Photo: Firewire Sweet Potato product page

Firewire

Firewire · Wide-tailed groveler

Firewire Sweet Potato Review

9.0/ 10 Estimated score

9.0

Estimated from 4 independent sources (no numeric scores published)

Average price$995Range $995–$995 across 1 retailersSee sources

The Firewire Sweet Potato is a Dan Mann design that shortens and widens a normal shortboard outline until it planes in almost nothing. Firewire markets the current model with more skate than any other shape in its range.

View on Firewire

Quick specs

Type: Small-wave groveler
Designer: Dan Mann
Construction: Helium Core with fibreglass lamination
Bottom: Deep double concave with a central spine
Fin setup: Five-box, commonly ridden quad or twin plus trailer
Smallest stock size: 5'2" x 21 7/16" x 2 5/16" (31 L)

Firewire's own description of the Sweet Potato is short and blunt: with more skate than any other shape, this groveler catches waves before they even break. The 2026 listing shows Helium Core with fibreglass lamination at $995, and the smallest stock size is a 5'2" at 31 L, which tells you how much width the design carries.

Blink Surf reproduces Dan Mann's design notes, which explain that the aggressive bottom contour creates lift and that the deep double concave with a spine down the middle divides the board in half, isolating the fins, rocker and bottom on one side at a time. That is the mechanism behind the board changing direction faster than its width suggests.

Retailer reviews at Hawaiian South Shore add rider context that brand copy does not. One reviewer rides the 5'6" Volcanic version as a quad with a trailer in knee to shoulder high surf, another reports the board turning on a dime once set up with twin plus 2 fronts and large rears, and a third at 5'10" and 155 lb uses the 6'0" for weak onshore days.

Pros & cons

Firewire lists the outline as catching waves before they break, which is the point of the design
Helium Core construction keeps a high-volume groveler light in the water
Five-box layout supports quad, twin plus trailer and thruster setups
Retailer reviewers report it holding speed through turns despite the wide tail

$995 is premium pricing for a small-wave board
Very short lengths mean the volume is carried in width, which some surfers find stiff on rail
Fin choice changes the board noticeably, so the first setup may need experimenting
No independent numeric score is published, so the figure here is an aggregate estimate

How it surfs

The Sweet Potato has been in the range long enough to have a track record. Swellnet's Depth Test covered it back in 2011 as part of the wave of short, wide, food-named designs, and the model has stayed in production while many rivals disappeared. That longevity is the closest thing to a consensus verdict on the shape.

Choosing a length is the main decision. Because volume sits in width rather than length, riders commonly go five to eight inches shorter than their normal shortboard while keeping or increasing litres. If you would rather keep a conventional outline and add float, the Spun Honey or the Groove in the same Firewire range are the closer comparisons.

Volume & sizing chart

Use the chart below as a starting point. Add half a litre if you are less experienced, subtract half a litre for a looser feel.

Size	Volume	Rider weight	Best for
5'2" x 21 7/16 x 2 5/16	31 L	Lighter surfers	Intermediate+
5'4" x 21 11/16 x 2 7/16	34.6 L	Mid weight surfers	All levels
5'6"	Refer to Firewire size run	Reviewers report riding this size at around 70 kg	All levels
6'0"	Refer to Firewire size run	Reviewer at 5'10" and 155 lb chose this length for junky surf	All levels

How it compares

Board	Best at	Wave range	Aggregate score
Firewire Spun Honey	Performance groveler	Small and junky	9.0
Firewire Groove	Small-wave performance	Knee to head high	9.0
Slater Designs Seaside	Twin fin drive	Waist to shoulder	9.2

Recommended fin setups

Quad with a trailer — A retailer reviewer runs the board as a quad plus trailer for looser small-wave surfing.
Twin plus 2 up front — Another reviewer followed Dan Mann's suggestion of Slater twin plus 2 fronts with regular large rears.

Verdict

A long-running Dan Mann groveler that trades length for width and gets away with it. At $995 it is expensive for a small-wave board, but the verified rider feedback consistently reports speed and quick direction changes.

Estimated score: 9.0 / 10

Estimated from 4 independent sources — see full list below.

What reviewers around the web are saying

Surfex does not test gear directly. Below are independent retailer and editorial sources. When a source publishes a numeric score, it is normalized to a five-point scale; otherwise the source is listed without a score.

Estimated score

9.0/ 10

9.0

4 sources, none scored

Source	Score	Summary
Firewire official product page	No numeric score	"Firewire lists the current Sweet Potato in Helium Core with fibreglass lamination at $995, from 5'2" x 21 7/16" x 2 5/16" at 31 L."
Blink Surf Sweet Potato review	No numeric score	"Blink Surf reproduces Dan Mann's explanation that the deep double concave and central spine isolate the fins, rocker and bottom on one side of the board at a time."
Hawaiian South Shore rider review	No numeric score	"A retailer reviewer says the board turns on a dime and holds speed through turns after setting it up with twin plus 2 fronts and large rears."
Swellnet Depth Test	No numeric score	"Swellnet's Depth Test placed the Sweet Potato among the short, wide designs that changed what surfers expected from a small-wave board."

Where to buy & average price

Listed prices come from verified retailer pages. The average price below is an unweighted mean of verified retailer prices — converted to USD (≈) when retailers list in different currencies. Click any retailer to verify the native-currency price.

Average price

$995

$995–$995 · 1 retailers

Retailer	Price	vs. average
Firewire Surfboards (US)	$995	—	Visit

Frequently asked questions

What is the Firewire Sweet Potato designed for?+

Firewire markets it as a groveler that catches waves before they break, aimed at small and weak surf. Dan Mann's design notes describe an aggressive bottom contour that creates lift plus a deep double concave with a central spine.

How much does the Firewire Sweet Potato cost?+

The official Firewire US store lists the current Sweet Potato at $995.00 in Helium Core with fibreglass lamination.

What size Sweet Potato should I ride?+

The stock run starts at 5'2" x 21 7/16" x 2 5/16" at 31 L and 5'4" at 34.6 L. Retailer reviewers report riding 5'6" and 6'0" versions, with one rider at 5'10" and 155 lb choosing the 6'0" for weak onshore conditions.

What fins work with the Sweet Potato?+

It is a five-box board. Verified rider reviews describe both a quad with a trailer and a twin plus 2 front setup with large rear fins, the latter following Dan Mann's own recommendation.

Is the Sweet Potato good for beginners?+

The volume helps with wave catching, but the very wide short outline behaves differently to a longer board. Beginners are usually better served by a soft top or a longer beginner shape first.