the most active months are August and September, followed by July and October. We were there once in July when a hurricane was brewing. If I remember correctly, it went to the East of us. Never was a problem, but because of the possibility hurricanes, we now go early June.

The advice given by NolaBeachCpl about getting your chairs close to Papagayos is good advice for the reasons they give. We were able to meet them on our trip in May/June this year.

Yes, the potential of a hurricane that time of year is always a risk. If we had a little more flexibility we probably would go earlier as well, but unfortunately we have a very small window if we want to go next summer. That alone is reason enough for me to purchase travel insurance to mitigate that risk.

And smxdoc I've read more than one account of first timers who quickly overcame their nerves and went completely nude. At this point I wouldn't bet on it, but as I said the fact that she's interested in going topless is not something I would have imagined years ago so she may surprise me yet again.

And full confession, the first time we were in St. Maarten together on a cruise we were the "gawkers" who walked down the beach clothed just to see what it was all about. At that time we weren't ready to join the fun, but obviously it made an impression!

Our first time on the island was by cruise in 1999. We took a taxi to Orient Beach and of course I had to wander down to the Club O section, and I thought "Oh, what a freedom experience to get to be on the beach with no swimsuit and to be able to swim and walk on the beach free and happy like the day I was born." Of course my wife was not as open to the idea, but reluctantly removed her top, but that was all. It took many cruise stops to St Martin to get her to feel easier just removing her top. In 2008, we decided to do a week at a timeshare on the island. Every day we would venture over to Orient Beach, but were unsure on what we should do as far as visiting Club O. We were sort of awkward at first, but learned what we needed to do as far as getting a chair at the clothing option section, and the etiquette required for clothing optional. Fast forward to present day, we now go every year since 2008 to the island and even now stay at Club Orient part of our trip. We still utilize our time share opportunity, but we drive over every day. My wife is now totally comfortable without any bathing suit to encumber her, and we have met some of the nicest people over the years on that stretch of the beach. I encourage anyone that has fear of being "naked" on a beach to go there as this is the most non-judgmental place that I have ever been. You will not regret it. We go in October, which probably has a higher potential of hurricanes than July, since we have been there just a few day after Hurricane Omar and after Hurricane Gonzolo, but as long as you buy trip insurance, and enjoy whatever time you can spend together, then go for the trip and have fun.

It took two trips down to St. Martin before my wife went au natural with the exception of one quick skinny dip. We stayed down around Orange Fever and Aloha for the most part on trip #1 and she went topless most days which was a first. On day one of Trip #2, she said don't even ask to go lay out at Club O. Day two, we went for a walk to just check out the scene and ended up at the very end of Club O's beach. It was so beautiful and peaceful down there, that we grabbed two chairs and an umbrella and we were both Au natural within minutes and returned every day thereafter. Sounds like your wife is already ahead of the game...... I predict that she will be out of her suit completely by the end of day one at Club O. Good luck!
Like Christa said, If you ever get a chance....early June is fantastic

BTW You will meet lots of cool people of all ages. We are 41,42. See you on the beach next June Christa!

Now I'm wishing we could be there in June. Maybe we will make it an annual trip and be able to move the timetable up in years to come.

My wife and I are also in our early 40's.

Cool! Keep us posted!

Be careful and proceed with caution, this lifestyle will become addicting. Have fun. :)