O’Neill wetsuit history

Jack O’Neill is a legend in the surf world, in 1952 he created the first O’Neill wetsuit by gluing together pieces of neoprene foam. This allowed many more people to enjoy surfing in the cold waters of Northern California.

After opening the first ever surf shop the brand has grown into one of the biggest names in surf wetsuits and clothing.

O’Neill wetsuit innovations

Inventing the wetsuit is high up on the list, but O’Neill are also responsible for naming the short john and long john style of suits and creating the first rash vest and split toe wetsuit boots.

Jack O’Neill’s son also helped create the leash, unfortunately when testing a leash Jack O’Neill’s board sprung back at him and he ended up losing an eye, hence the characteristic eye patch.

O’Neill wetsuit sponsorship

O’Neill wetsuit warranty

If you feel your O’Neill wetsuit has an issue which is covered under the warranty you should contact the retailer you purchased the wetsuit from in the first instance.

The O’Neill wetsuit warranty:

• 1 year warranty workmanship and materials
• 90 day on workmanship and materials for Wetsuit Accessories

The O’Neill wetsuit warranty does not cover:

• Fading from sunlight
• Alterations
• Materials over 1 year (from date of original purchase), or 90 days for accessories
• Repairs or alterations done by anyone other than O’Neill or an O’Neill authorized repair facility
• Thinning of the shoulder region due to the Velcro from the neck seal adhering to the inside or outside of the wetsuit (there is a female Velcro tab provided at the top of the zip for the neck closure Velcro to be attached to). Using this tab correctly will avoid this thinning issue.
•  Any damage from Velcro, either from the suit Velcro itself or leg rope, glove closures etc.
• Damage to the inside ankle area from incorrect or over stretching of the suit when pushing the feet through the suit or catching toe nails. This is normally seen as horizontal cuts/ tears anywhere from below the knee to the bottom of the leg.
• Damage from using the wetsuit for purposes other than it was designed for. An example of this is elbows wearing out due to body boarding.
• “Cooking” from clothes dryers or heater.
• Pulling, stretching or tearing at the base of the zip caused from using the zip cord as a leverage tool to finishing fitting into the wetsuit.
• “Discounted”, “Discontinued”, “Seconds” and “Altered” suits are final sales only. No returns will be accepted for any reason.