Back in 1952 Jack O’Neill opened his Surf Shop in Santa Cruz, on the Californian coast, near the famous surf spot Steamer Lane. He shaped surfboards made of balsa wood and sold surf accessories such as surf wax and vests made of neoprene. When the surfer’s neoprene vests started selling O’Neill wisely moved into the surfing wetsuit business.
Jack O’Neill’s Surf Shop became a popular gathering place for surfers in the Santa Cruz area. He brought in talented surfers and shapers like Phil Edwards to make surfboards, and the sales of O’Neill wetsuits continued to climb. He continued to develop the O’Neill wetsuit designs, including a shortie (shorty), a long john, and also a long sleeve beaver tail surfing jacket. The surf craze continued to grow on the Californian coast and surfers could now enjoy longer sessions in the cold water of the America’s West Coast thanks to O’Neill’s surfing wetsuits. In 1965, he pioneered the world’s first wetsuit boots.
As the O’Neill wetsuits improved with news styles and features added, the number of surfers and surfing territories grew. Northern California became a year round surf zone and surfers were even surfing New Hampshire and Rhode Island in January! Ocean lovers up and down both coasts and as far afield as Canada and Europe were now exploring the ocean during the coldest months of the year. Divers, water skiers, and windsurfers were now wearing wetsuits and business continued to boom. O’Neill was forced to relocate his business to 41st street to cope with the demand. O’Neill began to produce surf lifestyle clothing and sponsor major competitions around the world. The brand also formed Team O’Neill, a team of hot water sports stars and talented young kids.
By the nineteen eighties, Jack O’Neill’s surf brand had become a huge international water sports company, producing the best wetsuits in the world along with great beach and surf clothing for men and ladies. In 1985, Jack O’Neill left as CEO and his kids, who had already been heavily involved with the running of the company for a number of years, assumed control. Jack was free to enjoy the surf he loved, sail, and continue to work on a number of environmental projects.
Now the O’Neill surf brand is sin ominous with the Californian surf lifestyle and cool men's and ladies beach clothing. Continuing to producing high quality ladies surf wear, such as O’Neill bikinis and boardshorts, and also wetsuits. High quality O’Neill snow wear for snowboarders and skiers is also popular on the slopes of Europe and Northern America.