Jack O'Neill Memorial Paddle-outs – A legend has left us but thousands worldwide keep up his legacy

His vision of being able to surf longer in the cold waters of San Francisco Bay. So Jack O'Neill invented the wetsuit in the early 1950s. Jack O'Neill's neoprene suit opened a whole new world for surfing. Suddenly, the wave riders were able to exercise their sport even in cold water and thus on waves that were previously considered inaccessible. 60% of today's water sports could not surf without Jack O'Neill's invention.
 
In celebration of the life of Jack O’Neill, his company O’Neill invites watermen all over the globe to join collective paddle-outs on Sunday, 9th of July 2017, simultaneously at 11 AM PST (8 PM CEST). They will be held at Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz, California (USA), Great Western Beach, Newquay, Cornwall (GBR), Cox Bay, Tofino, Vancouver Island (CAN), Anglet, Biarritz (FRA), Freshwater Beach, Sydney (AUS), Thurso, Scotland (GBR), Scheveningen (NED), Surfer Paradise, Knokke, and J-Bay (RSA).

Paddle-outs are the traditional ceremony in the surfing world to honour surfers. Family, friends and also fans gather at a surf spot, paddle out together on their surfboards, form a ring and tell stories and bring back memories to honour the surfer that passed away. This is the appropriate way to celebrate the life of Jack O’Neill, who always viewed what he did as a passion, and was more surprised than anyone that the business grew to the point that it did. Along the way, Jack travelled the world and became internationally known as a surfer, an airplane and balloon pilot, sailor, fisherman, and adventurer. For nearly his entire life he lived by and for the world’s oceans, and worked tirelessly to promote public access to their many health, economic and environmental benefits.