Surfboards To Save You During a New Jersey Winter

Rob’s go-to for everyday conditions is the Dominator Pro by Dan Mann, a board that I enjoyed in clean, punchy surf, despite being unfamiliar with Firewire's high-tech construction. Lively and light, Rob’s taken this thing from knee-high Jersey to a new wave pool in China. “When I took it to the pool and surfed it on a good wave, that’s where I could really feel and appreciate the adjustments Dan made to refine the original Dominator and create this high-performance version,” he said. 

Rob also has an affinity for swallowtails, so it’s no surprise the FRK Swallow (another Dan and Kelly collaboration) has a place here. Like the Dominator Pro, it has characteristics to make it work in softer sections and punch the pocket when needed. “I’ve always loved swallowtails and that pivot feel you get with them,” Rob said. “On the East Coast, they’re especially functional because most of the time you need a board that reacts quickly in unpredictable, punchy waves.”

The step up from there is just that, a step up: Kelly Slater and Mike Woo’s Spaceship. This is the newest board in Rob’s quiver, but he’s already sold. Watch the clips above and you’ll see why. “Has to be my favorite board in the lineup,” he said. “Nothing against the other boards, but when this board comes out, that normally means the waves are pumping, or at least there’s proper swell in the water. You have to have a good tube-shooter in any winter quiver. This winter, the Spaceship is that board for me.”