Looks good and welcome. Don't let others get you down and do what you like. You have to wear it everyday.
Thanks everyone for all the positive comments - much appreciated. I'm slowly growing into the look...I've gotten better reactions from my male friends, who wish they could take the plunge as well. I've actually been thriving on the negative ones, too! I've never been one to do things solely for the approval of others, and this experiment is reaffirming how important that is to me.
As I've been shaving more frequently, it's gotten more manageable. Certainly more time consuming than buzzing once or twice a week, but it's definitely a more noticeable look!
I week is hardly enough time to evaluate. Nor to pick up speed on head shaving.
I found that after a few weeks, the time spent shaving my head really shrunk. I'm BBC and generally can finish in 5-7 minutes but at first was more like 30-40.
So, it should get better.
Looking great, hope you'll keep the look for more then just the summer (but it's up to you).
Ben, I don't think that you should chose your hairstyle based on a pool or your friends' advices. This should be your decision and should make you happy (not them).