There aren't many places to surf that are as cold or hardcore as the New Zealand South Islandduring winter! Luckily, O’Neill was born in one of those places, Santa Cruz in Northern California, and cold water surf is what we live for! A South Island winter means you need a proper 4/3mm or 5/3mm suit, booties, hood and gloves to maximise your time in the water.

Our Psychotech 4/3mm is the best wetsuit in the business. Another level up on anything else, with TB Air Firewall and TB Firewall liners, Fluid Seam weld with internal TB3X taping, in our hydrophobic and insanely stretchy TB3 neoprene.

OurBahia 4/3mmis a solid, warm and comfy suit thanks to it's glued and blindstitched seams (GBS), MeshSkin chest/back panels and SuperGrill liner, and looks incredible with its seasonal Surf Series print.

Currently we dont' offer any womens specific 5/4mm steamers. Although it's a mens/unisex wetsuit, our Mutant 5/4mm could be an option if you need to stay in the water for long periods during the harshest parts of winter. The detachable hood has a modular closure construction so the hood zips into the suit for better seal and comfort. All seams are sealed with our Fluid Seam Weld, and it features our body heat-trapping TB Firewall liner and MeshSkin chest/back panels that absorb solar heat and block out the wind.Warm, durable, and flexible.

Pro tip - bump up the warmth of any 4/3 suit with our Thermo Neo-Hooded Sleeveless Vest. Integrates a lightweight neoprene hood and upgrades the warmth around your torso with an extra thermal layer.

Our top pick for separate hoods is the Psycho 3mm Hood, and for booties, our first choice would be the Mutant 3mm ST Boot. Our recommended glove is the Psychotech 1.5mm Glove.

It just depends on what’s most important to you - warmth / flexibility / price.

Check out the autumn/spring recommendations for further suggestionsif you feel the cold less or you are leaning towards warmer conditions.