In our current glorious spell of weather Dominic Roberts, better known as Dom, is living the dream.

He’s out on the clear waters around our coastline every day because watersports are his business.

But, as with all new businesses, EBB & FLO, which he set up in 2020, has encountered all the regulations that must be followed and the hoops that must be jumped through to get it off the ground. Or, more precisely, onto the water.

‘It’s been a learning curve,’ he says.

His concept for a watersports business in the Isle of Man is a sound one. Bearing in mind the range of weather we get, he is aiming to provide a variety of equipment and learning opportunities so that he has something to offer all-year round.

He says: ‘I wanted something that could reach multiple markets and not only paddleboarding specifically. There’s lots of different weather conditions and, with different conditions, there’s different opportunities to get out on the water.

‘So we offer paddleboarding for days when it’s calm enough to do so and, on days when there’s some wave action, I’m the only registered surf instructor in the island and we do surf camps.’

Dom’s 4x4 tows a trailer loaded with boards of various kinds so he can travel around the island. He says: ‘Because we’re mobile it’s wherever the waves are, we take the opportunity. We get more waves towards the end of September and then onwards towards the low season.’

He also offers SUP-surf camps: SUP stands for Stand Up Paddleboarding, where you surf the waves and paddle at the same time.

Dom explains: ‘We have paddleboards that are built specifically for surfing. You wouldn’t generally use them in a normal paddleboarding situation, you would only use them specifically when there’s some waves – they are built so that they have got quite a lot of volume but they are short so they have a bit more manoeuvrability.’

Surfing also happens to be Dom’s own personal favourite watersport. He says: ‘I absolutely love surfing. I’ve got into it quite late compared to some kids who are into it from knee high so I’m arriving to the party a bit late.’

And, whilst he admits that the Isle of Man doesn’t have the same number of big waves as Cornwall and the west coasts of Ireland, he adds: ‘But when it’s on here – it’s on!

‘It’s quite scary at first. A wave is predictable to a certain degree but they change and you’ve got to adapt to what a wave is doing.’

For this reason, when Dom is not out on the water he is practising on what is called a ‘surf skateboard’ which gives a similar experience to the real thing.

‘I’m using the bowl in Castletown, which is three dimensional and a similar shape to a wave. It’s the best way to mimic what’s out on the water and it’s something I’m looking to offer eventually as an alternative to being out on the water – taking people down to the bowl and teaching them how to surf skate as well so that they’re getting practice.

‘If can get a few dedicated clients who are really into surfing I’ll invest a lot of my time into trying to get them to a good standard.’

One of his exciting plans for the future is the introduction of ‘bote rovers’ to the Isle of Man. Dom owns three of these craft, which were developed for use in the Everglades in Florida and have rarely been seen anywhere outside of the US.

He explains: ‘They’re known as “micro skiffs” in America: they were built generally for the flats in the Everglades but they’re perfectly capable out at sea as well, in the right conditions. They’re basically motorised paddleboards so it’s a hybrid craft between a paddleboard and a small boat. They have 10hp engines so they’re very quick.’

He plans to do tours around the coastline with these, with one person to each rover and Dom escorting them in a safety RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat): ‘We’ll go from point a to point b with three designated stops along the way where we can cut the engines and paddle around for a bit, to explore parts of the coast that are otherwise inaccessible so you’re getting the experience of paddle boarding as well.’

But it hasn’t been plain sailing.

Dom says: ‘When I introduced the rovers I didn’t realise how much I was trailblazing with the idea and I didn’t realise what rules I was playing by.’

As well as having to upgrade his current RIB, he has to do a further first aid course, adding the RYI first aid qualification to the RLSS Lifeguard qualification he already has.

‘So I’ve got a little more leg work to try and make it work,’ he says.

Dom also offers a range of equipment to hire including wetsuits, foam surfboards, SUP-surf boards and inflatable paddle boards which are designed for ease of transport and can be blown up with a foot pump.

He says: ‘We take a relaxed approach to equipment hire and you can hire for a whole day at a fixed price.’

Dom is assisted in the business by Susan Moody, his mum and also his fellow director. She takes an active role, doing the admin and accounting side.

It was a legacy from his grandmother who lived in England that helped him to start the business and Dom says that he had particularly wanted to have something tangible with the money to remember her by.

He adds: ‘I just hope my gran would be happy now with what I am doing.’