Nixy Newport G4 Inflatable SUP – Test and Review

Sharing is caring!

Updated May 8th, 2024

The Nixy Newport G4 All Around is a great all purpose paddleboard. It’s good for beginners, fishing, yoga or anything else you want to do with it. It’s a wide board with pointed nose and narrow tail giving it good performance for its size. The Nixy G4 accessories are the best accessory package out there from any paddleboard maker. We got our hands on a Nixy Newport G4 to try out. Keep reading to get the full details of our test and review.

Features of the Nixy Newport G4 All Around paddle board

The G4 or 4th Generation boards from Nixy use advanced construction and premium accessories. They have one of the best accessory packages I’ve seen included with the G4 boards. They are targeted at the mid to upper price range and competitive with boards from brands such as Blackfin(iRocker), Isle, and Thurso. They aren’t one of the more popular brands out there but they should be.

Every G4 Nixy paddle board uses similar construction and comes with a similar accessory package. This is the only line of boards offered by Nixy. The only exception is the Huntington G4 ultra compact board which comes with a unique paddle and bag.

We got a Nixy G4 Newport to try out. The Newport is available in a variety of attractive color schemes. We picked the Exuma.

The G4 Newport is an all around design that is meant to be good for beginners and experienced paddlers. It is 33 inch wide giving it very good stability. It tapers off to a narrow squared off tail to give it better glide and turning ability. The nose is a little more pointed than other 10’6″ all around boards. They gave it width for stability and then shaped it for a little more performance.

For those looking for an even more stable easy going board, check out the Nixy Venice. It has a wider tail making it more stable. It is perfect for relaxed paddling and yoga.

For those looking for a faster board, check out the Nixy Manhatten touring board.

For those looking for an expedition board or board for larger paddlers, check out the Nixy Monterey.

Basic Specs

The Newport G4 is 10’6″ x 33″ x 6″. It weighs 21 lbs. It has a weight capacity of 300 lbs. The overall package in the bag weighs about 37 lbs.

Price

The Nixy Monterey retails for $725. It is available direct from Nixy or from Amazon.

Construction

Nixy uses 2 layer woven PVC for their G4 paddleboards. This has proven to be a very stiff and light construction. We have tested a couple of woven boards now and they have all proven to be the stiffest group of boards we have tested. I have nothing but good things to say about woven boards so far.

The board also uses carbon fiber reinforcements in the rails. This gives the board extra stiffness. It also improves durability by making the rails much stronger.

Nixy G4 boards look very well made with good attention to detail. There are no loose edges anywhere. Everything looks finished and centered on the board.

Board Stiffness

One of the ways to measure how well an inflatable board is made and how well it will perform is how stiff it is. To measure this we set the board up on 2 stands 8 feet apart. We loaded the board up with 120 lbs of weight and measured how much the board deflected under load.

The Nixy Newport deflected 1.1inch. This was inline with other woven boards we have tested. For comparison cheap single layer boards will deflect 3 inches or more. The stiffest board we have tested deflected 1.0 inch. That was the Nixy G4 Monterey with dual air chambers.

The below table shows our test results for various boards.

Deck Pad

The Newport deck pad runs from the rear of the board up to the end of the front bungee. It has a nice embossed pattern that is also grooved. It’s a nice combination. You get a nice pattern for grip but also grooves to help it shed water.

Handles, D-Rings, action mount, and bungee cords

The board has 16 D-Rings and 5 M8 action mounts. There are plenty of D-Rings around the board for mounting seats and other accessories.

The 5 action mounts are spread around with 2 at the front bungees, 2 rear of where you would stand, and 1 at the tail. They use M8 threads if you are looking for accessories.

The board has 3 handles. A nose, middle and tail handle. This is plenty for carrying the board around. The nose and tail handles have plastic grip handles. They seem a bit more heavy duty than the standard webbing only handle on most boards.

The board has 2 bungee cords. Both have a cleat feature so they can be removed or adjusted. I really like the cleats. Dogs do not always like standing on bungees. It’s nice being able to quickly remove them and put them back on without cutting anything.

The rear bungee is good sized for storing a drybag or cooler. The front bungee is on the small size. There is plenty of room on the nose of the board. I’m not sure why they didn’t extend it forward a bit more.

Check out our guide to paddle board accessories to see some other good ideas that will make paddle boarding more fun.

3 Removable fins

The board uses a standard 3 fin setup. All 3 fins are removable. All three attach using finger screws to hold them securely in place.

The center fin uses a standard US/FCS fin box. You can swap it out for other fins using a US fin box design to customize how your board performs.

SUP Accessories

Nixy G4 paddleboards come with the best set of accessories available from any paddleboard maker. The bag goes above and beyond what anyone else is providing. The carbon paddle is excellent. The double chamber pump is one of the best we have tried. No one else is giving away a package as good as this right now. Especially not in the $500-$1000 price range where the G4 boards sit.

NIXY G4 Carbon Hybrid Paddle

The NIXY G4 hybrid carbon fiber paddle has a shaft that is 30% Carbon, 70% Fiberglass. My paddle weighed 26 oz (published weight is 25 oz). It is the same weight as an iRocker carbon paddle. It is far better than any aluminum paddle I have seen included with an inflatable stand up paddle board.

The blade is 90 square inch and has a slight forward angle to it. The blade is molded plastic but has a carbon fiber pattern applied to it to give it an all carbon fiber look.

The paddle uses a heavy duty looking quick release lever to adjust the length. Length measurements are clearly labeled on the handle shaft. The only complaint about using a quick release is that there is no alignment feature for the handle. The Nixy paddle has an arrow molded into the quick release to visibly align it. That is one advantage of the sliding pin arrangement on other paddles. The handle is always aligned to the blade.

NIXY G4 TYPHOON Hand Pump

A large double barrel triple action hand pump is included. The pump has the ability to inflate and deflate. The feet fold up and the handle ends unscrew to reduce the size of the pump.

The pump has 2 levers to change modes. There is a clear diagram on the pump showing what position to put them in for each mode. It shows what sequence to use to get the fastest, easiest inflation time.

This is one of the nicer double barrel pumps I’ve seen included with boards. It’s one of the few dual chamber pumps with the ability to deflate boards. The Red Paddle Co Titan 2 can’t deflate. The iRocker double barrel pump can’t deflate either. Being able to suck air out of the board makes it much easier to get these board and double barrel pump combos back in the bag.

This pump would be my top pick among all the hand pumps I’ve tried so far if I had to use nothing but a hand pump.

NIXY G4 Backpack

The Nixy G4 backpack is an impressive piece of gear. It is wheeled with 3 large wheels on the bottom instead of 2. It is made from heavy duty feeling materials and zippers. It has a large zipper pocket on the front and several small pockets under the cover. It has a couple of retaining straps inside the bag. It has heavy thick backpack straps and waist strap. It’s got a decent amount of padding for your back.

There are pockets built into the bag for storing the shoulder and waist straps when they aren’t in use.

The bag also has a bunch of MOLLE style webbing loops on the sides, top and shoulder straps as well as some D-Rings. This backpack just has so many extras all over it.

My only complaint about this backpack is that it is not wide enough on the bottom to stand up. This is the only paddleboard I’ve tried that won’t stand no matter who I go about putting the board into it. It needs something to lean against or it has to lay on its front or back.

Nixy hybrid leash

A 10 foot coiled ankle leash is included. It has a nice feel with a neoprene ankle cuff.

Repair kit

A standard repair kit is included with some patching materials and a valve wrench.

Setup and Inflation

To set up the board roll it out somewhere smooth without rocks, sticks, or other things that could damage the board. A NIXY Landing Mat is a good way to protect the bottom of your paddleboard.

Nixy Landing Mat

The pump has 3 settings that you get by putting the levers into different positions. I start with the high volume setting. This is pumping on both the up and down stroke for both chambers. Pump until it gets difficult to pull up. That will happen about the time the board starts looking full of air.

I set the pump to the middle setting. This is pumping on the downstroke for both chambers. Pump on this setting for as long as you possibly can. This is where double chambers have a speed advantage over single chamber pumps. You might be able to get to 10 psi on this setting if you try hard.

Set the pump to the 3rd setting. This is pumping on the downstroke for only 1 chamber. Continue pumping until you get to 15 psi pressure. Don’t cheat and stop early or you will have a soft flimsy paddleboard.

It took me 5 minutes and 16 seconds to inflate the Newport using the NIXY G4 hand pump.

After inflating the board you need to attach the 3 fins. You do this by inserting the end with pins into the middle of the slot. Slide the fin in place. Tighten the finger screw until it’s firmly mounted in its slot. There is a screwdriver head if you would rather use a screwdriver instead of finger tightening.

Put the 3 segments of the paddle together and adjust the paddle length. For most people that is about 1 foot above your head when standing with the paddle.

Attach the ankle leash to the D-Ring at the back of the board.

You are set to go.

Using an electric pump

It still takes a lot of effort to hand pump the Newport. If you want to make life easier and save your energy get an electric pump. The Nixy Ventus is one of the best electric pumps out there. It has internal cooling so that it can pump up several boards in a row without overheating. It comes with a great carrying bag that holds the pump, hose, and other accessory parts. There is also an available battery so you aren’t stuck using it next to your car.

It takes the Nixy Ventus 9 minutes and 26 seconds to inflate the Newport G4. It’s a few minutes longer than pumping by hand. I would happily trade the extra few minutes to not be exhausted when I start paddling.

See our review of the Nixy Ventus Electric Pump to learn more.

See our guide to the best electric SUP pumps to see other great options.

On water performance

The Nixy Newport G4 is a fun board to paddle around. It has plenty of stability for beginner paddlers. At 33 inches wide it makes a solid stable platform.

NIXY was nice enough to put some dots on the deck pad where you need to stand for the board to balance. If you are a beginner stick to this location. The board is very stable standing on the dots. It feels much less stable if your feet are 6 inches to 1 foot behind the dots.

The board has some shape to it to help it be a little faster and turn a little easier than most 10’6″ all around boards. The narrow tail makes it easy to turn. The nose is pointed so it cuts through chop a little better than a more rounded nose board.

On flat water the board glides really well and is a joy to paddle. The fins are well placed giving it good tracking once it is moving. If you want a faster board you can take off the 2 side fins. It won’t track as well at slow speeds. Once the board is moving it will track okay with less drag from the 2 extra fins.

The nose shape helps it push into chop better than a blunt round nose. This makes the board feel better on windy choppy water days. I didn’t find the board felt as difficult to push into chop as other 10’6″ wider all around boards.

The 33 inch width does create some drag that shaping the tail and nose just can’t get rid of. The board is fast relative to most 10’6″ boards. It will be slower than a 12’6″ touring board.

Beginners

We let a few beginners try out the board. Lighter beginners have no trouble at all on this board. Heavier beginners over 200 lbs have an easier time on a wider more stable board first such as the Nixy Venice or Nixy Monterey.

Fishing

This board works well for fishing. There are enough action mounts to use for fishing rod holders and other accessories. You can easily outfit the board for fishing. It is stable enough to make a good platform.

Yoga

The long deck pad and removable bungees give you a clean board that works well for yoga. It’s not as stable as a Nixy Venice but it is more than stable enough.

Heavy weight and paddlers

Nixy specifies a 300 lb weight limit for the Newport G4. Heavier paddlers with a little experience have no problem standing on the Newport. It doesn’t feel bouncy of squishy with a lot of weight in the middle of it. I would say that the weight limit is accurate. For anyone over 250 lbs I would recommend checking out the Nixy Monterey. It is one of the best boards out there for heavier paddlers.

Kayak conversion

The Newport G4 makes a fun kayak with a seat and kayak paddle. It’s easy to turn and glides well standing which carries over to its kayak performance. Nixy makes a good comfortable seat and a G4 Paddle blade to convert the Newport into a kayak.

I have a lot of fun kayaking on SUP boards. On windy days, sitting is a lot more fun than standing on a paddleboard. You don’t have to try and balance on the board as it rolls in the chop. You have less wind drag sitting than standing.

NIXY PREMIUM SUP KAYAK SEAT

NIXY G4 SUP KAYAK BLADE

See our article on converting your inflatable SUP into a kayak to learn more.

Deflation and packing

The Newport is easy to pack up and put away. The pump has removable handles and foldup feet which helps make it go in the bag easier.

Set the board out to dry first before deflating and rolling it up. A dry clean board will last much longer. I recommend unrolling the board at home if you don’t have time to let it dry right after using it.

Use the Landing Mat for a nice surface to roll the board up. Make sure the area is free of rocks and sticks that could scratch and damage the board.

Take the 3 fins off and put them in the bag.

Push the H3 valve to let the air out. You can lay down on the board to help push the air out. I recommend hooking the pump back up and sucking out as much air as you can before rolling the board up.

Roll the board from the tail towards the nose and air valve. Start the first fold with the large center fin box. Roll it up with folds about that size. Put the strap on to cinch it down.

Put the paddle in the bottom of the bag first.

The board will go into the bag easily if you rolled it tight enough. If it doesn’t you can always unroll it and try again.

Put the pump on top of the board. You might need to smush everything down a bit. The bag will zip close without too much struggle if the board is rolled tight enough.

The Verdict

The Nixy Newport G4 All Around is a fun inflatable paddleboard with great accessories. The board is a good mixture of stability, glide, and turning ability. The accessories are a great value and worth buying on their own if they weren’t included. If you want a good all around paddleboard, check out the Nixy Newport G4.

Sharing is caring!