The surfing roots are the leading design elements.

Jack O’Neill, a passionate surfer, had a problem: in his hometown Santa Cruz in northern California, the sea rarely gets warmer than 9 degrees Celsius. The goal was to surf for longer without freezing. His obsession brought the technical draftsman to experiment with various materials.
In 1952 Jack O’Neill patented the neoprene suit – a suit that revolutionized any sporty activity in water.
To present the appropriate outfit on the beach after surfing, a small beachwear line was developed which laid the foundation for O’Neill Sportswear. Today the O’Neill Collections are divided into several lines –
a Spring/ Summer and a Fall/ Winter collection. The surfing roots are still the leading design and image element of these collections. This makes O’Neill the surfing brand.