Your Guide to O'Neill Wetsuits at Outside Sports

O’Neill Wetsuits began in Santa Cruz California in the early 1950’s because their inventor Jack O’Neil just want to be able to surf for longer. The water temperature along the Southern California coastline is chilly for most the year – in fact it’s very much like New Zealand's South Island. In the South Island you’ll want to wear some form of wetsuit all year round – except a handful of the very hottest summer days when board shorts or togs with be enough. At Outside Sports we have lots of keen surfers on the team, who love exploring the many breaks in the deep south - where a good wetsuit can make or break your surf session. That's why an O'Neill wetsuit is a smart choice, because they're made for surfers, by surfers in similar conditions to our own.

The first surfing wetsuits that Jack made in his garage overlooking the beach at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz were an adaptation of the newly invented neoprene diving wetsuits. They were thick, stiff and hella uncomfortable. Today O’Neill wetsuits are super stretchy, amazingly flexible, and stay comfortable for long surfing sessions. Soft rubber seals around the neck eliminate chafing, and specially designed mobility zones make paddling easy. Wetsuits also offer protection from the sun and the little thumps you always seem to get from your surfboard, and provide buoyancy to help you rise up to the surface faster if you get dumped by a wave. 

A steamer (aka full-suit) is a wetsuit with long legs that reach your ankles and long arms that reach your wrist. Depending on their thickness, you can wear steamers all year round. In the South Island most surfers wear steamers throughout the year - just changing the thickness of their wetsuit between Winter/Spring and Summer/Autumn. We have O'Neill steamers for women, men, and kids.

Zips - as a rule back zips are easier to get on and off, but do leak in a bit of water. Chest zips are harder to get on and off, but provide a much better seal and are generally warmer.

A spring suit is a wetsuit with either short legs, or short arms, or both. A long leg, short arm spring suit could be a good option for you in summer when the water is above around 18 degrees Celsius. Below that you’ll be probably glad of a full steamer’s arms, unless you have a little Polar Bear DNA. 

These for warmer water and are either pullover style (hot top) or with a zip (jacket). An armless vest can be worn on its own in really warm/tropical water or under a steamer to add some warmth in chilly water 

A rash shirt isn’t a wetsuit at all – but they were invented by O’Neill in the early 80’s. Made of lycra you can wear a rashie under a wetsuit to stop chafing, or on its own as sun protection and as a barrier between you and the wax on your board which can feel abrasive. 

Wetsuits are made for certain water temperature ranges. There are O’Neill wetsuits for every temperature range you’ll encounter in New Zealand and anywhere else in the world – because travelling to surf is amazing! 

22–24°C 

Shortie spring suit - short arms and legs

19–21°C 

2mm spring suit with long legs

3/2mm full suit if you get cold easily or if its windy 

16–18°C 

3/2mm full suit  

13–15°C - Full Winter on the West Coast 

3/2 if you’re warm blooded, or a 4/3mm full suit. Booties are good, and a hood is recommended to protect your ears, and extend session length. Maybe think about gloves. 

10–12°C - Full winter on the East Coast 

4/3 full suit if you aren’t too bothered by the cold, but if you do feel the cold a 5/4mm or 5/3mm full suit will change your life. Booties and hood are essential when it's this cold. Gloves recommended. 

Being cold is no fun, so if you feel the cold don’t be embarrassed to go thicker or longer. Every beach has a wide range of surf wear on display, and nobody really cares what anyone else is wearing. 

The water at stoney beaches is generally colder than sandy beaches, because the sand heats up a bit in the sun, when the tide is out. And if you’re surfing over or near rocks, a full suit will give you more protection from bumps to your legs (looking at you Kaikoura!) 

The west coast of the South Island is generally warmer than the east coast due to the warm current that flows across the Tasman Sea from Australia. 

The wind can make surfing chilly even in summer because it speeds up the loss of heat from your body to the water. You’ll feel it most on your arms and around your lower back, so a long-armed wettie is the go for windy sessions. 

If the surf is amazing and you want to have a long session in the water, it’s smart to wear more rubber to stop you getting cold and stiffening up. Warm muscles are flexible and will help you keep popping up fast, even after a couple of hours in the water. But if you’re restricted by work or family commitments to short sessions, a thinner wetsuit than recommended could be OK – as thinner wetsuits have more flexible shoulders, which equals easier paddling and popping.Shop O’Neill Wetsuits at Outside Sports