There aren't many places to surf that are as cold or hardcore as the New Zealand South Island during 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! South Island winter means you need a proper 5/4mm or 4/3mm suit, booties, hood and gloves to maximise your time in the water.

Our Mutant 5/4mm is by far the best suit for the depths 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, and it also comes in a Mutant 4/3mm.

If you prefer to separate your hood and suit, for the days when a 4/3mm is enough, 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. The Psychotech comes in Chest Zip or Zen Zip (way better than a normal back zip).

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 Split Toe 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.