Potatonator or sweet potato

[Bigblackdog]

I have been using Tuflite boards for some time. I am 6'1" , 76 kg, 51 yo. Consider myself intermediate but age is slowing things down.
The surf that I get out in now is mostly mushy and small. My go to board at the moment is a 6'10" surf tech soul fish which has plenty of volume and paddles well.
Looking at getting a potato-nator, and using the volume guide it would suggest that a 5'10 is on the money. Little hesitant as losing a foot of board seems daunting. If I went to a sweet potato then it drops to 5'6".
What is the consensus on this. I don't really want the board to be too corky .
My other tufllites are a 6'6" MR supertwin and a 6'8" Byrne easy rider. They are out the door to be replaced by one or two Firewires.

[iggy]

I will require adjustment for sure, nothing more than a couple of waves to get the board dialled.
Why did you choose the Potatonator?.
Have you taken a look at the spitfire? It will give you the equivalent volume with and added rail length and she's a really fun performer from the top of the small conditions and up
The 6'2" Stealth is an often forgotten model for mid range waves

[cuttlefish]

Hi,
looking at the specs for the 6'8" easyrider you've got an 11.75 nose, width 19.75 and tail 14.5 with 2.75 thickness and 42 litres.
Then the MR 6'6" with an 12.25 nose, width 20 and tail 15.125 and 2.75 thickness with 34.2 litres.
Which do you prefer out of these two?

[Bigblackdog]

Thanks for the reply Iggy. The main reason for looking at the Potatonator is the strength of surf that I send most of my time in. Of all my boards the 'soul fish' is best suited and the other two tufllites are just too slow with me on them.
I have looked at the spitfire as more of a performance board later on. I also have a 6'6" McCoy nugget that goes ok but my eldest daughter now uses that and that is a good enough excuse to justify another board.
Surfed them all in Sumatra last year and the most comfortable was still the soul fish.

[Bigblackdog]

Hi cuttlefish, I probably lean towards the easy rider but don't struggle to paddle the MR. Suspect that the wider tail probably assists.

[jon_bro]

I say go the SP! Very similar nose to the Soul Fish but way shorter board. I just got me a Potatonator and find even tho it has more vol than my SP its not as easy to paddle IMHO. I'm using a mates Hypto Krypto this weekend and will compare it next to the Potatonator and give an indepth review. :)

[Bigblackdog]

Would be really interested to hear how it compares to the hypto krypto as that was one of he boards I had considered.

[Chris]

hey big black dog,
what kind of waves are you looking to surf the board in? That would have a major influence on what board I would suggest...

Thanks!

[Bigblackdog]

Hi Chris, the waves that I want this board for are generally fat and slow. Is a beach that gets labeled as dribbleton.
Thanks for the helpful and informative forum.
Still leaning towards the 510 or 600 Potatonator but very open to advice.

[jon_bro]

Hi Chris, the waves that I want this board for are generally fat and slow. Is a beach that gets labeled as dribbleton.
Thanks for the helpful and informative forum.
Still leaning towards the 510 or 600 Potatonator but very open to advice.

NB got a little 3-4 foot E swell in last night and this morn, and I had the SP (Out in the arvi) PN (Out in the morn). The session I had last night was sick, it was sucky and punchy but mostly closing out but the SP just punched down the line so fast I could make the sections, and throw a few turns on the face. However, the PN this morning, and I must admit the waves were even better but just found it didnt have the WOW factor. Im heading out this arvi with some mates (and I will be testing the Hypto Kyrpto (6 2 x 21 x 2 3/4) and it better perform, or else Im riding my SP when its 6ft! lol

Will keep you posted :)

[cuttlefish]

It's all in your head Jon_bro...:-)
What fins are you running in the p'nator?

[jon_bro]

It's all in your head Jon_bro...:-)
What fins are you running in the p'nator?

Perhaps it is :)

I didn't like the dominator and now the Potatonator. I have run both boards as thrusters and quads but they both do better as quads IMHO. I ran them both with AM2 Techflex (futures) but found The quad set up worked better for me Cuttlefish :). I just wish it was more the SP nose with the Dom tail!!!

I only had a quick dabble on the Hypto Kypto but found really great. Looks like an old take on a retro single but with a thruster/quad set up. I'm frothing to get out in the morn with conditions looking real good.

My friend rode the PN but found it had to much foam and the rocker really flat for a board over 6ft haha.

The saga continues...

[cuttlefish]

Sounds like you better put in a pre-order for a Baked potato. The dominator didn't light my fire either but I love the p'nator.
We're all different.
I had a blast riding the spud in 3-4' point waves today.
Haven't found it's upper limits and the extra rail in my 6'er definitely helps there.

[cuttlefish]

Sounds like you better put in a pre-order for a Baked potato. The dominator didn't light my fire either but I love the p'nator.
We're all different.
I had a blast riding the spud in 3-4' point waves today.
Haven't found it's upper limits and the extra rail in my 6'er definitely helps there.

[Bigblackdog]

Think I am going to go for the sweet potato, and then think about a spitfire for those better days. My worry is that the recommended 5'6" is going to be on the short side in the sweet spud.
The Potatonator is probably just having a bet each way and I want to get a bit out of my comfort zone.

[jon_bro]

Had the chance today to put the Pnator, Sweet P & the Hypto thru some really fast punchy east swell this morning. Here is my opinion on the boards in 3-4 foot sucky and rippy waves. A few barrels to be had if you wanted to pull in!!!

Potatonator 6 2 (quad set up - AM2 fronts/Anderson SA4 rears) - Positives was once it got going it was actually really fast and it liked open faces a lot like the SP. Not many of those but it's really nice to get the board on rail. My preference would be to run this as a quad and perhaps with AM Robbers and trailer. Negatives, to much volume in the tail and doesn't handle the hollow and late drops. I basically find the sweet spot is surfing off the tail due to that volume placement.

Hayden Shapes Hypto Krypto 6 2 (quad set up - AM2 fronts/Anderson SA4 rears) - Positives it was really a lot easier to paddle than the PN and was similar to the SP. Extrememly fast and handled the hollow waves better, much more control with a pulled in tail. Flex was different and found it whipped a little more than the PN. I think you could actually ride this in solid 6 foot easily. Sweet spot was more front foot for me.

Jury is still out and perhaps I get the old hand saw out and make the PN a chop tail haha

[jon_bro]

SP I took out on the high tide this arvo and I still love this gem! Until shark alarm went off :(

[Chris]

YIKES!!! sharks don't like potatoes...they prefer burgers...

[cuttlefish]

Curious...is the hypto a pu or a fibreflex?
Any idea of its litreage?
What size is your sp?

[jon_bro]

Curious...is the hypto a pu or a fibreflex?
Any idea of its litreage?
What size is your sp?

Hypto is FibreFlex... Sorry I should have mentioned that the other day so we are comparing apples with apples.

I think its about 42 litres from my rough board cad calculations. My SP is 43 litres. I find for big guys like me, quads or twins (I actually like your set up of the twin fin and stab) are perfect. I need as much speed I can get, with as little compromise on control.

Ill be completely honest and say that I think the SP has corupted my mind and that I cant do boards over 6ft now!!! haha. Its just to easy to whip out the SP and ride it in ALL conditions. If I lived by a firing uncrowded point, then yes I would get a 6ft+ board for when the waves are really good! But when that odd occasion happens, Im happy not to surf (Im over crowded beachies, party waves and guys just burning each other). Would rather surf fun little 3-4 footers on my SP, than jock for position in hope I get a sick wave.

SP is hands down the most fun board Ive ever owned :)

[hwork50]

Wow! That is a pretty darn good review for the SP. Loving how stoked you are about the SP.

[iggy]

Hypto is FibreFlex... Sorry I should have mentioned that the other day so we are comparing apples with apples.

I think its about 42 litres from my rough board cad calculations. My SP is 43 litres. I find for big guys like me, quads or twins (I actually like your set up of the twin fin and stab) are perfect. I need as much speed I can get, with as little compromise on control.

Ill be completely honest and say that I think the SP has corupted my mind and that I cant do boards over 6ft now!!! haha. Its just to easy to whip out the SP and ride it in ALL conditions. If I lived by a firing uncrowded point, then yes I would get a 6ft+ board for when the waves are really good! But when that odd occasion happens, Im happy not to surf (Im over crowded beachies, party waves and guys just burning each other). Would rather surf fun little 3-4 footers on my SP, than jock for position in hope I get a sick wave.

SP is hands down the most fun board Ive ever owned :)
That's exactly what I like about it!!! you can whip it with not much effort and since it's so small, fits on every single pocket. Once the fins engage off she goes

[Chris]

yessir!!! good stuff!!! I do have to say, though, once the wave gets a little taller, it can be hard to blast a lip in a critical section due to the flatness. but, hey when the waves get good enough that this type of thing happens, chances are you will grab a different board.

Cheers

[jon_bro]

i hear ya CC, Im frothing for a Baked Potato with butter and sour cream haha. No I cant wait to get one but if i ride a 5 8 SP, what do I get in a BP?

[terry]

Hi Bigblackdog. I am in a similar position ie replacing mu 6 10 soulfish with a firewire. I have been looking down th Addvance or Dom path. Please let me know what you decide to do.

[Bigblackdog]

Hi Terry, spent last week at the beach messing around with fins. Tried the AM Robber fins in the soul fish and it was a big improvement on the stock fins. Has a lot more drive when paddling and seemed much more responsive on the wave. Also dropped some AM 2 fins into my old 606 McCoy nugget ( had fcs plugs put in after glassed on fins warped ) . What a big improvement they made.
Also had a paddle on a 506 sweet potato. Found that even though it has more volume than my 606 MR supertwin (Tuflite) it sat in the water more like a glass board and had a lot less float than th MR.
If I go down the path of a sweet potato think it will need to be a 508, however I am now back to considering the Potatonator. I found the stumpy nose of the sweet potato a little awkward when paddling out. Swell was tiny so hard to assess the ride of the board but I struggled with the length.
The 606 advance has more volume than the Soul Fish so for me not the way to go. The soul fish is 45 l and at that volume is very corky.
At this rate I will be in a nursing home by the time I make a decision

[terry]

Hi Bigblackdog. I too am similarly confused and change my mind al most hourly. Good luck with thr search and let me know how it goes.

[Chris]

jonbro and crew, i would suggest, in almost every case, that you ride the baked potato 1 inch longer than your sweet potato!!

[Bigblackdog]

Have finally made a decision after much procrastination and ordered a 6' Potatonator.
Look forward to seeing how it goes?
Board has arrived along with a few weeks of solid work so won't be getting near the water for a few weeks. Looks like a great shape though. Will post back when it gets a test run.

[Bigblackdog]

Finally a day off with a few waves around. First impression paddling out this morning was that the board paddles well, perhaps not a rocket but as the shortest board I have owned was good to go.
The first few waves gave me the feeling that I was going slow so made a real effort to get that back foot more to the rear and stepped off the back. Having a few issues adjusting to the 6 foot board but really enjoyed the morning. Need another session or two to sort myself out on it but really happy with the Potatonator.
Can see this board being a favorite. Can't wait to get it back in the water and muck around with some different fins.

[Chris]

Gkod stuff dog! Keep us posted as you it and get more somfortable. Will be stoked to hear how you make out.

Cheers and thanks for the support!

[Bigblackdog]

Got to mess around with fins over the long weekend. Had the TC Aqualine quad set in and found the speed that I was after. Waves were generally shoulder/ head high but reasonably fat. The Potatonator went like a rocket. Easy to paddle onto the waves and made the adjustment to the shorter board very quickly. No more stepping off the back.
Then dropped in a set of AM2 fins but still not convinced that they were quiet right for me. Not willing to write them off yet but they lacked the spark of the TC Aqualine set.
Took my old trusty Surftech soul fish out this morning and found it sluggish and much harder to paddle on.
Really taken with the Potatonator. Is a really stable, responsive board. It dealt with a few steeper take offs with absolute ease. Thought that my days of having a board shorter than my height were gone but the Potatonator does it easily.
Now to think about a baked potato or a spitfire.. STOKED.......

[surfgumby]

Great to hear the Potatonator is living up to the hype!

Mine should be here by this Friday (15/6) so I'm told!

Really hanging out for it & hope the swell sticks around or comes back to visit for a while!

On the Aqualines, I think I might need a bit more fin, what weight & height are you Bigblackdog if you don't mind me asking!

Am considering going for the Large Simons quads as per others threads recom but open to options!

Keep on posten that valuable info friend!

[Chris]

great news bigblackdog!! thanks for sharing the news!

[Bigblackdog]

Mr Surfgumby, I am 6'1", and weigh in at a massive 76 kg, 51yo.
The Potatonator is certainly living up to all expectations. Just wish I had more days off to go for a paddle.
Spending a week at Broken Head next month so look forward to trying the board over there.

[surfgumby]

Thanks Mr BBD, unfortunately I'm 10kg plus on you so may have to look for more fin on my Potatonator..................>>>>>>>>> that comes into the shop TOMORROW!!!

Broken head brings back many happy memories from by gone days, hope you have a fantastic week with clear skys & clean offshore lines!

[terry]

Thanks for the report. I was really keen to hear how the soulfish went in comparison.


Got to mess around with fins over the long weekend. Had the TC Aqualine quad set in and found the speed that I was after. Waves were generally shoulder/ head high but reasonably fat. The Potatonator went like a rocket. Easy to paddle onto the waves and made the adjustment to the shorter board very quickly. No more stepping off the back.
Then dropped in a set of AM2 fins but still not convinced that they were quiet right for me. Not willing to write them off yet but they lacked the spark of the TC Aqualine set.
Took my old trusty Surftech soul fish out this morning and found it sluggish and much harder to paddle on.
Really taken with the Potatonator. Is a really stable, responsive board. It dealt with a few steeper take offs with absolute ease. Thought that my days of having a board shorter than my height were gone but the Potatonator does it easily.
Now to think about a baked potato or a spitfire.. STOKED.......

[cuttlefish]

How'd the p'nator go at Broken Bigblackdog?
I've had some fun surf in grunty 3-5' beachies there on the p'nator.

[Bigblackdog]

Cuttlefish, the trip is still a few weeks away. Have only ever been up there during October in the past, am told to expect better conditions in July.
Have never seen Broken Head really turn it on, but have always had a great time.
Looking forward to it.

[cuttlefish]

Depends upon how the sand fared in the Southern corner after the two big back to back swells we had.

[Bigblackdog]

Sadly back from Northern NSW, why do holidays pass so quickly ?
We were a little unlucky with the swell and winds as we only got a few days with good offshores. However had a lot of fun on some peaky breaks near the river mouth / Suffolk Park.
Good head high wave faces and the Potatonator went well. The board has no trouble with steep late drops. Although many times I could not keep up with it. Tried AM-2 thruster set up which was not a favorite. Then swapped to AM-2 at the front and GXQ rear fins for a quad set up and the board took off. Also tried PC7 with the GXQ rears . They were fast but wanted to go straight ahead. Really enjoy having 5 fin boxes and the flexibility to muck around with fin setups.
Overall I prefer the board set up with quads rather than a thruster set up. Tempting to get some of the indo controllers to add to the mix.
My ability did not push the board , but I now would consider going a little shorter. Also now tempted to try a hellfire or spitfire as a bit of a step up.
Can't rate the Potatonator highly enough.

[cuttlefish]

Good to hear you got some at the creek mouth....can get epic there in the right swell.
See if you can't get a hold of some AMT robber fins to try.
My potatonator has futures plugs and so I haven't tried the controllers in it yet but this will change tomorrow.

[cuttlefish]

Good to hear you got some at the creek mouth....can get epic there in the right swell.
See if you can't get a hold of some AMT robber fins to try.
My potatonator has futures plugs and so I haven't tried the controllers in it yet but this will change tomorrow.

[Bigblackdog]

Have had this board for almost a year now and still enjoying it.
Still procrastinating over the next board, think the Hellfire is it but tempted with the Spitfire because the surf is often on the weak side at home beach.
reading through the many posts on this forum it is a recurring question that people put up.
Suspect a Hellfire of around the same volume as my 6' Potatonator is on the money.