| It was the 1950’s when the icy waters of San Francisco Bay drove inveterate surfer Jack O’Neill to develop the neoprene armor that is the stuff of today’s wetsuits. Several permutations preceded the arrival of neoprene, including WWII frogmen suits lined with long underwear and later, glued-together pieces of closed-cell foam. Having solved the problem of keeping surfers warm with varying thicknesses of neoprene, O'Neill went on to enhance his wetsuit designs with advancements like the Z.E.N. zip closure system, Smoothskin, Super Seal Glideskin, Plasma Knee Pads and Firewall Chest panels. Today O’Neill wetsuits are the protection of choice for surfers and divers on every coast. |