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Bay Curious

Bay Curious

The Wetsuit: Born of San Francisco's Frigid Waters

Bay Curious · May 21, 2026 · 22:29

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Jack O'Neill is often credited with inventing the first wetsuit and selling it out of one of the nation's first surf shops near San Francisco's Ocean Beach. But many people don't know that a UC Berkeley physicist had a big role in the wetsuit's early invention too. It's an invention that changed the sport of surfing forever. Now, people surf all kinds of cold locations due to the availability of flexible neoprene suits that keep them warm.

Additional Resources:


The Wetsuit Changed Surfing -- We've Got a Berkeley Physicist to Thank for It

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This story was reported by Gabriela Glueck. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and Olivia Allen-Price. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.
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Episodes: Bay Curious

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