Editor’s Note:
Welcome to our new series, Surf History 101, where we look at innovations in the world of surfing and beyond that changed the pursuit forever. In this edition, Sam George examines the history of the wetsuit and how it changed our view of surfing.
What Is It?
The O’Neill Supersuit was a first-of-its-kind, fully integrated surfing wetsuit that with its waterproof zipper, sealed seams, neck, ankles and wrists was the inspiration for all modern wetsuit designs to come.
Who Developed It?
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An early 1960s advertisement for Jack O’Neill’s “Surf Shop” in Santa Cruz, California, featured a fetching young female model wearing a long-sleeve “spring suit” dubbed “The Thermo Surfer.” The accompanying copy read, “This suit is responsible for the tremendous increase in popularity of surfing in Northern California.” Big claim, especially considering that neoprene rubber wetsuits had been used by surfers for at least a decade, since South Ba