New sweet potato
"Board was delivered and left out the front of my house for everyone to see and I was away at work lucky my neighbour seen it a grabbed for me or I would have had no new board My board is sick though"
Sweet Potato
Sweet Potato
With more skate than any other shape, this groveler catches waves before they even break.
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Sweet Potato
Sale price$995.00 USD
Regular price
Dan Mann's high performance groveler.
Think small wave grovel, fast and fun. No-paddle takeoffs, buttery floaters. The Sweet Potato is probably the widest, flattest, thickest small wave surfboard you will ever surf. It's high performance but it's definitely a groveler, this shape is the absolute most fun you can have in really bad waves. It's the board that should never leave your trunk.
This is the updated Sweet Potato, refined with a swallowtail - the latest iteration of Mannkine's small wave shape that transformed what surfing is for many. It converts waves that would normally require a longboard (if even) into rippable potential and fun because of the generous volume packed into a small package that is loose and generates tons of drive. The trademark deep double barrel concave essentially splits the board in half when tipped over and driving through turns, making the board feel way more narrow than it actually is. The new tail outline, combined with some tweaks on the bottom contours through the fins, has increased the maneuverability for tighter pocket turns without taking away the projection and grovel speed in gutless surf.
Shape
Optimal Conditions
Helium Core Technology
Our best-selling technology, with a new updated look. A stringerless EPS core with flex controlled at the rails made from Paulownia and Balsa wood and our proprietary deckskins - this construction is light and lively underfoot, and excellent at generating speed in everyday waves. Rob Machado calls the parabolic flex control provided by the wooden rails in the Machadocado "good for drive on rail and control in critical sections.
Wave Type
Board Features
Overall rating: 4.7894735 / 5 from 19 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
Summary topics
Review topics: ["board","waves","fins","volume"].
Review highlights
Reviews
Best groveler ever
"Can’t say enough about how much I like my Sweet Potato. It’s so fast and fun in crummy waves. I only long boarded once last summer because the Sweet Potato makes tiny waves so fun. God I hope they keep this in the FireWire lineup. It turns crazy well for how wide it is. It’s so fast in slow waves too. Everything you want in board for crummy little wave."
Get one
"Get one"
Bad fabrication
"Got red bubbles on deck all over the board Poor quality Got the same on sci-fi 2. 0 Gonna never buy this anymore"
I love my 510
"I love my 5'10 Sweet Potato - helium construction. It is an excellent surfboard and the construction seems more durable than my other epoxy boards. Although I initially struggled with my takeoffs, once it clicked I was having a blast surfing knee to waist high junk. I've never had more fun surfing bad waves, to the point where I almost prefer them over the good days. Amazing board, just takes practice. Thank you Dan Mann & Firewire!"
Well I havent bought
"Well I haven't bought a mass production board in over 15 years and have worked closely with a shaper on my last 6 boards but wanted to step away from all this trial and error and lean on the millions spent on production and the big names co-signing these designs. I just turned 53, I'm 6'1"" and average 198lbs. I usually ride asymmetrical 4'-11"" simmons type boards and figured a 5'2"" Sweet potato would be about right for my skill level. Well initially the board was a hard turd but after dialing in the fins and sanding off the hard edge of the board rails it really came alive. Now I dare say it's become my favorite board filling the void of a high performance fat board for a heavy guy like me. Never thought I'd say this but ""well done Gentleman"". Always great to find something that makes you feel young again."
I live in Hawaii.
"I live in Hawaii. I'm 5'10, 155lb and 59 years old. I've owned a 6'1 Baked Potato for 5 years. It is still in great condition and I have immense fun with it. I bought my Sweet Potato 5'8 on whim and I wanted to try less volume. It was worth it. Maiden voyage was in 3 foot 19mph cross wind and it still worked. I don't think you really need this board if you already have a groveller. But hey, life's too short. Enjoy what you can do, where you can do it, while you can do it."
Long time Tater Skater
"Long time Tater Skater here. Had 2 of the version 1 (added a center fin box to one of them) and now have the latest version in 6'4"". I'm 46, 6'8"", 210 lbs. I could've at least gone with the 6'2"" but close enough. No reason to add details here that others have already shared. I agree with all the positives about versatility if you live near mostly bad waves (LA). Wanted to talk fins here. I really didn't like Controller Quad split keels in this. Tracked too much. Fast but awkward if you want to change direction. I like the Machado black swirl quads and tri's even though the quads are very similar to Controllers. My theory is that's because this board with flat rocker and width likes a more upright fin, which the Machados are, compared to Controllers. On that theory, I will try an upright twin + 1 like MR or Chippa from Captain. Might also try P8's tri since Dan mentioned using longer fins in one of his videos. But yeah this catches waves as easily as my 3. 5"" thick 22-1/2"" wide 8'5"" Cooperfish Comet. I think at 6'4"" with more parallel rail than smaller Taters is a con. Corky rails and low rocker mean you shouldn't expect to slash on rail. At this size you'd really need a bigger slopey face, which at that point you're probably thinking about a different board altogether. I tried it a couple times in waves like that and it felt like snowboarding packed powder! Fun but weird. Gotta have strong legs since there will be no burying the rails. Every bump needs to be carefully absorbed with your legs or you'll spin out. My favorite for this board is clean, racey but makeable knee to chest high beach, where another rockered board would bog out. I can still cut back ok and it does epic floaters."
Shreds better than ya
"Shreds better than ya grandma's yams on thanksgiving! Vegan friendly too! üòâ For real though‚Ķ very much appreciate the thoughtfulness in shape. You can count the extra seconds you have on small waves and although wide this board turns like a performance short board. Helium tech feels light as a feather under your feet. All in all a super shredable groveler."
I love this board.
"I love this board. I'm about 6'1"" and 190 lb and have the 5'4"". I have surfed this all over so cal for the past two years and have had so much fun on it. Super fun board for small waves or big mushy points. Highly recommend it. I like the Dan Mann NVS quad fins for this board or the Dan Mann trailers with the NVS Taylor Knox twins as fronts."