Good review! I can't do the wavestorm or even longboard either haha. I picked up the 5'2" myself and it does catch a bunch of tiny mushy waves. Tried the Aipa FCS 2 + 1 and the Matt Biolos Quads in Medium, liked both. It does feel like a lot of board for maneuvers (I usually range 25 - 27 L) but the helium does help and I can still turn it. Makes the gutless crowded tiny days more fun. Board gets super speedy if the face has any kind of steepness.
IMPORTANT: at 3:06 I misspoke. I said the nose and tail were 12" but that isn't true. I should have proofed this before publishing since I know that I like my tail around 14.5" on a normal board. I do not know the width of the nose and tail at the 12" mark on this board since I have not seen any publications of it. I will find out though and let you known.
Great review! I just got my Sweet Potato. I’m just getting back in the water after 15 years. I’m a heavy guy and this board was my last ditch effort before going to a longboard. I absolutely love this board. I totally agree that it is the perfect board for the junk. It’s also really helping me get back in shape. My wave count has gone up exponentially since I got it. I had a 6’1” Glazer and couldn’t find the sweet spot. I picked up the 6’2” sweet potato and I am always in the sweet spot. I highly recommend this board.
nice. really like hearing that are pushing the ceiling away. The cool thing is, it keeps you off the longboard, gets you in shape, but also helps keep your progression or improve it depending on where one is at. I learned so much on my Baked Potato. Between that board and the original Dominator, I learned the most about my surfing.
Hey Thomye, great review and entirely agree…I got a sweet potato 2.0 having had the original potato and twice baked. I really don’t like the timbertek construction for the TB…heavy and just feels so stiff. But my new potato in helium is really fun for small days. I would highly recommend trying as a twin plus trailer. I originally rode as a quad but switch3d to put in the mayhem evil twins and it makes the board fast and loose and a total blast in knee to waist high. Enjoy!!
You are the second person mentioning 2+1. I would not have thought that initially but just thinking about it it makes sense. It's also swallow so has a little bit more stability. Hopefully I'll be trading up in a bit. Yew!!
Thanks for the review! I loved the old SP, got the new one and have been riding it for the past 2 1/2 months. I've struggled with finishing maneuvers and getting over flat spots. Watching you surf, it's definitely user error on my part.
@@henrylee2310 does that catch waves easy? I don't assume cuz sometimes, bigger boards depending on design feels like it's harder. My brother 7' seaside and beyond was harder to catch waves than my 6'8 seaside beyond.
@@ThomyeSurfs Totally understand. I got a 7 ft Hypto Krypto Soft and I struggle catching waves, I've only ridden it twice because its been so frustrating, my regular 6'10 Hypto Krypto is fine catching waves. The new Sweet Potato paddles great, better than any board I've had in years. Catches waves super easy and early. You make a great point about surfing the tail, I catch myself sliding up too much to get speed and then not sliding my foot back for turns, didn't really have that issue with the old SP.
It's nice to see a review from someone around my size. I mostly surf Tomo Firewires except for the FRK. Let's face it, most often the waves are junk and it's hard finding something that is fun in those conditions. Not into longboards. My current new board is a Wyve Twin Pin. The new technology has no foam core. It's really fun but a bit long for me in junk. It's actually great in bigger steep waves. Wish we had demo days here on the Big Island but with all of the rocks/reef half of the boards would get trashed. My two Ibolic Firewires turned red.
Yes. Several people around here have had them turn red. Not solid but a milky or almost tie-die red. The Revo and now my FRK is showing it. It kind of looks good once it fills in. My Revo is delamming where I sit too.@@suavecitojoee
I live in Kona. Might have something to do with ocean temps. My boards don't lay out in the sun. My older Firewires only turned yellow. They still ride great.@@suavecitojoee
I enjoyed your review, I have been looking for more reviews on this board and there are hardly any. Im 5'10 160 and an advanced surfer that likes to surf by myself. I am always looking for a high volume board that can surf the junk 1-2 ft yet be able to handle the 3-5 ft range with a change of fins. I had the 5'4 then went to the 5'2 for more control. I find that the MR 2 Twin with trailer loosens the board up at 1-2 ft. We got waves in the 3-5ft range and I upped my fins to the old school Kelly Slater 2.1 quads. good hold and pivot. going to try Kellys new 5 fin set as I seen them ridden on the firewire review with Timmy and Kevin Shultz. Love these types of boards...keeps me in the water. Aloha!
Agreed, makes my motivation tolerance super low and my wave expectation almost non existent. haha In the last 3 or4 weeks, my buddy who also demo'd the Swee P, were wishing we had it for the crap waves we were dealing with. I need to sell my Twice Baked ASAP. :)
Great review Thomye .. I have the 5’5 twice baked and the 5’4 sweet potato. Since buying the sweet potato I haven’t surfed my twice baked once!! Same reason as you.. the twice baked is heavy. I’ve tried the sweet potato as a quad and thruster and can’t decide which I like better!!
I am hoping to reviewing it again at some point, after i trade up or if I demo it again, i'll try it as a thruster. I know that I liked my 5'1 baked potato as a thruster way better, night and day.
Thanks Thomye for your reviews, as someone stepping down from a mid length your reviews has helped me go for the Sweet Potato. much like Dan Mann I'd rather go away from the crowds and surf the less than ideal conditions which suits me fine since I'm still working on my progression so I'm not doing any of the high performance turns. I wanted something shorter and lighter but still packing volume for my mass (5'8", 181 lbs) and easy padding instead of lugging around my 8' foamie or 7'6" fun board. I was debating between a 5'8" vs 6'2" and eventually went with more liters and length to be safe since this will be a dramatic step down from 7'6". Taking it out later this week and see how I gel with it. I'd like to see a follow up with different fin set ups. I got the Dan Mann 5 fins in medium set up as a quad. Thanks!
for sure let us know how it goes. the more data we get the more it helps others. As for fins, if I end up getting this board, I'll definitely consider a fin video. I think for now, the quad is the best set up for you on a bigger board, with the 6'2, even consider smaller rear fins.
Update: been surfing my 6’2” @ 52L SP2 for about 2 mos. 2-3 times a week and now used to getting up on it and riding on mushy waves. I got a 6’8” soft top funboard @ 45.4L to share between me and my son and I found that I like that volume. I guess I’m progressing especially with my wave catching so thinking and getting rid of the 6’2” SP2 and getting the 5’10” which is similar in volume as the soft top board I got. Thought about the 5’8” but it’s not in stock and it might be too drastic a drop in volume at 37L. I want to start practicing tic tacs, and moving up and down. Thoughts?
i only wish they made one a tad smaller for me or one that was narrower and shorter but thicker. :) I wish Firewire would bring back their custom boards.
I'm not sure I'll get my hands on a SP2 any time soon. as for the fins, my buddy has a set so I can test them but it would have to be on the right board. I hear good things about them.
Thank you for your review Thomye. I was hoping you would get your hands on a SP2. Your review is awesome as usual. I'm hoping you can give some advice on sizing. My current daily driver is a 5'5" Seaside and I want an uber groveler to sit below that in my quiver. Like you, I have difficulty on my Seaside in small mushy waves. Small waves with some push and the Seaside is good to go. I just don't know which size I should get in the SP2, 5'2" or 5'4"? I looked at both sizes in a local shop a few weeks ago, unfortunately all the 5'4" boards are gone now. The 5'4" felt too big for me but that was just holding it in the store. I like the feel and size of the 5'2" but it has 0.5L less volume then my Seaside. Without more volume, could the wider outline through the length, especially into the tail, of the 5'2" SP2 make it a better groveler then my 5'5" Seaside? Or would you recommend to look for a board with more liters then my Seaside? I am still working to understand the balance of volume and shape on a board's performance. I am 5'5" at 160lbs and an intermediate surfer. Thank you for any advice you can provide.
For an uber groveler, definitely need more leaders. The seaside is already pretty wide forward and although the width of the sweepee2 helps, it will be marginal. Highly recommend going a few leaders more than your 5.5 seaside but keeping the board shorter so you can try and keep the fun Factor.
Thanks Thomye for the great review and breakdown as always. If you had to choose between the mashup or sweet potato for knee to chest high beach breaks, which would you choose?
for me, it would have to be the Mashup. the mashup is exactly designed for Knee to chest high. below the knees, SP2. :) This will all depend on skill level as well as what you are looking to do. I really like turning my boards quickly and getting my fins out when I can on a top turn or off the lip. It is much harder to do on the SP2. SP2 is great, but for me, its just too big. The smallest option is still too big for me.
Hey Thomye, long time fan here - I get a heap out of everything you put out. Did you every try the Firewire Chumlee? I know you can't get them anymore but I managed to pick one up second hand and loving it for the grovel. Cheers and thanks for all you do!
Yes. Liked the chulee but didn't live it. It was fun but when the waves got fast. I could not put it on rail. I would have liked it better if it had a narrower tail.
Wanting to try a 2+1 set up in this! Used to run a medium, really rakey quad fin set up in my old SP🥔 & it worked great in weak mushy waves. I prefer the Helium Technology too! Thought the Twiced Baked was a lil’ bit stiff. Traded it in & got a Seaside! Which went mental! My Baked Potato is in the Timbertek & it’s a lil’ stiff as well. Running the Machado 2+1 in it rn. Great review! Thanks for throwing it up! We’re all just trying to find board’s that have the ability to maximize the time we get to surf… Regardless of the condition’s. Looks like the new SP🥔 is gonna fit nicely in the quiver & help maximize the fun factor on the smaller day’s!!!
I had the same experience with the Twice Baked feeling stiff. I'm guessing that I should have focused on getting my back foot all the way back, but it had so much volume I found myself surfing it more like a long board. +1 to seaside going mental.
I haven't tried the Von Sols. Others have mentioned it so I'm super curious. I'll reach out to them and see if they will let me borrow one. I have noticed that most Shapers aren't receptive to the idea of letting me take a board home for 2 to 3 weeks. :( But I'll reach out. Thanks for the tip
Also important to refer: you had the board for couple of hours and how many waves did you catch on a crappy day? It seems in the video wave after wave after wave, and it seems you're having good time
for sure. it is a great groveler and still keeps things fun vs going to the dark side (wavestorm). also a great groveler but can't do anything on it. I probably could have caught a lot more but I was also trying to be choosy for the video.
got a 5'8 (wanted a 5'6 no stock) early July and rate this board. Wave count is way up and so is my stoke in utter drivel. I'm 6'2 90kg's and my other got to's are a 5'10 Glazer and Hypto Krypto Krypto. CI OG Flyer 6'2. My previous groveler was my 2nd CI Biscuit which i love but the SP 2.0 is next level.
I have been frothing to try the hypto myself. I tried by buddies 5'4 one time for 2 waves about 5/6 years ago, which at the time felt a tad small, I may have been heavier. another buddy might lend me his 5'6. Hopefully soon. SP2 is a grovel game changer for sure. :)
I would stick to the 5'8 for my length and BMI. I bought a 5'6 to make sure (costly exercise) and it was clear that the 5'8 was the right choice from the start so sold the 5'6 again and kept the 5'8 and been happy stoked with it.
Appreciate the review and how you have done a couple reviews on the twice baked , hope to see a part 2 of the sweet potato if you buy one. My question is that if you could get the twice baked in helium would you still choose the sweet potato 2 over a helium twice baked ? Twice looks like it had a edge on performance maneuvers but also this sweet potato review the waves were smaller and softer than in your twice baked reviews. Do you think both boards cover the same wave range or much more advantage to the sweet?
Wish firewire would option each model in every construction. Proly never happen tho. Sweetpee for the most micro waves but the twice baked has a little more ability for maneuvers then. The trade off of all grovel boards
@@greymarinelayer9248 yes, the maneuver advantage is very small though. I remember they used to but I think they realized it just catabolized their own offering and surf shops would end up with a bunch of the other boards that people didn't want. haha If they allowed it, I would definitely order a 5'1 Baked Potato in Helium right now. :(
thinking about picking one of these up its just been tiny here in so cal for the last couple of weeks. need something to get me out in the water as my dominator 2 and el tomo just arent the best boards to use when its 2 ft mush! board looks interesting as i don't own or don't want a mid length or longboard. i might have to go feel one up. thanks for the review. you'd recommend going with the same volume as your everyday board or a lil bigger?
for sure bigger, just to get you through those microwaves. I did about 4 liters not because I wanted to but because it was the smallest option they had. The 5'2 is 31L and my normal volume is 26 to 28. So that seemed OK. I could have probably gone with a 30L to get a tad more performance but unfortunately, the 5'2 is the smallest.
Thanks for the review Thomye! Quick question I'm currently riding a 7'4 oversize fish at 49.6L and I'm looking for something a bit more nimble but that I will still catch wave on an average to mediocre day here in New England (so small and gutless). My surf shop has the Sweet potato in 6' or 6'4. The 6'4 would have loads of volume but I'm afraid that it would not be very agile and I'm worried that the 6' would be too much of a jump from a 7'4. Any recommendations? (for info I'm 5'9 and 190Lbs, intermediate)
The 6’0 has 49 liters, it’s the same float as the board you ride now. It will be a very small adjustment due to the length. Do not get the 6’4 bro u might as well buy a mid length cuz you won’t be able to turn that at all😂
Agree with Mr Microsoft. In fact, the 6'0 will likely float a bit better cuz it is helium and all the volume is closer to your body. I would venture to say it is likely wider than your other board too which means it will plane better.
this answer is tough. I would do the twice baked cuz of size but, if they made a 5'1 version of the SP2, I would pick that because of the helium tech and at that point, the better size. I guess with their experience with the SP, Baked, Twice and now the SP2, maybe they don't sell too many of the smaller versions.
Hey Thomye, great review. Now that you've ridden both the Twice Baked and SP2, which would you say has the better "Performance" in soft waves? I want to get as close to surfing like a shortboard as possible in weak waves. Cheers!
I think the twice baked performed better, if you consider the boards I surfed. comparing the two, 5'3 TB vs 5'2 SP2, the TB is actually smaller in terms of width and thickness under the feet. Also, the board is heavier making it less buoyant. The SP was a better groveler but the TB was slightly better performer. One thing I wish is that they made a 5'1 or even a 5'0 SP2, because of the helium, it would have floated as good as the 5'3 TB in timbertech and at the smaller size, it would have performed better. But in my case, i was limited. I'm not sure which ones you are looking at but if you go shorter on the SP2, making sure it has less volume and is smaller, it might actually perform better. My analysis is sort of locked and constrained by the fact that the 5'2 SP2 was the shortest they make. Hope that makes sense.
Hey dude love the reviews, just wondering if you tried the 5’6 Sunday twin. I was either going to get a mashup as a 2+1 or a 5’6 Sunday twin as a performance groveller. I saw the speed you got in the mashup in small waves and it was crazy. Does the mashup paddle onto waves ok compared to the Sweetpee, seaside and Sunday? Cheers mate 🤙🏼
It's a pretty flat board so catching waves is a matter of volume. If all had the exact same volume, the sweepee would be a hair better since its is so wide. Then the seaside then mashup. But I am talking fractions. Barely noticeable differences. If you compare them by height, the sweet potato would win by leaps and bounds and then the seaside and then a mashup blast. By height the volume differences are pretty significant. I have not tried the 5.6 sunday, I was considering getting it because it is on sale. But I thought it would be too redundant and probably not good for a review.
Thanks for replying dude. I had a 5’3 seaside which was great and was going to get a 5’5 Mashup (I’m a little heavier and taller than you). I remembered what you said about not sizing up to keep that performance. How does your 5’4 Mashup compared to your seaside when paddling onto waves?
@@RuRuRarRar the difference is fractional. i can't tell when the waves have push, the extra width helps on the seaside when it gets really small and weak. sometimes on bigger waves, i feel like the mashup is a tad easier, cuz of less foam in the chest and nose, i can drop my chin and make the board point down the face quicker and easier. but again, it is fractional. nothing I can measure really. in small gutless, my seaside is maybe 3 to 5% better and on bigger waves the mashup tends to drop in better at about 2 to 3%.
@@ThomyeSurfs thanks again mate, the info is priceless when you’re about to drop a large amount on a board and you get it slightly wrong, which I’ve done many times before. Cheers 🤙🏼
Great video. Of the potato line of boards from FireWire, which would you say from your personal experiences catches waves the easiest of them all? Baked potato?
If I surfed them all at 5'2, assuming there was a 5'2 in each model, it would be the new sweepee2. Next the sweepee, then baked and lastly twice baked. It's literally math, volume to width. But the differences between some are negligible. Performance wise I would take the baked and twice baked.
Hey Thomye, love all your videos. In sizing for the sweet potato, how much bigger should I go than my standard volume? I’m 5’10” 200 intermediate. I normally ride 38L, was thinking of getting the 5’8” at 41L, or going bigger 5’10” 45L for super groveling. I’m just worried it’s gonna become to corky… I appreciate your thoughts.
are your normal 38L boards PU or EPS? I personally think you should go with the shorter just so it is more maneuverable. my normal daily is about 27 to 28 and I road the smallest SP2 @ 31L. I would have prefered to ride something smaller like a 5'1 but the 3 extra liters was plenty for me. if you are beginner to mid intermediate go 5'10, if you are high intermediate, go with the 5'8.
for sure. Just don't get it too small. as good as some guys surf softtops/foamies, there is noting better than a hard board for learning to do maneuvers. Just make sure not to go too small too fast, the important thing that state of learning is timing of catching waves and popping up proper. it is easy to build bad habits and bad form. The SP2 is wide so if you get it big enough, it should be perfect. Having said that, don't go too big otherwise, you will grow out of it too quickly, which isn't a bad thing but costly. :)
What fins would you recommend? I’ve been looking into the Endorfins twin plus 2. Also heard that performers in the front and reactors in the rear could work. Thoughts?
since my time on the SP2 was a demo, I surfed it with whatever was in it which I think was a quad set. The idea of a 2 +1 is super intriguing on such a wide tail block but not sure how that would go. I usually think of 2 +1's for more narrower tails but fins always surprise me. You just don't know till you try. In terms of quad, I usually run more pivot fins on a wide tail block. I like the Stretch fins a lot for that. I had them in my Baked Potato and my Twice Baked. I'm planning to test these new NVS AIPA Sequencer fins in my twice baked. They are super pivot. so pivot they look like they lean forward. Anyways, sorry I don't have much more insight than just theoretical. if you do try a 2 +1, let me know how it goes. I'll also try it in my Twice Baked and report back. not sure when but soon.
I have the Sweet Potato 2 and I like the Mannkine Large Quad from NVS. I've also tried the Seaside Quad but prefer the Mannkine Larges. Hope that helps.
Hi Thomye, thanks for the in-depth review of the board, it's very helpful! I'm a little late to the party, so I don't expect an answer, but I was wondering if you've tried a larger version of the Sweet Potato 2? I weigh 180 lbs / 5'10" and use a 5'5 Seaside (31.5L) as my daily driver. I'd like to buy the SP2 for very small waves (like the ones in your video that I can hardly surf with my Seaside). I would be inclined to choose the SP2 5'4" at 34.6L but I wonder if it will have enough volume for the kind of waves I want to surf. If I take the 5'6" (37.8L), I wonder if it will feel like a boat. The surfer's existential problem. If you don't mind, I'd like to know what you think? Thanks!
I hear arguments that liters are important and from a small group of purist, who think it is irrelevant. my thought is that is is equally as important as design and when making a decision, should always be factored in along with design. In the this case, consider a few things. First, how much more grovel do you need out of this board vs a Seaside. Second, if you go with the shorter SP2, remember 3 factors: a. The SP2 although shorter is wider - more planing. Easier quicker, etc. b. it has less rocker, so more grovel, should paddle smoother and faster (marginally) c. more liters - already more grovel but now take that 3 extra liters and cram it into a shorter board. granted, only 1" shorter. Going back to the first question, how much more do you want it to grovel thean the seaside. all things considered, it looks like it will grovel a bit better. not marignally likely quite a bit. Nothing like a mid length or anything but noticeable. If you want it to grovel WAY more than your seaside, then 5'6. but now you are going 6L, more width, etc. you could end up sacraficing too much performance. That's my 2 cents. I think putting a little extra volume and taking advantage of the design of the board my adding grovel features but trying to maintain some level of performance by going shorter, is better. Disclaimer, I don't kow your exact skill level, fitness, waves, etc. so I am factoring in my subjective opinion. This was my decision making process when I bought my old 5'1" Baked Potato and it was the best decision I made. Hope this helps.
@@dronixe9330 yeah I think it's the better call. Especially if you're not struggling with your seaside. That extra 3 L plus all the features will make it seem like this board is 5 L more or around that mark. Good luck, let me know how it goes.
Hey Thomye. Thanks a lot for the review. May I ask for your advise? I’m 6’1” 165 lbs, currently riding 7’10” minimal, beginner-to-intermediate level. I would like to get more maneuverable board for the 1-4 feet (usually) powerless (5-6 seconds period) waves on my local beach break. What would be best: seaside or sp2? Also in terms of sizing on my skill level, should I look into 35-37 liter range or would you recommend getting something around 40L or even more? Thank you in advance. Eugene
Your bio description tells me you're tall and skinny. Which is actually good for surfing. With the waves that you described I would say a 5'4 to 5'6 sweet potato or a slightly longer seaside would suit you fine. You only really need volume for paddling around and getting you into waves earlier. Both these boards are wide enough where they will be stable and not mess up your surfing too much in your progression. Try and make the board fit the curve of the wave remembering that the sweet potato is very flat and the seaside has a slight bit more curve to it. So even though your waves are small and low energy if there is a lot of curve to it go with the seaside. If it's super mushy then go with the sweet potato. With enough volume in either it doesn't matter but then the longer you go the stiffer it gets.
Hi I'm an intermediate level surfer looking for a lot of fun from this surfboard. I'm 180 meters tall and weigh 67 kg. I'm undecided between the 5.4 and the 5.2. Glad to hear what information you recommend. thank you
It looks like you and are similar in stature. You are a tad taller. Having said that, you want to break down your skill sets and circumstances into categories: paddle fitness, catching waves, surfing, and lastly the wave itself. from a surfing perspective, as an intermediate weighing almost the same as me, I would say the 5'2 is the best choice. it's is very wide and very thick so, going taller from a surfing perspective just makes the board tighter and harder to move. From a paddle perspective, the 5'4 is better but that depends on your fitness. Although I consider myself an Advanced surfer (on the low end), I have somewhat of a weak paddle. I would consider myself a low end intermediate paddler. I have had paddle battles with 12 year old kids and lost. LOL Now this is different than the skill to catch waves. For catching waves, placement is key. Although I don't have a great paddle, it is enough to get me to where I need to be and then time the wave so that I don't have to try as hard. This is where my advanced skill helps. If you are already good at this, then go with the 5'2. If you are still developing this skill then the 5'4 is a better choice. A good way to tell is how many strokes you take to catch a wave. on Average, do you find yourself paddling hard to get into a wave, if so, you are skill intermediate. But if you hardly stroke to get into a wave, then you are more advanced. The last part is your wave. If you wave is small and soft, 5'4. If your waves is small but stronger with push then go 5'2. it will help with surfing. Remember, this board is for small waves. if your wave is above chest high, then go with a different board. The last point I want to make is that you should challenge yourself a bit. You don't want to get something too big and then end up outgrowing it too fast. Rather, get something too small and learn into it. Since you and I are the same size, the 5'2 won't be too small. It might feel it at first but you will learn into it. At my skill level, I thought the 5'2 was too big for me. I would have preferred it to be 5'1 and around 30L vs 5'2 @ 31L. or event keeping it at 5'2 and wide but making it thinner are around 29L. Anyways, hope this helps. Just consider all the factors I mentioned. Buying a board, especially at the prices they are going for these days, isn't easy. I still struggle with sizing. I'm trying to decide right now between an 5'7 and 5'8 FRK+. 1L different. haha
Hello Tomye, I ride 30 liters boards as my everyday and was thinking getting this board at least 4 liters above to be able to catch and ride Small waves. Do you think that would be too much? I just can imagine catching many tiny wave with 30 liters of volume. Do you think this board is so short that you can still ride it and have fun when it is way above your normal volume?
yo, sorry for the late response. no, 4L is fine. I did the same thing for my reviews. I'm at about 27 and tested a 31. 4L at first might not sound enough but the width helps a lot. you do lose performance but that is to be expected. I think there are days that having an uber groveler makes it well worth it. If you aren't smashing lips and gouging turns, you could even go a tad bigger in my opinion. Maybe even 6L to just catch more waves.
I was talking to Chewy from Firewire and he said to ask about on the next demo day and he would bring one up for me. I'll try one next as well as the Revo.
Soo I LOVVVE my TB. Like if there was one board I could ride forever it would be the TB. My question is. If I were to move to the SP2 What size? I ride the 5'9" TB. (6ft 195lb). I've ridden it in everything from knee to overhead pumping and it's honestly my all arounder, I almost use the TB as a crutch as I know its like a cheat board in most conditions.... I'd like to have a board for when it's pumping (I have a Mid 6) and for more grovelly days. Should I be looking at the 5'6" or 5'8" SP2?? Again this would be strictly for grovelling.... Thanks Thomye!!!
if your TB is the baseline, for most every type of wave, then I would think you need to go roughly the same size on the SP2. I think the 5'8 is a better option than the 5'6. The 5''8 will be roughly the same volume but differ in these ways: 1" shorter, a tad wider, and because it is Helium vs Timber Tech, it will be lighter and more buoyant. Having said that, it will grovel a better than the 5'9. I think if you want more performance out of the SP2, the 5'6 might be a good option but then you lose quite a bit of volume which could result in less buoyancy even with the construction difference. I tested the 5'2 SP2 but own the 5'3 TB. The SP2 was stiffer to ride but did grovel better. The helium construction made up the difference even though the TB is .6 liters more. Hope that helps.
Hey, first of all, big fan of your videos! secondly: what do you think about seaside vs sweet potato 2? does it give you alot more growling power in small mushy surf or is the difference not that big?
the short answer is yes, SP2 grovels better. the longer is a bit more complicated: First and foremost, it depends on how you are comparing them. Either by length or by volume. Example: a 5'2 Seaside is about 26.9L or something like that based on recollection. The 5'2 SP2 is 31L. so based on length, the SP has way more grovel power not by mere volume but also by width. I think it is about 1.5" wider. if you compare them by volume, say 31L. the SP2 would be 5'2 and the Seaside would be 5'5. Even comparing them by vol, the SP2 might actually come out as a better groveler because it is still wider. I think the SP2 is 1" wider still even by volume. Also, all the volume is shoved closer to the chest and areas that float the heaiver parts of your body. Lastly, the SP2 has way less rocker. it should paddle and glide in easier. all in all, the SP2 will grovel better. Way better at the same length but marginally better by volume. Hope that made sense.
Thanks for the review. I surf a longboard up at first point Malibu. Would this board handle a clean 4-5ft wave at Malibu or is 2-3ft the best it can handle. I am not looking to do cutbacks but just get and go top to bottom on clean point Brel
it will hand 4to5 Malibu. for the 2 to 3 reference, that is more for what I like doing which is to get as close to surfing it like a normal board. the board is flat and goes down the line really fast. I think it would be fine on a long drawn out wave like 1st point. I have only surfed the Boo twice in my life. that is such a fun wave but the last time I was out, there was a whale literally 25yards in front of me. It was so cool to see one so close. Didn't realize it was deep enough for that.
@@ThomyeSurfs thank you. I saw your review of the el tomo fish. If someone was a beginner on a short board and had to decide between the sweet potato 2.0 and the el tomo sized 6’2. I think the el tomo has 5 liters less like 46 liters which one would you recommend from ease of paddling to stability to catch waves.
@@socaldrew8 i would say the SP2 cuz of width and volume. but, having said that depending on how tall you are, too wide isn't optimal. I like wide for the ease of getting up to planing speed but I can't dig as deep. Not a huge deal since you likely won't take these boards out on big hollow days where digging deep is helpful. Soft rolly waves, much better on the SP2. if it does get punchy, the ET.
Hey thomye why do you surf such high volume?? I am in San Clemente im 26 so a bit more young so that could be it but im 5'11 155 and we surf small waves pretty similarly i think anyways and i am riding between 28-26L sometimes a liter higher or lower if its really that small or really that good. Maybe its the difference in the breaks we surf but its just wild to me that you can do turns as good as you can at that high volume.
My performance volume is around 24. Grovel is between 26 and 28. Super grovel 29 to 30 and Uber grovel is 31+. To be honest, If they made this sweepee smaller I would rather opt for that something more in line with a super groveler But 5'2 is the smallest. Which does make it an Uber groveler. my old baked potato was 29L which was perfect but wasn't as easy to catch waves. Some waves on the sweepee I didn't even paddle for. 37 waves and I wasn't even tired. 😊
Technically, seems that the 5'8 would be the ideal for me, but under the arm it feels just like any of my other boards( even having 5 litres more.. wherever they are🤷). To have paddle power and be able to surf weak mushy waves (basically , longboard points) would the 5 10 be to much? Or should I stick to the 5 8? Im 96kg and my quiver is 5'9 seaside (37.3L) , puddle jumper HP 5 10 ( 35L) and dominator 2 6'1 (36L)? Cheers
One thing to keep in mind. Like your seaside, the SP2 is helium. you are going to shove 41.4L into a space shorter than your Seaside, except your Seaside only has 37.3L. it's more foam under you chest and you are getting 4L and a wider tail. Also, the rocker is way flatter. Although I think it would be better for paddling, catching waves, and surfing smaller stuff, it's still not a longboard. To really get lots more paddle power, definitely the 5'10, but you might give up some degree of maneuverability. Its hard to recommend since I don't really know how much paddle power you want. If it's a lot, 5'10. or just some, 5'8
Legend!! Seems that everybody that loves the board has a volume x weight ratio 0.45, or a bit less , including Dan Mann. So I reckon that is kind of how the board was designed for. I might stick with the 5,8 to get what Dan was thinking and shaped this board cause im affraid to blow the volume and end up with a board that is too stiff or doesn't feel good... I guess. Thanks Thomye...you are a legend mate
Looks like a really fun board How does this differ than just a twin keel fish. Currently a EPS twin fin keel red baron from JS is my go to for waves like this but wondering why one would choose something like this over that, better wave catching?
I gave this long answer but then I realized I was thinking of the old Sweet Potato and not the new one. I ended up deleting that answer so I'll try and answer with the correct board in mind. You asked if it was better at catching waves and my answer is not necessarily. You have to compare the boards in one of two ways which is either by length or by volume. if you compare them by length, and I'll use the shortest SP which is 5'2, the volume and width of the SP is much more than the 5'2 RB. So the SP here would be a much better groveler but won't perform as well. it won't be as agile. if you compare them by volume, say 31L, that would be a 5'2 SP compared to a 5'5 RB. In this case, the roles flip. The SP will be more agile because it is 3" shorter. But it won't be too agile since the SP is a tank of a board. Also, the RB won't be much better at groveling since they are roughly the same width and volume. The one thing to consider though is the fins set up. although they are both swallow, the SP has a narrow swallow which makes it easer to turn than the RB. You can also ride it as a quad, thruster, 2+1 and even a bad twin. I say bad cuz teh fins will be too forward. but it will still work. One isn't better than the other but they are different. and depending on the stage and level of your surfing, the right choice for you is basically what you want out of your surfing. Do you want it fishy (fast and drivey) or do you want it more controllable and maneuverable. Please consider that pros can make a fish seem maneuverable. but to a beginner/intermediate, RB will want to go straight and fast, it can turn but just a tad stiffer especially with keel fins. The SP will be a tad more carvey depending on the fin set up. Thanks for the question.
Hey thanks for writing me back! I do like my red baron but sometimes it definitely feels like it needs a bit better of a wave to fully come alive. I'm not a long board guy at all and come from a skateboard background so I don't enjoy a lot of the footwork that comes with logs. So was thinking about picking a sweet potato up. Do you have the sweet potato in your quiver? Looks like it would be really fun as a twin with a trailer @@ThomyeSurfs
@@ginjaturtles I do not have it in my quiver. The one I reviewed was a demo board. The problem for me is that the shortest version is a 5'2 coming in at 31 L. I would want something closer to 29 L but unfortunately they don't make it. I consider this category of board and Uber groveler. Really meant for anything waist high and under. Anything wave bigger there are just going to be better options like the Red Baron, mashup, seaside, etc.
I have not tested the revo. On design alone I would think the revo needs a much better punchier wave than the mashup. If the demo day comes around again I'll definitely try that board. My buddies tried the revo in the last demo day and they didn't like it. but the waves were smallish to medium. Also they sized up which I don't think you should do with the revo.
I own that Stump myself. not sure what it is but I have a hard time on foamies. I have fun on them but they are harder to surf. Not sure how those guy son BeefTV rip on them so easily. Especially, Kalani. I need to work on my foamy skills I guess. I also own the Beater, Skipper, and Log. Other foamies I own or have owned are the Boardworks 5'0, 5'6, and 7 along with two new foamies, the Invader Blade and the Formula Fun Fish which isn't fun at all. Worst foamie I have ever surfed. Anyways, for certain skill levels, I agree, better option for most.
@Thomye I just go my Sweet Potato 2(Volcanic) - I actually feel the performance is better than my Twice Baked. Could be the fins, I am using the Future Fins Controller. Sick little board for junk waves 🤠
@@leighrosendahl2734 I personally have only gotten 1 day on the volcanic so far. That was on the Great White Twin on a demo day. It was a small day. In terms of durability, Volcanic sits between the timbertech and Helium from my first impression. However, it seems much heavier than helium so actually feels more PU like to me. Not the flex but the weight. Volcanic might be a good option on the FRK as a step up. A little weight on the board helps on bigger steeper days. I'll review the GWT in volcanic soon. I just got my hands on one so hopefully after a month of surfing it, I'll have a good opinion of it.
Hey thomye, what quad set up were you using in the vid? Almost looked on first watch that the board was a bit big or over volume for you, but after a few more watches I think that might be your perfect Uber grovel board, just need some more time in the saddle so to speak, to sort it out,,,,love your reviews btw cheers from east coast Australia
The quad set just looked like standard future fins. Not a pro model. Yeah I think it is a good Uber groveler although I would if they had it prefer a 5-1 at around 30 . After watching the video myself a few times I realized I try too hard to surf it like a normal board rather than just cruising on it and slowing my surfing down which I think would have helped. Still a super fun board. Glad I got to review it.
@@ThomyeSurfs yeah my experience is the same, just have to let the board come to you if that makes sense, it does not like being pushed in the wrong section of wave, but when you slow down a bit the manoeuvres come, just takes a little different thinking in such week waves on such a fatty😂
Been waiting for a review on this board. Helpful info! Thanks! What size sweet potato would you recommend for a beginner/intermediate surfer 5’7 165 lbs?
i'm 5'8 and 140 so weight wise, it would say the 5'8 or 5'10. both have a ton of liters. but the bottom line, the more liters you have in the early stages of learning the faster you will get better. fatal mistake that most people make is they volume down to quickly and too much. its slows progression even though it feel better. I would force any kid of mine to ride bigger boards longer. the only caveat is duck diving. my limit at 140 lbs is 38L. any more and I struggle. at your weight, you should be able to push the 45 as you gain the technique. what are you on now? that is usually a good starting point.
@@ThomyeSurfs I’m in a similar early/mid intermediate and similar dimensions as he is and quite torn on the dimensions for this one. My go-to for volume days is a 53L ADDvance and a 40L Dom2 when waves are decent and wanting to push a bit harder. Anything above a 5’6” kind of hinders the “keep it in the trunk” appeal of always having something on hand to catch even the small stuff, but worried about dropping down too much too fast.
@@ThomyeSurfs thanks. Do you feel the 37.8L of the 5’6” would be too much of a step down or would it really be best to stay 40L+ for the small waves this is meant for (and a 165lb early/mid intermediate)? PS Great channel. Definitely comes across as very honest and genuine in your experience.
@@rockhurstu if you are on a 40L dom2, it is likely the 6'4 which is tall and somewhat wide, 20.75". longer boards are tighter. although going down to 37.8L is a lot, relatively speaking, it isn't and you aren't that heavy. Also, the 22" width will help with catching waves. the next one up is 41 which will work fine too since it is 8" shorter than the dom2, it will feel loose and maneuverable in smaller waves at slower speeds. I don't think you can make a bad decision here. One thing to consider is your progression. if you are progressing fast, go with the smaller. if you don't surf much and feel your progression is slow, go with the bigger. going down in size too much too fast is the worst things a surfer can do. just Also consider how the dom2 feels. if it feels too small, then go with the bigger sweepee.
i was thinking about this exact question over the weekend cuz at my local shop, there is a 5'6 Sunday on sale. To answer your exact question, 6'0 Sunday vs 5'2 Sweepee, I would probably go with the sweepee. Better tiny wave groveler. Although the Sunday handles bigger waves better, just more control. Having said that, what made me think about it was this. the Sweepee at 5'2 is 31L or something. The 5'6 Sunday is about the same so that is a better comparison. Under those conditions, I might pick the Sunday since i could grovel with the liters but surf better waves cuz that board is so narrow and pinny. So funny you asked that. I contemplated that for hours cuz I was thanking about buying the 5'6 Sunday. it is on sale for $599 or something. Great deal.
I’ve had my heart set on a 5’3 twice baked for a few months and this has just made me doubt my decision 😅 watching you surf the twice baked makes me think it’ll fly in the small stuff and you got it vertical. How did this compare?
this is a tad bulkier for sure. for me, I was on the 5'3 TB and the 5'2 SP. the TB was an inch taller, 1/2 liter more, but 1/4" narrower. Having said that, even though the TB is a fraction more liters, the SP floats better in 3 ways: it being helium made if feel like 32 to 33 L. it being 1/4" wider made it plane just a tad better, and lastly the is 1" shorter which means that volume is crammed just a big more under you. I felt if was a tad more grovely. I've taken the TB out in bigger days and it doesn't work. it is too bulky so to maximize the fun and performance, to me, it is a sub 3' board in which case, it helps to have a tad more paddle and float. I don't remember if I mentioned it but i would love this new SP in a 5'1 and around 30L. it would be a no brainer for me at that point. right now where it is at at 5'2 being the shortest, although I want it more than my TB, I have to consider the trade up effort. i hate selling boards and losing value especially for something I may only use 10 times a year when it is really small. haha but this one would allow me to surf even smaller waves. haha
for surfing, seaside. for groveling microwaves, definitely the SP2. I have tried surfing sub 1' waves on the seaside and if there is no energy behind the wave, it is a struggle and frustrating. definitely need both in the quiver (in terms of a groveler and uber groveler). Although i guess that depends on how big you surf the seaside. if one is already surfing the seaside 6 liters over their grovel range, then the seaside only however a seaside in the uber grovel range tends to get too long and too wide relative to length. :)
I'm 6' tall and 95Kg at the moment just intermediate level at the moment. I think the seaside around 6'0" could work fine. I got the Mashup 6'6" and love it. Thanks for the reply, you are a true gentleman Thomye. I'm learning so much from your reviews. Big fan 🙌🏼😌🤙🏼💯
for me, a resounding, YES. no wavestorm club. But I have two friends though, they are bigger guys and they rip on them. pisses me off, when I'm paddling out on a full high tide mush burger day and my buddy gets a wonky barrel and then comes out and throws it up for a floater off the top. WTH.
Great review. By chance have you surfed the Lost bean bag? Curious to hear your opinion on it. I have been eyeing a Lib Tech version on local CL for a while now.
no I haven't. The libtech version sort of stretched it out so in my opinion, it recategorized it for me. The original version from lost used to be shorter and wider for the volume. It was in a similar class as the Sweet Potato 2. The libtech version stretched it out and now I don't consider it an uber groveler. Rather just a groveler. Here are some numbers: the 5'2 SP2 is 2111/16" wide and 31L. The old bean bag was similar if not more volume. Now, the new libtech version 5'2 is only 20 1/2" wide and comes in at 28.75 liters. That is over 2 liters less. Granted, it will be more maneuverable than the SP2 but then at those liters and width, there are way better grovelers that have much better performance attributes. Also, I don't like round tails on grovelers. Anyways, it was once a comparable board to the SP2 but I feel like it would be unfair to compare them now.
Hi @ThomyeSurf, lookking to get a sp. Currently ride ci mid twin 6'10 45lts. Im 190pounds and 5'7 ft and intermediate surfer. Looking at the 5'8 or 5'10 sp your advice would be much appreciated
There are 3 factors here you need to consider. When you say intermediate, people normally refer that level to their surfing skill. However the other 2 factors are, fitness/paddle power, and wave timing/positioning. If all these three thing are intermediate, then go 5'10. Since you are coming off 45L, might as well stay roughly in that zone. If you are advanced in fitness or timing, then you can afford to go to the 5'8 and give up some liters especially because the Helium tech is more buoyant. so the 5'8 41L might actually feel like 43L. Liters are a good starting point but people don't realize that length of a board is huge in helping with paddle speed and catching waves. longer boards will have better tail lift because your feet/legs aren't hanging over the tail causing weight on the back. Also, longer parallel rails help with paddle speed. the difference might be very marginal but they do factor in. One last point, if you aren't planning to get rid of the CI Mid Twin, then go 5'8. Challenge yourself a bit. This way you can take it out on slightly better days but have a CI Mid to fall back on. Use your CI as a guage. If you feel that board is small at times, go 5'10. Hope that is making sense. It's good to have option.
@ThomyeSurfs cheers for your prompt reply. I'm planning on keeping the mid twin love that board and its paddle power. I'd say I'm a intermediate surfer that catches most waves I go for and starting to do turns( not so well on backhand ) and mainly surf beaches.only thing that worries me with the 5'10 is in helium it may be too buoyant for me and corcky and don't want stuff up my sizing as they bloody expensive boards!!
@@user-nj9dl3rm3e based on that, i would definitely go with the 5'8. Helium does float more. Give you an example, I rode a 6'10 CI Mid and was able to sort of duck dive it. Comparing that to the Mid6, which is Thunderbold not helium, I couldn't duck it at all. The liters were 40 on the thunderbolt and 44/45 on the CI Mid. Given your paddle power, challenge yourself and go 5'8.
the question for me is always "do i want to surf". although it doesn't happen often in So Cal, there are a handful of times I think it is too small even for my seaside and mashup. The uber groveler is the only option. I do have the Sunday and Seaside Beyond but as big as they are I prefer them in bigger waves. But I know what you mean. I have found the firewires to be of great value for the money of all other boards. they last long and reselling them seems to be easier. anyways, thanks for the feedback and on to the next. Have to get around to the Album board. :)
suitable yes, ideal no. Foamies and soft tops are ideal for beginners. Safe and heaps of volume. if you have already done that part of learning and you are looking to transition to your first hard board, yes, this board is then ideal if you get it large enough. All of it depends on your fitness and ability to learn. If you are a skater or snowboarder, then you can size down much quicker than someone who has zero experience with a side stance. All in all, suitable for sure. :)
the first sweet potato has a round thumb tail. The 2nd one has a swallow. What kind of tail is on yours? The fins don't matter cuz early on with the sweet potato 2, they had fcs2 fin boxes. They only stopped making firewires with fcs2 just this year.
if you compare them by volume, you will end up on a much shorter SP2. Basically the 5'2 SP2 has the same volume as the 5'5 Hydra. so if you go by that, the SP2 might be easier to move around, less rail in the water. if you compare by height, say 5'5, the sp2 gets really big ang boaty. so Hydra for better performance. Just depends on how you compare. I liked the hydra better for me but that is because they don't make the SP2 any smaller. :(
in the volume I surf my seaside, I would not compare them. It would be like comparing a compact car to the sedan. the Sweepee is an uber groveler for me while the seaside is more of a standard groveler. hope that makes sense. If they made a smaller sweepee at 28L, I could have an opinion. such as the old 5'1 baked potato which was 29L. i do wish they made a 5' sweepee at like 28L, that would be interesting.
@@chrisfernandez5566 thanks. i appreciate that. wish I could pump out more. People have given me a few good ideas but seem to have less and less time. haha
3:05 that tail dimension must be for something other than tail width, since 12" is too narrow and it should be 16" or more. I think maybe it's for the concave width. I wish mfr's would list nose and tail widths like the old days.
you are correct, i mispoke, they are showing you what the concaves look like at those markers. Although I'm not sure why they do that. They should just put the actual tail dims.
Most people I see on those grovel type boards here in SD County on small days, are pissed people with longboards and wavestorms are getting all the waves 🤣
I like the dims and shape (height to volume ratio) of the TB better but hate the timbertech material. I love the helium but the SP2 is to volumed up for me. meaning, the 5'2 is too big for me, I know what Dan Mann was going for but I think if he made a 5'1 or 5'0 around around 29L but the same width, SP2 all day. As a groveler, SP2 wins but I lose too much performance. Having said that, i wanted a board that i could surf 6 inch waves and have fun, not just stand there like a wavestorm, SP2 as is. Last point, I would pick though, the SP2. at the moment, I can pretty much ride the same waves on my seaside as I could on my TB. so having the sp2 for micro wave surfing would be handy.
Different category of boards. I would not compare them. But if you're asking which board you should buy, it would all depend on the goal and surf. The mashup is a small wave performance and the sweepee2 is a small wave groveler. You would surf one in a much smaller volume. And in doing so it would require much more effort in smaller waves but you get a lot more back in performance. The sweet potato is just fun easy and allows you to catch waves you don't think are even catchable. But the caveat is that you can't throw it around like the mashup. Hope that made sense.
You should surf this board with a super upright set like the old mitch colborne when its a bit bigger or a super raked set like the old andrew dohenys from captain fin when its smaller and you need more speed down the line. Or just try the AU fins and get best of both worlds?!
that is a great question. A few reason: 1) Construction - I don't like PU nor some of the other epoxy boards. 2) Durability - sort of an offshoot of construction I guess. something psychological for me and deck pressures. my performance doesn't benefit enough from PU's to make it worth the purchase. 3) Resale - because the firewires are more durable, they tend to have better resale. 4) Rob Machado - love rob, he was my inspiration when I was younger, being goofy I really liked his style so to support his boards it is worth it. Puts money in his pocket I guess. Kelly Too but he probably needs no help. Having said all that, I am not opposed to surfing other boards. but for my own money, I have to try and maximize my purchase. I buy a board for $900 out the door and a deck pad. Surf it, review it, and over the life of that video, youtube pays me $100 in advertising which really is nothing. Then I have to sell it for about $600 to 650. I lose $200+ on a firewire board. On CI and Lost, I lose closer to $300+. I have tried contacting shapers and to be honest, I only want to surf demos so I don't have to spend anything but I think shapers don't have demo's laying around. No shaper seems to be willing to discount a board under the current supply chain issue, at least not for me. One of my favorite boards I have reviewed is the Modern2 which is a surftech E2 construction. I like that construction better than PU but it seems no one wants to see them reviewed. Anyways, currently the most requested board is an Album but that could set me back about $500 loss even after selling it cuz the decks on them cave in. If I were buying it for myself, I might not mind it so bad but trying to resell it is harder. If any local shaper wants me to review one of theirs, I'd be down if they would loan it to me. :)
soon I hope. I have hypto krypto to review. I know it's an old board but I was able to get my hands on one for a while so that will be next. Then hoping to buy another.
of course. I learned on a 5'4 Quad fin when i was 13. Having such a short board made it more challenging but ultimately, it's about getting your arm/paddle strength up and learning to read waves.
Not sure of the exact weight but it is light relative to it's size cuz it is helium construction. Only board light is my dark arts. Super light relative to its size.
@@devinchaganis8017 shoot, that's tough, cuz in that range, 1lbs is massive difference. I'd say somewhere around there sounds right. it feels super light to what I would expect. wish i had a scale. I'll ask one of my buddies to weigh his 5'10 just to see what that comes in at. I'll get back to you.
@@devinchaganis8017 I contacted my buddy but he said he didn't have a scale. LOL I found that to be very odd and funny. Anyways, if I see him next time at the beach I'll try and figure that out for you.
I don’t see a point for this board. I’m in FL and I ride the seaside in anything barely 1 foot and it works great. The waves in your video are definitely seasidable as well
sort of agree. it all depends on how you size your seaside though. so I ride my seaside at 5'3 which is 28.2L. in order for me to get the same grovel as the 5'2 SP2, I think I would have to get the 5'5 Seaside. Although that would work, now the foam is stretched out over 3 more inches and the seaside still isn't as wide. So for me, there is a definite grovel difference. Now if one rides the seaside bigger, more grovel, then you are absolutely correct. no point in the SP2 if you already have a Seaside Ultra groveler. Thanks for brining up the point though. it is important for everyone to understand these differences. Another exmaple is my 6' sunday which is 38L. that grovels better than the SP2 but as the wave gets smaller, 1', the sunday is just too long to swing on the small face. so it just all depends on how you want to achieve grovel.
@@ThomyeSurfs That’s a good point, I ride the seaside at 4.9 pounds per liter so it definitely has significant float+helium tech which seems to add almost a liter. At your weight (140?) you’re riding the 31L SP at 4.5 pounds per liter so similar float to me on my seaside but maybe that .4 makes a big difference and I don’t know what I’m missing out on.
@@canadianbacon5104 right on, I like that you do things mathematically. I do a lot of ratios before buying boards. puts me in the ball park for getting the right size. I remember the old days of striking out on customs. haha
I find helium is good for these type of boards and waves. Pu when it's big and wild then daily driver in lft and helium is for gutless waves for me. I just bought this board today and even though I surfed it just for 1 hour in a very high tide backwashy crappy surf I found it gliding well. Fast over flat and crumbly sections and loose with medium quads. Not a fan of loose boards may need to mess with fins. Wasn't easy to paddle into waves though but I think that backwash didn't help. I am on the same page with it being surfed from a tail. If I pushed it front heavy it digs rail easily. Not as performance as I was expecting but still lots of testing needs to be done. 🤙
Hey beginner intermediate riding 30 liter boards Hpsb and a tomo Vader all 30 liters. Struck between the 5’4 or 5’6. Really want something to paddle amazing on small waves and point breaks but scared if it’s too bulky and the 5’4 has to little liters to have longer fun sessions
the 5'4 has almost 5 liters more than your other boards. That is a huge difference and advantage. Three other things that work to its advantage for paddling and groveling. 1) it is short, likely shorter than your other two boards, so all those liters will be crammed under your chest which helps with paddling. 2) it's helium which also is more buoyant than other cores. it uses a 3/4lbs eps. Remember that volume is reference to space/size not buoyancy. Volume is a good starting point but should not be the final factor. Imagine a board made of Oak at 35L. a 20L foam board would likely float better. 3) last part is that the board is wide, the 5'4 is 21 11/16 which is bascially 22" wide. that helps with planing so catching waves should be easy. all you need is a tiny bit of speed to get it planing. So to answer your question, I think going from your other two boards, 30L, to the 5'4 is more than enough. The 5'6 would be easier but you may loose a little bit of maneuverability. not much but that depends on your skill. Hope that helps. I would stick to the 5'4. as your skill level gets better so will your timing. timing is more important for catching waves. you will eventually want it smaller so grow into it. Having said that, if you have been at your skill level for the past 30 years and it's likely nothing will change, then go bigger. :) but if you are new and progressing. go 5'4.
Really well done and informative without being complicated.
You are an extraordinary good communicator on a very complex subject
Good review! I can't do the wavestorm or even longboard either haha. I picked up the 5'2" myself and it does catch a bunch of tiny mushy waves. Tried the Aipa FCS 2 + 1 and the Matt Biolos Quads in Medium, liked both. It does feel like a lot of board for maneuvers (I usually range 25 - 27 L) but the helium does help and I can still turn it. Makes the gutless crowded tiny days more fun. Board gets super speedy if the face has any kind of steepness.
Great video. I needed this. Ordering a sweet potato now :)
Awesome review Thomye, board looks super fun for those sub par days. Keep them coming brother 😎👍
thanks brotha. I need more demo days from Lost and CI, haha. or more friends in my size. haha
IMPORTANT: at 3:06 I misspoke. I said the nose and tail were 12" but that isn't true. I should have proofed this before publishing since I know that I like my tail around 14.5" on a normal board. I do not know the width of the nose and tail at the 12" mark on this board since I have not seen any publications of it. I will find out though and let you known.
Solid review...thanks!...
perfect.. cheers for this
Perfect review board looks fun
Great review! I just got my Sweet Potato. I’m just getting back in the water after 15 years. I’m a heavy guy and this board was my last ditch effort before going to a longboard. I absolutely love this board. I totally agree that it is the perfect board for the junk. It’s also really helping me get back in shape. My wave count has gone up exponentially since I got it. I had a 6’1” Glazer and couldn’t find the sweet spot. I picked up the 6’2” sweet potato and I am always in the sweet spot. I highly recommend this board.
nice. really like hearing that are pushing the ceiling away. The cool thing is, it keeps you off the longboard, gets you in shape, but also helps keep your progression or improve it depending on where one is at. I learned so much on my Baked Potato. Between that board and the original Dominator, I learned the most about my surfing.
Amazing review
I have a sweet potato II and a mash up thanks to your videos
Excellent video!
Nice review!
Hey Thomye, great review and entirely agree…I got a sweet potato 2.0 having had the original potato and twice baked. I really don’t like the timbertek construction for the TB…heavy and just feels so stiff. But my new potato in helium is really fun for small days. I would highly recommend trying as a twin plus trailer. I originally rode as a quad but switch3d to put in the mayhem evil twins and it makes the board fast and loose and a total blast in knee to waist high. Enjoy!!
You are the second person mentioning 2+1. I would not have thought that initially but just thinking about it it makes sense. It's also swallow so has a little bit more stability. Hopefully I'll be trading up in a bit. Yew!!
Thanks for the review! I loved the old SP, got the new one and have been riding it for the past 2 1/2 months. I've struggled with finishing maneuvers and getting over flat spots. Watching you surf, it's definitely user error on my part.
How big a board did you get?
@@ThomyeSurfs I got the 6'4. I'm 5'9, 250 lbs. Mostly surf south oc.
@@henrylee2310 does that catch waves easy? I don't assume cuz sometimes, bigger boards depending on design feels like it's harder. My brother 7' seaside and beyond was harder to catch waves than my 6'8 seaside beyond.
@@ThomyeSurfs Totally understand. I got a 7 ft Hypto Krypto Soft and I struggle catching waves, I've only ridden it twice because its been so frustrating, my regular 6'10 Hypto Krypto is fine catching waves. The new Sweet Potato paddles great, better than any board I've had in years. Catches waves super easy and early. You make a great point about surfing the tail, I catch myself sliding up too much to get speed and then not sliding my foot back for turns, didn't really have that issue with the old SP.
It's nice to see a review from someone around my size. I mostly surf Tomo Firewires except for the FRK. Let's face it, most often the waves are junk and it's hard finding something that is fun in those conditions. Not into longboards. My current new board is a Wyve Twin Pin. The new technology has no foam core. It's really fun but a bit long for me in junk. It's actually great in bigger steep waves. Wish we had demo days here on the Big Island but with all of the rocks/reef half of the boards would get trashed. My two Ibolic Firewires turned red.
Turned red?
Yes. Several people around here have had them turn red. Not solid but a milky or almost tie-die red. The Revo and now my FRK is showing it. It kind of looks good once it fills in. My Revo is delamming where I sit too.@@suavecitojoee
@@lavapix my boards never changed with that tint until I moved to Oahu
I live in Kona. Might have something to do with ocean temps. My boards don't lay out in the sun. My older Firewires only turned yellow. They still ride great.@@suavecitojoee
Yewww! Awesome day!!
I enjoyed your review, I have been looking for more reviews on this board and there are hardly any. Im 5'10 160 and an advanced surfer that likes to surf by myself. I am always looking for a high volume board that can surf the junk 1-2 ft yet be able to handle the 3-5 ft range with a change of fins. I had the 5'4 then went to the 5'2 for more control. I find that the MR 2 Twin with trailer loosens the board up at 1-2 ft. We got waves in the 3-5ft range and I upped my fins to the old school Kelly Slater 2.1 quads. good hold and pivot. going to try Kellys new 5 fin set as I seen them ridden on the firewire review with Timmy and Kevin Shultz. Love these types of boards...keeps me in the water. Aloha!
Agreed, makes my motivation tolerance super low and my wave expectation almost non existent. haha In the last 3 or4 weeks, my buddy who also demo'd the Swee P, were wishing we had it for the crap waves we were dealing with. I need to sell my Twice Baked ASAP. :)
Great review Thomye .. I have the 5’5 twice baked and the 5’4 sweet potato. Since buying the sweet potato I haven’t surfed my twice baked once!! Same reason as you.. the twice baked is heavy. I’ve tried the sweet potato as a quad and thruster and can’t decide which I like better!!
I am hoping to reviewing it again at some point, after i trade up or if I demo it again, i'll try it as a thruster. I know that I liked my 5'1 baked potato as a thruster way better, night and day.
Same as you. Bought a 5'4 Sweet Potato and have since sold my 5'5 Twice Baked and Evo.
Thanks Thomye for your reviews, as someone stepping down from a mid length your reviews has helped me go for the Sweet Potato. much like Dan Mann I'd rather go away from the crowds and surf the less than ideal conditions which suits me fine since I'm still working on my progression so I'm not doing any of the high performance turns. I wanted something shorter and lighter but still packing volume for my mass (5'8", 181 lbs) and easy padding instead of lugging around my 8' foamie or 7'6" fun board. I was debating between a 5'8" vs 6'2" and eventually went with more liters and length to be safe since this will be a dramatic step down from 7'6". Taking it out later this week and see how I gel with it. I'd like to see a follow up with different fin set ups. I got the Dan Mann 5 fins in medium set up as a quad. Thanks!
for sure let us know how it goes. the more data we get the more it helps others. As for fins, if I end up getting this board, I'll definitely consider a fin video. I think for now, the quad is the best set up for you on a bigger board, with the 6'2, even consider smaller rear fins.
Update: been surfing my 6’2” @ 52L SP2 for about 2 mos. 2-3 times a week and now used to getting up on it and riding on mushy waves. I got a 6’8” soft top funboard @ 45.4L to share between me and my son and I found that I like that volume. I guess I’m progressing especially with my wave catching so thinking and getting rid of the 6’2” SP2 and getting the 5’10” which is similar in volume as the soft top board I got. Thought about the 5’8” but it’s not in stock and it might be too drastic a drop in volume at 37L. I want to start practicing tic tacs, and moving up and down. Thoughts?
Sweet potato is an amazing board, to me I have so much fun playing around, it reminds me when I was kid on an aqua park doing crazy/idiot maneuvers
i only wish they made one a tad smaller for me or one that was narrower and shorter but thicker. :) I wish Firewire would bring back their custom boards.
Hey, Thom, great vid as always. I’d like to see you demo Endorfins + Sweet Potato II some day.
I'm not sure I'll get my hands on a SP2 any time soon. as for the fins, my buddy has a set so I can test them but it would have to be on the right board. I hear good things about them.
had this board for a month surfed waves I wouldn't have got on to had lots of fun put the futures rn twins with Rasta quod rears so loose but fun 🤙
Thank you for your review Thomye. I was hoping you would get your hands on a SP2. Your review is awesome as usual. I'm hoping you can give some advice on sizing. My current daily driver is a 5'5" Seaside and I want an uber groveler to sit below that in my quiver. Like you, I have difficulty on my Seaside in small mushy waves. Small waves with some push and the Seaside is good to go. I just don't know which size I should get in the SP2, 5'2" or 5'4"? I looked at both sizes in a local shop a few weeks ago, unfortunately all the 5'4" boards are gone now. The 5'4" felt too big for me but that was just holding it in the store. I like the feel and size of the 5'2" but it has 0.5L less volume then my Seaside. Without more volume, could the wider outline through the length, especially into the tail, of the 5'2" SP2 make it a better groveler then my 5'5" Seaside? Or would you recommend to look for a board with more liters then my Seaside? I am still working to understand the balance of volume and shape on a board's performance. I am 5'5" at 160lbs and an intermediate surfer. Thank you for any advice you can provide.
For an uber groveler, definitely need more leaders. The seaside is already pretty wide forward and although the width of the sweepee2 helps, it will be marginal. Highly recommend going a few leaders more than your 5.5 seaside but keeping the board shorter so you can try and keep the fun Factor.
@@ThomyeSurfs Thank you! I had a 5'2" SP2 on hold at a local shop. You just saved me from making a questionable investment. I will keep looking.
Thanks Thomye for the great review and breakdown as always. If you had to choose between the mashup or sweet potato for knee to chest high beach breaks, which would you choose?
for me, it would have to be the Mashup. the mashup is exactly designed for Knee to chest high. below the knees, SP2. :) This will all depend on skill level as well as what you are looking to do. I really like turning my boards quickly and getting my fins out when I can on a top turn or off the lip. It is much harder to do on the SP2. SP2 is great, but for me, its just too big. The smallest option is still too big for me.
Hey Thomye, long time fan here - I get a heap out of everything you put out. Did you every try the Firewire Chumlee? I know you can't get them anymore but I managed to pick one up second hand and loving it for the grovel.
Cheers and thanks for all you do!
Yes. Liked the chulee but didn't live it. It was fun but when the waves got fast. I could not put it on rail. I would have liked it better if it had a narrower tail.
Wanting to try a 2+1 set up in this!
Used to run a medium, really rakey quad fin set up in my old SP🥔 & it worked great in weak mushy waves.
I prefer the Helium Technology too!
Thought the Twiced Baked was a lil’ bit stiff. Traded it in & got a Seaside! Which went mental! My Baked Potato is in the Timbertek & it’s a lil’ stiff as well. Running the Machado 2+1 in it rn. Great review! Thanks for throwing it up! We’re all just trying to find board’s that have the ability to maximize the time we get to surf…
Regardless of the condition’s.
Looks like the new SP🥔 is gonna fit nicely in the quiver & help maximize the fun factor on the smaller day’s!!!
I had the same experience with the Twice Baked feeling stiff. I'm guessing that I should have focused on getting my back foot all the way back, but it had so much volume I found myself surfing it more like a long board. +1 to seaside going mental.
What size did you get?
@@benjaminm5232 The size on the Twice Baked or the Sweet Potato???
Or were ya asking Chuck S??,
@@shannonyoung3465 The sweet!
You surf that board really well. Ever tried a von sol manta? Would be curious to hear how you rate that one vs the potato line
I haven't tried the Von Sols. Others have mentioned it so I'm super curious. I'll reach out to them and see if they will let me borrow one. I have noticed that most Shapers aren't receptive to the idea of letting me take a board home for 2 to 3 weeks. :( But I'll reach out. Thanks for the tip
Also important to refer: you had the board for couple of hours and how many waves did you catch on a crappy day? It seems in the video wave after wave after wave, and it seems you're having good time
for sure. it is a great groveler and still keeps things fun vs going to the dark side (wavestorm). also a great groveler but can't do anything on it. I probably could have caught a lot more but I was also trying to be choosy for the video.
Thanks for the video.
legend. thanks so much. Euros? where you at?
@@ThomyeSurfs We left the island to tour Europe and Asia for the next few years. Hopefully our paths will cross!
@@fox..2668 if you swing by SoCal. Hit me up.
@@ThomyeSurfs Cheers mate, I'd love to.
sick
got a 5'8 (wanted a 5'6 no stock) early July and rate this board. Wave count is way up and so is my stoke in utter drivel. I'm 6'2 90kg's and my other got to's are a 5'10 Glazer and Hypto Krypto Krypto. CI OG Flyer 6'2. My previous groveler was my 2nd CI Biscuit which i love but the SP 2.0 is next level.
I have been frothing to try the hypto myself. I tried by buddies 5'4 one time for 2 waves about 5/6 years ago, which at the time felt a tad small, I may have been heavier. another buddy might lend me his 5'6. Hopefully soon. SP2 is a grovel game changer for sure. :)
Hi mate, I'm a similar size to you. Would you still opt for the 5'6 if you had a choice? I'm thinking about getting it but was also thinking 5'6
I would stick to the 5'8 for my length and BMI. I bought a 5'6 to make sure (costly exercise) and it was clear that the 5'8 was the right choice from the start so sold the 5'6 again and kept the 5'8 and been happy stoked with it.
Appreciate the review and how you have done a couple reviews on the twice baked , hope to see a part 2 of the sweet potato if you buy one.
My question is that if you could get the twice baked in helium would you still choose the sweet potato 2 over a helium twice baked ? Twice looks like it had a edge on performance maneuvers but also this sweet potato review the waves were smaller and softer than in your twice baked reviews. Do you think both boards cover the same wave range or much more advantage to the sweet?
In helium I would go with the twice. I think they generally cover the same range but the sweepee will just moves the range down toward smaller waves.
Wish firewire would option each model in every construction. Proly never happen tho. Sweetpee for the most micro waves but the twice baked has a little more ability for maneuvers then. The trade off of all grovel boards
@@greymarinelayer9248 yes, the maneuver advantage is very small though. I remember they used to but I think they realized it just catabolized their own offering and surf shops would end up with a bunch of the other boards that people didn't want. haha If they allowed it, I would definitely order a 5'1 Baked Potato in Helium right now. :(
thinking about picking one of these up its just been tiny here in so cal for the last couple of weeks. need something to get me out in the water as my dominator 2 and el tomo just arent the best boards to use when its 2 ft mush! board looks interesting as i don't own or don't want a mid length or longboard. i might have to go feel one up. thanks for the review. you'd recommend going with the same volume as your everyday board or a lil bigger?
for sure bigger, just to get you through those microwaves. I did about 4 liters not because I wanted to but because it was the smallest option they had. The 5'2 is 31L and my normal volume is 26 to 28. So that seemed OK. I could have probably gone with a 30L to get a tad more performance but unfortunately, the 5'2 is the smallest.
Mark's from HSS and Firewire Mark really good guys and surfers. Give those guys a raise!!!
Agreed
Thanks for the review Thomye! Quick question I'm currently riding a 7'4 oversize fish at 49.6L and I'm looking for something a bit more nimble but that I will still catch wave on an average to mediocre day here in New England (so small and gutless). My surf shop has the Sweet potato in 6' or 6'4. The 6'4 would have loads of volume but I'm afraid that it would not be very agile and I'm worried that the 6' would be too much of a jump from a 7'4. Any recommendations? (for info I'm 5'9 and 190Lbs, intermediate)
The 6’0 has 49 liters, it’s the same float as the board you ride now. It will be a very small adjustment due to the length. Do not get the 6’4 bro u might as well buy a mid length cuz you won’t be able to turn that at all😂
Agree with Mr Microsoft. In fact, the 6'0 will likely float a bit better cuz it is helium and all the volume is closer to your body. I would venture to say it is likely wider than your other board too which means it will plane better.
Did not expect surfing advice from Mr.Gates but it makes sense. Thanks Thomye and Bill! 🙂
Hey man! Thanks for your reviews... If you have to choose between TB and SP2 which one you like it better?
this answer is tough. I would do the twice baked cuz of size but, if they made a 5'1 version of the SP2, I would pick that because of the helium tech and at that point, the better size. I guess with their experience with the SP, Baked, Twice and now the SP2, maybe they don't sell too many of the smaller versions.
Hey Thomye, great review. Now that you've ridden both the Twice Baked and SP2, which would you say has the better "Performance" in soft waves? I want to get as close to surfing like a shortboard as possible in weak waves. Cheers!
I think the twice baked performed better, if you consider the boards I surfed. comparing the two, 5'3 TB vs 5'2 SP2, the TB is actually smaller in terms of width and thickness under the feet. Also, the board is heavier making it less buoyant. The SP was a better groveler but the TB was slightly better performer. One thing I wish is that they made a 5'1 or even a 5'0 SP2, because of the helium, it would have floated as good as the 5'3 TB in timbertech and at the smaller size, it would have performed better. But in my case, i was limited.
I'm not sure which ones you are looking at but if you go shorter on the SP2, making sure it has less volume and is smaller, it might actually perform better. My analysis is sort of locked and constrained by the fact that the 5'2 SP2 was the shortest they make. Hope that makes sense.
@@ThomyeSurfs Thanks for the reply and yes, it does make sense.
Hey dude love the reviews, just wondering if you tried the 5’6 Sunday twin. I was either going to get a mashup as a 2+1 or a 5’6 Sunday twin as a performance groveller. I saw the speed you got in the mashup in small waves and it was crazy. Does the mashup paddle onto waves ok compared to the Sweetpee, seaside and Sunday? Cheers mate 🤙🏼
It's a pretty flat board so catching waves is a matter of volume. If all had the exact same volume, the sweepee would be a hair better since its is so wide. Then the seaside then mashup. But I am talking fractions. Barely noticeable differences. If you compare them by height, the sweet potato would win by leaps and bounds and then the seaside and then a mashup blast. By height the volume differences are pretty significant. I have not tried the 5.6 sunday, I was considering getting it because it is on sale. But I thought it would be too redundant and probably not good for a review.
Btw. What size mashup would you get if you weren't that route. The 5'6 Sunday is 31L.
Thanks for replying dude. I had a 5’3 seaside which was great and was going to get a 5’5 Mashup (I’m a little heavier and taller than you). I remembered what you said about not sizing up to keep that performance. How does your 5’4 Mashup compared to your seaside when paddling onto waves?
@@RuRuRarRar the difference is fractional. i can't tell when the waves have push, the extra width helps on the seaside when it gets really small and weak. sometimes on bigger waves, i feel like the mashup is a tad easier, cuz of less foam in the chest and nose, i can drop my chin and make the board point down the face quicker and easier. but again, it is fractional. nothing I can measure really. in small gutless, my seaside is maybe 3 to 5% better and on bigger waves the mashup tends to drop in better at about 2 to 3%.
@@ThomyeSurfs thanks again mate, the info is priceless when you’re about to drop a large amount on a board and you get it slightly wrong, which I’ve done many times before. Cheers 🤙🏼
Great video. Of the potato line of boards from FireWire, which would you say from your personal experiences catches waves the easiest of them all? Baked potato?
If I surfed them all at 5'2, assuming there was a 5'2 in each model, it would be the new sweepee2. Next the sweepee, then baked and lastly twice baked. It's literally math, volume to width. But the differences between some are negligible. Performance wise I would take the baked and twice baked.
@@ThomyeSurfs Thanks very much for the reply. I am not religious but you are my new God
@@dchinh😂
Hey Thomye, love all your videos. In sizing for the sweet potato, how much bigger should I go than my standard volume? I’m 5’10” 200 intermediate. I normally ride 38L, was thinking of getting the 5’8” at 41L, or going bigger 5’10” 45L for super groveling. I’m just worried it’s gonna become to corky… I appreciate your thoughts.
are your normal 38L boards PU or EPS? I personally think you should go with the shorter just so it is more maneuverable. my normal daily is about 27 to 28 and I road the smallest SP2 @ 31L. I would have prefered to ride something smaller like a 5'1 but the 3 extra liters was plenty for me. if you are beginner to mid intermediate go 5'10, if you are high intermediate, go with the 5'8.
Thanks, I’m gonna go 5’8” 🤙🏻
This board is hard to duck dive. the nose is super wide and thick. It's corky. you don't want to over volume it
Thanks for the review, spot on as always I would say. Would you recommend this board to a beginner progressing from a 8'0 soft top?
for sure. Just don't get it too small. as good as some guys surf softtops/foamies, there is noting better than a hard board for learning to do maneuvers. Just make sure not to go too small too fast, the important thing that state of learning is timing of catching waves and popping up proper. it is easy to build bad habits and bad form. The SP2 is wide so if you get it big enough, it should be perfect. Having said that, don't go too big otherwise, you will grow out of it too quickly, which isn't a bad thing but costly. :)
@@ThomyeSurfs Thanks for the comment. I was thinking about getting a 5'8 (I'm 5'7, 68kg), any thoughts?
What fins would you recommend? I’ve been looking into the Endorfins twin plus 2. Also heard that performers in the front and reactors in the rear could work. Thoughts?
since my time on the SP2 was a demo, I surfed it with whatever was in it which I think was a quad set. The idea of a 2 +1 is super intriguing on such a wide tail block but not sure how that would go. I usually think of 2 +1's for more narrower tails but fins always surprise me. You just don't know till you try.
In terms of quad, I usually run more pivot fins on a wide tail block. I like the Stretch fins a lot for that. I had them in my Baked Potato and my Twice Baked. I'm planning to test these new NVS AIPA Sequencer fins in my twice baked. They are super pivot. so pivot they look like they lean forward. Anyways, sorry I don't have much more insight than just theoretical. if you do try a 2 +1, let me know how it goes. I'll also try it in my Twice Baked and report back. not sure when but soon.
@@ThomyeSurfs appreciate the feedback. I’ll let you know how it goes if I try out that setup.
I have the Sweet Potato 2 and I like the Mannkine Large Quad from NVS. I've also tried the Seaside Quad but prefer the Mannkine Larges. Hope that helps.
Hi Thomye, thanks for the in-depth review of the board, it's very helpful! I'm a little late to the party, so I don't expect an answer, but I was wondering if you've tried a larger version of the Sweet Potato 2?
I weigh 180 lbs / 5'10" and use a 5'5 Seaside (31.5L) as my daily driver. I'd like to buy the SP2 for very small waves (like the ones in your video that I can hardly surf with my Seaside). I would be inclined to choose the SP2 5'4" at 34.6L but I wonder if it will have enough volume for the kind of waves I want to surf. If I take the 5'6" (37.8L), I wonder if it will feel like a boat. The surfer's existential problem. If you don't mind, I'd like to know what you think? Thanks!
I hear arguments that liters are important and from a small group of purist, who think it is irrelevant. my thought is that is is equally as important as design and when making a decision, should always be factored in along with design.
In the this case, consider a few things. First, how much more grovel do you need out of this board vs a Seaside. Second, if you go with the shorter SP2, remember 3 factors:
a. The SP2 although shorter is wider - more planing. Easier quicker, etc.
b. it has less rocker, so more grovel, should paddle smoother and faster (marginally)
c. more liters - already more grovel but now take that 3 extra liters and cram it into a shorter board. granted, only 1" shorter.
Going back to the first question, how much more do you want it to grovel thean the seaside. all things considered, it looks like it will grovel a bit better. not marignally likely quite a bit. Nothing like a mid length or anything but noticeable.
If you want it to grovel WAY more than your seaside, then 5'6. but now you are going 6L, more width, etc. you could end up sacraficing too much performance.
That's my 2 cents. I think putting a little extra volume and taking advantage of the design of the board my adding grovel features but trying to maintain some level of performance by going shorter, is better.
Disclaimer, I don't kow your exact skill level, fitness, waves, etc. so I am factoring in my subjective opinion. This was my decision making process when I bought my old 5'1" Baked Potato and it was the best decision I made.
Hope this helps.
@@ThomyeSurfs Thanks Thomye! I wasn't expecting such a quick response. I'll take a chance and go for the 5'4" :D
@@dronixe9330 yeah I think it's the better call. Especially if you're not struggling with your seaside. That extra 3 L plus all the features will make it seem like this board is 5 L more or around that mark. Good luck, let me know how it goes.
Hey Thomye. Thanks a lot for the review. May I ask for your advise? I’m 6’1” 165 lbs, currently riding 7’10” minimal, beginner-to-intermediate level. I would like to get more maneuverable board for the 1-4 feet (usually) powerless (5-6 seconds period) waves on my local beach break. What would be best: seaside or sp2? Also in terms of sizing on my skill level, should I look into 35-37 liter range or would you recommend getting something around 40L or even more? Thank you in advance. Eugene
Your bio description tells me you're tall and skinny. Which is actually good for surfing. With the waves that you described I would say a 5'4 to 5'6 sweet potato or a slightly longer seaside would suit you fine. You only really need volume for paddling around and getting you into waves earlier. Both these boards are wide enough where they will be stable and not mess up your surfing too much in your progression. Try and make the board fit the curve of the wave remembering that the sweet potato is very flat and the seaside has a slight bit more curve to it. So even though your waves are small and low energy if there is a lot of curve to it go with the seaside. If it's super mushy then go with the sweet potato. With enough volume in either it doesn't matter but then the longer you go the stiffer it gets.
Thanks a lot Thomye
Hi I'm an intermediate level surfer looking for a lot of fun from this surfboard. I'm 180 meters tall and weigh 67 kg. I'm undecided between the 5.4 and the 5.2. Glad to hear what information you recommend. thank you
It looks like you and are similar in stature. You are a tad taller. Having said that, you want to break down your skill sets and circumstances into categories: paddle fitness, catching waves, surfing, and lastly the wave itself.
from a surfing perspective, as an intermediate weighing almost the same as me, I would say the 5'2 is the best choice. it's is very wide and very thick so, going taller from a surfing perspective just makes the board tighter and harder to move.
From a paddle perspective, the 5'4 is better but that depends on your fitness. Although I consider myself an Advanced surfer (on the low end), I have somewhat of a weak paddle. I would consider myself a low end intermediate paddler. I have had paddle battles with 12 year old kids and lost. LOL Now this is different than the skill to catch waves.
For catching waves, placement is key. Although I don't have a great paddle, it is enough to get me to where I need to be and then time the wave so that I don't have to try as hard. This is where my advanced skill helps. If you are already good at this, then go with the 5'2. If you are still developing this skill then the 5'4 is a better choice. A good way to tell is how many strokes you take to catch a wave. on Average, do you find yourself paddling hard to get into a wave, if so, you are skill intermediate. But if you hardly stroke to get into a wave, then you are more advanced.
The last part is your wave. If you wave is small and soft, 5'4. If your waves is small but stronger with push then go 5'2. it will help with surfing. Remember, this board is for small waves. if your wave is above chest high, then go with a different board.
The last point I want to make is that you should challenge yourself a bit. You don't want to get something too big and then end up outgrowing it too fast. Rather, get something too small and learn into it. Since you and I are the same size, the 5'2 won't be too small. It might feel it at first but you will learn into it. At my skill level, I thought the 5'2 was too big for me. I would have preferred it to be 5'1 and around 30L vs 5'2 @ 31L. or event keeping it at 5'2 and wide but making it thinner are around 29L.
Anyways, hope this helps. Just consider all the factors I mentioned. Buying a board, especially at the prices they are going for these days, isn't easy. I still struggle with sizing. I'm trying to decide right now between an 5'7 and 5'8 FRK+. 1L different. haha
@@ThomyeSurfs Thank you very much for the detailed answer 🙏🏼 you made me happy (:
Hello Tomye, I ride 30 liters boards as my everyday and was thinking getting this board at least 4 liters above to be able to catch and ride Small waves. Do you think that would be too much? I just can imagine catching many tiny wave with 30 liters of volume. Do you think this board is so short that you can still ride it and have fun when it is way above your normal volume?
???
yo, sorry for the late response. no, 4L is fine. I did the same thing for my reviews. I'm at about 27 and tested a 31. 4L at first might not sound enough but the width helps a lot. you do lose performance but that is to be expected. I think there are days that having an uber groveler makes it well worth it. If you aren't smashing lips and gouging turns, you could even go a tad bigger in my opinion. Maybe even 6L to just catch more waves.
I'm telling you Cymatic all the way!
I was talking to Chewy from Firewire and he said to ask about on the next demo day and he would bring one up for me. I'll try one next as well as the Revo.
@@ThomyeSurfs yes! I'm your weight and the 5'3 using a K2.1 variation was and still is magical!
@@ThePokersurfer ok. I was thinking 5'4 but didn't want it too similar to the sci-fi I reviewed. I will have to remember 5'3. 🤙
@@ThomyeSurfs quad wasn't my forte although Salas recommended it ....... thruster for sure.
Soo I LOVVVE my TB. Like if there was one board I could ride forever it would be the TB. My question is. If I were to move to the SP2 What size? I ride the 5'9" TB. (6ft 195lb). I've ridden it in everything from knee to overhead pumping and it's honestly my all arounder, I almost use the TB as a crutch as I know its like a cheat board in most conditions.... I'd like to have a board for when it's pumping (I have a Mid 6) and for more grovelly days. Should I be looking at the 5'6" or 5'8" SP2?? Again this would be strictly for grovelling.... Thanks Thomye!!!
if your TB is the baseline, for most every type of wave, then I would think you need to go roughly the same size on the SP2. I think the 5'8 is a better option than the 5'6. The 5''8 will be roughly the same volume but differ in these ways: 1" shorter, a tad wider, and because it is Helium vs Timber Tech, it will be lighter and more buoyant. Having said that, it will grovel a better than the 5'9. I think if you want more performance out of the SP2, the 5'6 might be a good option but then you lose quite a bit of volume which could result in less buoyancy even with the construction difference.
I tested the 5'2 SP2 but own the 5'3 TB. The SP2 was stiffer to ride but did grovel better. The helium construction made up the difference even though the TB is .6 liters more. Hope that helps.
Hey, first of all, big fan of your videos! secondly: what do you think about seaside vs sweet potato 2? does it give you alot more growling power in small mushy surf or is the difference not that big?
the short answer is yes, SP2 grovels better. the longer is a bit more complicated:
First and foremost, it depends on how you are comparing them. Either by length or by volume. Example: a 5'2 Seaside is about 26.9L or something like that based on recollection. The 5'2 SP2 is 31L. so based on length, the SP has way more grovel power not by mere volume but also by width. I think it is about 1.5" wider.
if you compare them by volume, say 31L. the SP2 would be 5'2 and the Seaside would be 5'5. Even comparing them by vol, the SP2 might actually come out as a better groveler because it is still wider. I think the SP2 is 1" wider still even by volume. Also, all the volume is shoved closer to the chest and areas that float the heaiver parts of your body. Lastly, the SP2 has way less rocker. it should paddle and glide in easier.
all in all, the SP2 will grovel better. Way better at the same length but marginally better by volume. Hope that made sense.
Wow, thank you very much, this is really helpful! (as all of your videos, your the best)@@ThomyeSurfs
Thanks for the review. I surf a longboard up at first point Malibu. Would this board handle a clean 4-5ft wave at Malibu or is 2-3ft the best it can handle. I am not looking to do cutbacks but just get and go top to bottom on clean point Brel
it will hand 4to5 Malibu. for the 2 to 3 reference, that is more for what I like doing which is to get as close to surfing it like a normal board. the board is flat and goes down the line really fast. I think it would be fine on a long drawn out wave like 1st point. I have only surfed the Boo twice in my life. that is such a fun wave but the last time I was out, there was a whale literally 25yards in front of me. It was so cool to see one so close. Didn't realize it was deep enough for that.
@@ThomyeSurfs thank you. I saw your review of the el tomo fish. If someone was a beginner on a short board and had to decide between the sweet potato 2.0 and the el tomo sized 6’2. I think the el tomo has 5 liters less like 46 liters which one would you recommend from ease of paddling to stability to catch waves.
@@socaldrew8 i would say the SP2 cuz of width and volume. but, having said that depending on how tall you are, too wide isn't optimal. I like wide for the ease of getting up to planing speed but I can't dig as deep. Not a huge deal since you likely won't take these boards out on big hollow days where digging deep is helpful. Soft rolly waves, much better on the SP2. if it does get punchy, the ET.
@@ThomyeSurfs thanks so much I’m 5’11 190 pounds so will check out the SP2. I called FireWire they are in Carlsbad so easy to get down there
@@socaldrew8 yeah, if you are close to them, demo it if you can. always good to test before you buy. :)
Hey thomye why do you surf such high volume?? I am in San Clemente im 26 so a bit more young so that could be it but im 5'11 155 and we surf small waves pretty similarly i think anyways and i am riding between 28-26L sometimes a liter higher or lower if its really that small or really that good. Maybe its the difference in the breaks we surf but its just wild to me that you can do turns as good as you can at that high volume.
My performance volume is around 24. Grovel is between 26 and 28. Super grovel 29 to 30 and Uber grovel is 31+. To be honest, If they made this sweepee smaller I would rather opt for that something more in line with a super groveler But 5'2 is the smallest. Which does make it an Uber groveler. my old baked potato was 29L which was perfect but wasn't as easy to catch waves. Some waves on the sweepee I didn't even paddle for. 37 waves and I wasn't even tired. 😊
Technically, seems that the 5'8 would be the ideal for me, but under the arm it feels just like any of my other boards( even having 5 litres more.. wherever they are🤷).
To have paddle power and be able to surf weak mushy waves (basically , longboard points) would the 5 10 be to much? Or should I stick to the 5 8?
Im 96kg and my quiver is 5'9 seaside (37.3L) , puddle jumper HP 5 10 ( 35L) and dominator 2 6'1 (36L)?
Cheers
One thing to keep in mind. Like your seaside, the SP2 is helium. you are going to shove 41.4L into a space shorter than your Seaside, except your Seaside only has 37.3L. it's more foam under you chest and you are getting 4L and a wider tail. Also, the rocker is way flatter.
Although I think it would be better for paddling, catching waves, and surfing smaller stuff, it's still not a longboard. To really get lots more paddle power, definitely the 5'10, but you might give up some degree of maneuverability. Its hard to recommend since I don't really know how much paddle power you want. If it's a lot, 5'10. or just some, 5'8
Legend!!
Seems that everybody that loves the board has a volume x weight ratio 0.45, or a bit less , including Dan Mann. So I reckon that is kind of how the board was designed for. I might stick with the 5,8 to get what Dan was thinking and shaped this board cause im affraid to blow the volume and end up with a board that is too stiff or doesn't feel good... I guess.
Thanks Thomye...you are a legend mate
Looks like a really fun board
How does this differ than just a twin keel fish. Currently a EPS twin fin keel red baron from JS is my go to for waves like this but wondering why one would choose something like this over that, better wave catching?
I gave this long answer but then I realized I was thinking of the old Sweet Potato and not the new one. I ended up deleting that answer so I'll try and answer with the correct board in mind. You asked if it was better at catching waves and my answer is not necessarily. You have to compare the boards in one of two ways which is either by length or by volume.
if you compare them by length, and I'll use the shortest SP which is 5'2, the volume and width of the SP is much more than the 5'2 RB. So the SP here would be a much better groveler but won't perform as well. it won't be as agile.
if you compare them by volume, say 31L, that would be a 5'2 SP compared to a 5'5 RB. In this case, the roles flip. The SP will be more agile because it is 3" shorter. But it won't be too agile since the SP is a tank of a board. Also, the RB won't be much better at groveling since they are roughly the same width and volume.
The one thing to consider though is the fins set up. although they are both swallow, the SP has a narrow swallow which makes it easer to turn than the RB. You can also ride it as a quad, thruster, 2+1 and even a bad twin. I say bad cuz teh fins will be too forward. but it will still work.
One isn't better than the other but they are different. and depending on the stage and level of your surfing, the right choice for you is basically what you want out of your surfing. Do you want it fishy (fast and drivey) or do you want it more controllable and maneuverable. Please consider that pros can make a fish seem maneuverable. but to a beginner/intermediate, RB will want to go straight and fast, it can turn but just a tad stiffer especially with keel fins. The SP will be a tad more carvey depending on the fin set up.
Thanks for the question.
Hey thanks for writing me back! I do like my red baron but sometimes it definitely feels like it needs a bit better of a wave to fully come alive. I'm not a long board guy at all and come from a skateboard background so I don't enjoy a lot of the footwork that comes with logs. So was thinking about picking a sweet potato up. Do you have the sweet potato in your quiver? Looks like it would be really fun as a twin with a trailer @@ThomyeSurfs
@@ginjaturtles I do not have it in my quiver. The one I reviewed was a demo board. The problem for me is that the shortest version is a 5'2 coming in at 31 L. I would want something closer to 29 L but unfortunately they don't make it. I consider this category of board and Uber groveler. Really meant for anything waist high and under. Anything wave bigger there are just going to be better options like the Red Baron, mashup, seaside, etc.
Sweet review 😉
Get a chance to demo the Revo? Thoughts on that board vs your Mashup?
Muchas thanks as always!
I have not tested the revo. On design alone I would think the revo needs a much better punchier wave than the mashup. If the demo day comes around again I'll definitely try that board. My buddies tried the revo in the last demo day and they didn't like it. but the waves were smallish to medium. Also they sized up which I don't think you should do with the revo.
Good uber groveler: 5’0” Stump by Odysea Catch surf @ 38L and a little more than half the price of sweet potato or any other brand new poly/EPS board
I own that Stump myself. not sure what it is but I have a hard time on foamies. I have fun on them but they are harder to surf. Not sure how those guy son BeefTV rip on them so easily. Especially, Kalani. I need to work on my foamy skills I guess.
I also own the Beater, Skipper, and Log. Other foamies I own or have owned are the Boardworks 5'0, 5'6, and 7 along with two new foamies, the Invader Blade and the Formula Fun Fish which isn't fun at all. Worst foamie I have ever surfed.
Anyways, for certain skill levels, I agree, better option for most.
@Thomye I just go my Sweet Potato 2(Volcanic) - I actually feel the performance is better than my Twice Baked. Could be the fins, I am using the Future Fins Controller. Sick little board for junk waves 🤠
i wish they made it in a 5'1, slightly smaller for my tiny @ss. LOL Let me know what you think of that Volcanic. I have not tried it yet.
And how does the Volcanic surf?
@@leighrosendahl2734 I personally have only gotten 1 day on the volcanic so far. That was on the Great White Twin on a demo day. It was a small day. In terms of durability, Volcanic sits between the timbertech and Helium from my first impression. However, it seems much heavier than helium so actually feels more PU like to me. Not the flex but the weight. Volcanic might be a good option on the FRK as a step up. A little weight on the board helps on bigger steeper days. I'll review the GWT in volcanic soon. I just got my hands on one so hopefully after a month of surfing it, I'll have a good opinion of it.
@@leighrosendahl2734 it feels really good….very durable and responsive.
@rallnaude642 did you get any delamination with the volcanic? Heard horror stories about this.
Hey thomye, what quad set up were you using in the vid? Almost looked on first watch that the board was a bit big or over volume for you, but after a few more watches I think that might be your perfect Uber grovel board, just need some more time in the saddle so to speak, to sort it out,,,,love your reviews btw cheers from east coast Australia
The quad set just looked like standard future fins. Not a pro model. Yeah I think it is a good Uber groveler although I would if they had it prefer a 5-1 at around 30 . After watching the video myself a few times I realized I try too hard to surf it like a normal board rather than just cruising on it and slowing my surfing down which I think would have helped. Still a super fun board. Glad I got to review it.
@@ThomyeSurfs yeah my experience is the same, just have to let the board come to you if that makes sense, it does not like being pushed in the wrong section of wave, but when you slow down a bit the manoeuvres come, just takes a little different thinking in such week waves on such a fatty😂
Been waiting for a review on this board. Helpful info! Thanks! What size sweet potato would you recommend for a beginner/intermediate surfer 5’7 165 lbs?
i'm 5'8 and 140 so weight wise, it would say the 5'8 or 5'10. both have a ton of liters. but the bottom line, the more liters you have in the early stages of learning the faster you will get better. fatal mistake that most people make is they volume down to quickly and too much. its slows progression even though it feel better. I would force any kid of mine to ride bigger boards longer.
the only caveat is duck diving. my limit at 140 lbs is 38L. any more and I struggle. at your weight, you should be able to push the 45 as you gain the technique.
what are you on now? that is usually a good starting point.
@@ThomyeSurfs I’m in a similar early/mid intermediate and similar dimensions as he is and quite torn on the dimensions for this one. My go-to for volume days is a 53L ADDvance and a 40L Dom2 when waves are decent and wanting to push a bit harder. Anything above a 5’6” kind of hinders the “keep it in the trunk” appeal of always having something on hand to catch even the small stuff, but worried about dropping down too much too fast.
@@rockhurstu I'm glad you are thinking about that. most people do drop down too much too fast and you can see it in their style and progression.
@@ThomyeSurfs thanks. Do you feel the 37.8L of the 5’6” would be too much of a step down or would it really be best to stay 40L+ for the small waves this is meant for (and a 165lb early/mid intermediate)?
PS Great channel. Definitely comes across as very honest and genuine in your experience.
@@rockhurstu if you are on a 40L dom2, it is likely the 6'4 which is tall and somewhat wide, 20.75". longer boards are tighter. although going down to 37.8L is a lot, relatively speaking, it isn't and you aren't that heavy. Also, the 22" width will help with catching waves. the next one up is 41 which will work fine too since it is 8" shorter than the dom2, it will feel loose and maneuverable in smaller waves at slower speeds. I don't think you can make a bad decision here. One thing to consider is your progression. if you are progressing fast, go with the smaller. if you don't surf much and feel your progression is slow, go with the bigger. going down in size too much too fast is the worst things a surfer can do. just Also consider how the dom2 feels. if it feels too small, then go with the bigger sweepee.
lol came here to see the shit wave board, but just restored a 1970 la pavoni and ur intro got me hyped
What would u rather use, the 6’0 Sunday or this sweet potato?
i was thinking about this exact question over the weekend cuz at my local shop, there is a 5'6 Sunday on sale.
To answer your exact question, 6'0 Sunday vs 5'2 Sweepee, I would probably go with the sweepee. Better tiny wave groveler. Although the Sunday handles bigger waves better, just more control.
Having said that, what made me think about it was this. the Sweepee at 5'2 is 31L or something. The 5'6 Sunday is about the same so that is a better comparison. Under those conditions, I might pick the Sunday since i could grovel with the liters but surf better waves cuz that board is so narrow and pinny.
So funny you asked that. I contemplated that for hours cuz I was thanking about buying the 5'6 Sunday. it is on sale for $599 or something. Great deal.
I’ve had my heart set on a 5’3 twice baked for a few months and this has just made me doubt my decision 😅 watching you surf the twice baked makes me think it’ll fly in the small stuff and you got it vertical. How did this compare?
this is a tad bulkier for sure. for me, I was on the 5'3 TB and the 5'2 SP. the TB was an inch taller, 1/2 liter more, but 1/4" narrower. Having said that, even though the TB is a fraction more liters, the SP floats better in 3 ways: it being helium made if feel like 32 to 33 L. it being 1/4" wider made it plane just a tad better, and lastly the is 1" shorter which means that volume is crammed just a big more under you. I felt if was a tad more grovely.
I've taken the TB out in bigger days and it doesn't work. it is too bulky so to maximize the fun and performance, to me, it is a sub 3' board in which case, it helps to have a tad more paddle and float. I don't remember if I mentioned it but i would love this new SP in a 5'1 and around 30L. it would be a no brainer for me at that point. right now where it is at at 5'2 being the shortest, although I want it more than my TB, I have to consider the trade up effort. i hate selling boards and losing value especially for something I may only use 10 times a year when it is really small. haha but this one would allow me to surf even smaller waves. haha
Great review Champion!
Which one would you prefer?
Seaside or Sweet potato 2?
Thanks brother, always a pleasure watching your videos 🤙🏼
for surfing, seaside. for groveling microwaves, definitely the SP2. I have tried surfing sub 1' waves on the seaside and if there is no energy behind the wave, it is a struggle and frustrating. definitely need both in the quiver (in terms of a groveler and uber groveler). Although i guess that depends on how big you surf the seaside. if one is already surfing the seaside 6 liters over their grovel range, then the seaside only however a seaside in the uber grovel range tends to get too long and too wide relative to length. :)
I'm 6' tall and 95Kg at the moment just intermediate level at the moment.
I think the seaside around 6'0" could work fine.
I got the Mashup 6'6" and love it.
Thanks for the reply, you are a true gentleman Thomye.
I'm learning so much from your reviews.
Big fan 🙌🏼😌🤙🏼💯
Nose and tail dims are not 12" wide, they're showing the cross-cut at 12" from the nose and 12" from the tail
you are correct. I misspoke. I realized that after I posted but can't change it.
Definitely bypass the wavestorm 😜
for me, a resounding, YES. no wavestorm club. But I have two friends though, they are bigger guys and they rip on them. pisses me off, when I'm paddling out on a full high tide mush burger day and my buddy gets a wonky barrel and then comes out and throws it up for a floater off the top. WTH.
Great review. By chance have you surfed the Lost bean bag? Curious to hear your opinion on it. I have been eyeing a Lib Tech version on local CL for a while now.
no I haven't. The libtech version sort of stretched it out so in my opinion, it recategorized it for me. The original version from lost used to be shorter and wider for the volume. It was in a similar class as the Sweet Potato 2. The libtech version stretched it out and now I don't consider it an uber groveler. Rather just a groveler.
Here are some numbers: the 5'2 SP2 is 2111/16" wide and 31L. The old bean bag was similar if not more volume. Now, the new libtech version 5'2 is only 20 1/2" wide and comes in at 28.75 liters.
That is over 2 liters less. Granted, it will be more maneuverable than the SP2 but then at those liters and width, there are way better grovelers that have much better performance attributes. Also, I don't like round tails on grovelers.
Anyways, it was once a comparable board to the SP2 but I feel like it would be unfair to compare them now.
Hi @ThomyeSurf, lookking to get a sp. Currently ride ci mid twin 6'10 45lts. Im 190pounds and 5'7 ft and intermediate surfer. Looking at the 5'8 or 5'10 sp your advice would be much appreciated
Also mint reviews 👌
There are 3 factors here you need to consider. When you say intermediate, people normally refer that level to their surfing skill. However the other 2 factors are, fitness/paddle power, and wave timing/positioning.
If all these three thing are intermediate, then go 5'10. Since you are coming off 45L, might as well stay roughly in that zone. If you are advanced in fitness or timing, then you can afford to go to the 5'8 and give up some liters especially because the Helium tech is more buoyant. so the 5'8 41L might actually feel like 43L.
Liters are a good starting point but people don't realize that length of a board is huge in helping with paddle speed and catching waves. longer boards will have better tail lift because your feet/legs aren't hanging over the tail causing weight on the back. Also, longer parallel rails help with paddle speed. the difference might be very marginal but they do factor in.
One last point, if you aren't planning to get rid of the CI Mid Twin, then go 5'8. Challenge yourself a bit. This way you can take it out on slightly better days but have a CI Mid to fall back on. Use your CI as a guage. If you feel that board is small at times, go 5'10. Hope that is making sense. It's good to have option.
@ThomyeSurfs cheers for your prompt reply. I'm planning on keeping the mid twin love that board and its paddle power. I'd say I'm a intermediate surfer that catches most waves I go for and starting to do turns( not so well on backhand ) and mainly surf beaches.only thing that worries me with the 5'10 is in helium it may be too buoyant for me and corcky and don't want stuff up my sizing as they bloody expensive boards!!
Forgot I've got not bad fitness, ok paddler and tend to more take off on the shoulder not to late
@@user-nj9dl3rm3e based on that, i would definitely go with the 5'8. Helium does float more. Give you an example, I rode a 6'10 CI Mid and was able to sort of duck dive it. Comparing that to the Mid6, which is Thunderbold not helium, I couldn't duck it at all. The liters were 40 on the thunderbolt and 44/45 on the CI Mid. Given your paddle power, challenge yourself and go 5'8.
Hey hey Thomye! Question…What camera you use to video your sessions?
Soloshot 3 using the 65mm version.
@@ThomyeSurfs Thank you 🙏
Also von sol flying manta best uber groveled by a mile.
so hard to find in my size. I checked out their website but no boards, just fins. do you know the best place to shop for these?
Nice...and excellent option for these waves...However, on my side, I always think that ..."is it worth to spend 900 Euros for these kind of waves..."
the question for me is always "do i want to surf". although it doesn't happen often in So Cal, there are a handful of times I think it is too small even for my seaside and mashup. The uber groveler is the only option. I do have the Sunday and Seaside Beyond but as big as they are I prefer them in bigger waves. But I know what you mean. I have found the firewires to be of great value for the money of all other boards. they last long and reselling them seems to be easier.
anyways, thanks for the feedback and on to the next. Have to get around to the Album board. :)
@@ThomyeSurfs Indeed yes... firewire do have a good value in the second hand market !!
Hey mate, nice review is this suitable for beginners?
suitable yes, ideal no. Foamies and soft tops are ideal for beginners. Safe and heaps of volume. if you have already done that part of learning and you are looking to transition to your first hard board, yes, this board is then ideal if you get it large enough.
All of it depends on your fitness and ability to learn. If you are a skater or snowboarder, then you can size down much quicker than someone who has zero experience with a side stance.
All in all, suitable for sure. :)
@@ThomyeSurfs thanks mate, appreciate the reply 🤙
Hey man so o got my sweet potato but it says fcs boxes Ik they switched so I have the first sweet potato or the second one?
the first sweet potato has a round thumb tail. The 2nd one has a swallow. What kind of tail is on yours? The fins don't matter cuz early on with the sweet potato 2, they had fcs2 fin boxes. They only stopped making firewires with fcs2 just this year.
@@ThomyeSurfs ok thankyou
@@ThomyeSurfs I have the swallow tail sorry I haven’t surfed in a while so I rlly don’t remember much but thankyou
@@STDskatetilldeath no worries. that's a great board. much better than the first version in my opinion.
@@ThomyeSurfs ok
How does the SP2 compare with lost Hydra?
if you compare them by volume, you will end up on a much shorter SP2. Basically the 5'2 SP2 has the same volume as the 5'5 Hydra. so if you go by that, the SP2 might be easier to move around, less rail in the water. if you compare by height, say 5'5, the sp2 gets really big ang boaty. so Hydra for better performance. Just depends on how you compare. I liked the hydra better for me but that is because they don't make the SP2 any smaller. :(
How would you compare the seaside to this? 🤔
in the volume I surf my seaside, I would not compare them. It would be like comparing a compact car to the sedan. the Sweepee is an uber groveler for me while the seaside is more of a standard groveler. hope that makes sense. If they made a smaller sweepee at 28L, I could have an opinion. such as the old 5'1 baked potato which was 29L. i do wish they made a 5' sweepee at like 28L, that would be interesting.
@@ThomyeSurfs yes that does make sense I understand what you are saying. Thanks for the reply. I'm a fan of your videos
@@chrisfernandez5566 thanks. i appreciate that. wish I could pump out more. People have given me a few good ideas but seem to have less and less time. haha
3:05 that tail dimension must be for something other than tail width, since 12" is too narrow and it should be 16" or more. I think maybe it's for the concave width. I wish mfr's would list nose and tail widths like the old days.
you are correct, i mispoke, they are showing you what the concaves look like at those markers. Although I'm not sure why they do that. They should just put the actual tail dims.
Most people I see on those grovel type boards here in SD County on small days, are pissed people with longboards and wavestorms are getting all the waves 🤣
Lol. You definitely have to decide, more waves or less with some short board maneuvers. 😊
Aneyong Thomye! Twice baked or SP2?
I like the dims and shape (height to volume ratio) of the TB better but hate the timbertech material. I love the helium but the SP2 is to volumed up for me. meaning, the 5'2 is too big for me, I know what Dan Mann was going for but I think if he made a 5'1 or 5'0 around around 29L but the same width, SP2 all day. As a groveler, SP2 wins but I lose too much performance. Having said that, i wanted a board that i could surf 6 inch waves and have fun, not just stand there like a wavestorm, SP2 as is. Last point, I would pick though, the SP2. at the moment, I can pretty much ride the same waves on my seaside as I could on my TB. so having the sp2 for micro wave surfing would be handy.
@@ThomyeSurfs thanks for the info!! I feel the same with the timbertek. Hope you can get a hold of a twinsman to review soon. 🤙🏽🤙🏽
How does it compare to the mashup?
Different category of boards. I would not compare them. But if you're asking which board you should buy, it would all depend on the goal and surf. The mashup is a small wave performance and the sweepee2 is a small wave groveler. You would surf one in a much smaller volume. And in doing so it would require much more effort in smaller waves but you get a lot more back in performance. The sweet potato is just fun easy and allows you to catch waves you don't think are even catchable. But the caveat is that you can't throw it around like the mashup. Hope that made sense.
You should surf this board with a super upright set like the old mitch colborne when its a bit bigger or a super raked set like the old andrew dohenys from captain fin when its smaller and you need more speed down the line. Or just try the AU fins and get best of both worlds?!
Id say just go AU fins
Which au fins would you recommend? Quad? Thruster, 2+1?
yeah, i wish there was a demo week. rather than a demo day. Hopefully I can add this board to the quiver to get more fins options tested.
I am wondering why you mainly surf FireWire over other big shapers.
that is a great question. A few reason:
1) Construction - I don't like PU nor some of the other epoxy boards.
2) Durability - sort of an offshoot of construction I guess. something psychological for me and deck pressures. my performance doesn't benefit enough from PU's to make it worth the purchase.
3) Resale - because the firewires are more durable, they tend to have better resale.
4) Rob Machado - love rob, he was my inspiration when I was younger, being goofy I really liked his style so to support his boards it is worth it. Puts money in his pocket I guess. Kelly Too but he probably needs no help.
Having said all that, I am not opposed to surfing other boards. but for my own money, I have to try and maximize my purchase. I buy a board for $900 out the door and a deck pad. Surf it, review it, and over the life of that video, youtube pays me $100 in advertising which really is nothing. Then I have to sell it for about $600 to 650. I lose $200+ on a firewire board. On CI and Lost, I lose closer to $300+.
I have tried contacting shapers and to be honest, I only want to surf demos so I don't have to spend anything but I think shapers don't have demo's laying around. No shaper seems to be willing to discount a board under the current supply chain issue, at least not for me.
One of my favorite boards I have reviewed is the Modern2 which is a surftech E2 construction. I like that construction better than PU but it seems no one wants to see them reviewed.
Anyways, currently the most requested board is an Album but that could set me back about $500 loss even after selling it cuz the decks on them cave in. If I were buying it for myself, I might not mind it so bad but trying to resell it is harder.
If any local shaper wants me to review one of theirs, I'd be down if they would loan it to me. :)
just to clarify, only boards that get viewed make $100. Like the Sunday. None of my other boards have even come close. :(
Thomye when are you going to make more videos
soon I hope. I have hypto krypto to review. I know it's an old board but I was able to get my hands on one for a while so that will be next. Then hoping to buy another.
@@ThomyeSurfs okay cool brotha
WAITTTT SELL THE TWICE BAKED TO ME PLEASE!!’
get on instagram and dm me.
Can I learn to surf on one of these boards?
of course. I learned on a 5'4 Quad fin when i was 13. Having such a short board made it more challenging but ultimately, it's about getting your arm/paddle strength up and learning to read waves.
Baked potato same way, if you’re not heavily on the back foot nothing is going to happen
About how much does the 5’6 sweet potato weigh?
Not sure of the exact weight but it is light relative to it's size cuz it is helium construction. Only board light is my dark arts. Super light relative to its size.
@@ThomyeSurfs if you had to put a number to it would you say around 6-7lbs?
@@devinchaganis8017 shoot, that's tough, cuz in that range, 1lbs is massive difference. I'd say somewhere around there sounds right. it feels super light to what I would expect.
wish i had a scale. I'll ask one of my buddies to weigh his 5'10 just to see what that comes in at. I'll get back to you.
@@ThomyeSurfs I’d appreciate that. Thanks a lot man!
@@devinchaganis8017 I contacted my buddy but he said he didn't have a scale. LOL I found that to be very odd and funny. Anyways, if I see him next time at the beach I'll try and figure that out for you.
Been champing at the bit for this one. Shitty waves are everywhere 😒
haha. agreed and that was a near perfect day to have tested that particular board.
Lots of info bro,awesome for an autistic mind🤟❤️😊
Bolsa?
HB, had to stay close to the demo day.
I don’t see a point for this board. I’m in FL and I ride the seaside in anything barely 1 foot and it works great. The waves in your video are definitely seasidable as well
sort of agree. it all depends on how you size your seaside though. so I ride my seaside at 5'3 which is 28.2L. in order for me to get the same grovel as the 5'2 SP2, I think I would have to get the 5'5 Seaside. Although that would work, now the foam is stretched out over 3 more inches and the seaside still isn't as wide. So for me, there is a definite grovel difference.
Now if one rides the seaside bigger, more grovel, then you are absolutely correct. no point in the SP2 if you already have a Seaside Ultra groveler. Thanks for brining up the point though. it is important for everyone to understand these differences. Another exmaple is my 6' sunday which is 38L. that grovels better than the SP2 but as the wave gets smaller, 1', the sunday is just too long to swing on the small face. so it just all depends on how you want to achieve grovel.
@@ThomyeSurfs
That’s a good point, I ride the seaside at 4.9 pounds per liter so it definitely has significant float+helium tech which seems to add almost a liter. At your weight (140?) you’re riding the 31L SP at 4.5 pounds per liter so similar float to me on my seaside but maybe that .4 makes a big difference and I don’t know what I’m missing out on.
@@canadianbacon5104 right on, I like that you do things mathematically. I do a lot of ratios before buying boards. puts me in the ball park for getting the right size. I remember the old days of striking out on customs. haha
Wow! Sick review bro! I’m glad I didn’t buy it😎 I’m not impressed with the glide of the board. I’ve moved away from the Helium🙌🏼 Cheers!
I love the helium, I only like pu type boards, the in the water feel, for performance boards. Things under 25L
I find helium is good for these type of boards and waves. Pu when it's big and wild then daily driver in lft and helium is for gutless waves for me. I just bought this board today and even though I surfed it just for 1 hour in a very high tide backwashy crappy surf I found it gliding well. Fast over flat and crumbly sections and loose with medium quads. Not a fan of loose boards may need to mess with fins. Wasn't easy to paddle into waves though but I think that backwash didn't help. I am on the same page with it being surfed from a tail. If I pushed it front heavy it digs rail easily. Not as performance as I was expecting but still lots of testing needs to be done. 🤙
Hey beginner intermediate riding 30 liter boards Hpsb and a tomo Vader all 30 liters. Struck between the 5’4 or 5’6. Really want something to paddle amazing on small waves and point breaks but scared if it’s too bulky and the 5’4 has to little liters to have longer fun sessions
the 5'4 has almost 5 liters more than your other boards. That is a huge difference and advantage. Three other things that work to its advantage for paddling and groveling. 1) it is short, likely shorter than your other two boards, so all those liters will be crammed under your chest which helps with paddling. 2) it's helium which also is more buoyant than other cores. it uses a 3/4lbs eps. Remember that volume is reference to space/size not buoyancy. Volume is a good starting point but should not be the final factor. Imagine a board made of Oak at 35L. a 20L foam board would likely float better. 3) last part is that the board is wide, the 5'4 is 21 11/16 which is bascially 22" wide. that helps with planing so catching waves should be easy. all you need is a tiny bit of speed to get it planing.
So to answer your question, I think going from your other two boards, 30L, to the 5'4 is more than enough. The 5'6 would be easier but you may loose a little bit of maneuverability. not much but that depends on your skill. Hope that helps. I would stick to the 5'4. as your skill level gets better so will your timing. timing is more important for catching waves. you will eventually want it smaller so grow into it. Having said that, if you have been at your skill level for the past 30 years and it's likely nothing will change, then go bigger. :) but if you are new and progressing. go 5'4.
@@ThomyeSurfs yoh thank you so much