Nixy Newport G5 Review

In this Nixy Newport G5 review, we actively compare the Nixy Newport G5 to the previous Nixy Newport G4 model and let you know where this board improved and what could have been better. 

This includes an on-water test we completed where we actively compared the Newport G5 to the G4 mere minutes apart in similar conditions. We also took the time to sit them side by side to see the exact differences each board has. You can see the exact details of this in the video below. 

So how does Nixy’s latest challenger do when put to the test? Find out below!

Nixy Newport G5 Paddle Board Review Ratings

Below is how I rated the Nixy Newport G5. Click the links below to jump to each section!

Total Rating 8.5 / 10 (Based on Below Averages)

• On-Water Performance – 8
  • Stability 7.5
  • Tracking  7
  • Speed 8.5
  • Maneuverability 9
• SUP Construction – 9
• Board Features  – 8.4
  • Deck Pad 8.5
  • D Rings 8
  • Deck Bungee Placement 8.5
  • Action Mounts 9
  • Handles 8
• Accessories – 8 
  • Fins 8
• Set-Up/ Take Down – 9

Who Should be Using the Nixy Newport G5?

In my testing, I found that the Newport G5 was best for: 

• Paddlers who have some experience with paddle boarding
• Smaller paddlers who are beginners
• Folks who want a minimalist lightweight board that does not take up much room
• Paddlers who want a highly responsive and maneuverable board

While you don’t have to follow the above guidelines religiously they do provide a good base to follow if you are new to paddle boarding. If you are brand new the Newport G5 may add a bit more of a learning curve. This is because the board has more side to side play. 

The Newport won’t have the same level of primary stability (sitting flat on the calm water) as some other all-around boards but that does not mean it’s impossible to learn on. 

Infact after using the Newport paddle boards probably more than any other paddle board I’ve owned I have grown to like the handling of the board. Practice makes perfect. 

Who should stay clear of the Newport G4? 

• Bigger/ heavier paddlers
• Folks who want to load this board up with a ton of gear

Depending on your skill level the Newport G5 can be used in a variety of different conditions such as:

• Calm Lakes, bays and slow-moving rivers for beginner paddlers
• Tidal conditions, lakes with a bit of chop, and coastal waters for intermediate paddlers

In my testing, I used this board in slightly windy conditions which I will go through more in the On-Water Performance section. 

What SUP Activities Can The Newport G5 Be Used For? 

Below are some things that came to mind when using the Newport G5. I would use this SUP for areas that require extra maneuverability such as mangroves, calm coastal paddling etc.  

Recreational Paddling

The Newport G5 will be best suited for recreational paddling solo (provided you have experience) or with some friends. Because this board is 32” wide it can be up to the task of traveling with paddlers who have 11’ and up SUPs.

In our testing, we found this board to have good acceleration because of its lightweight design. 

Recreational Day Paddling 

You can also take this board on longer paddles; it will certainly be up to the task. I have paddled the G4 model on many SUP adventures, with some of them even pushing 4 hours on the water. 

The G5 will certainly be up to the task, just keep in mind that if things do get a bit windy and you don’t consider yourself a strong paddler, you may have to do a bit of extra work.

Newport G5 On-Water Performance

As mentioned above I used the Newport G5 directly before testing my old 2021 Newport G4 SUP to get a handle on how the boards compared. I’ve had a lot of paddling experience on the Newport G4 and it provided a good baseline to compare what direction the folks at Nixy were going for the G5. 

Rating Factor	Score	Average SUP Score (All Around Boards)
Total On-Water Score	8 /10	8.0
Stability Score	7.5 /10	8.3
Tracking Score	7 /10	7.8
Speed Score	8.5 /10	7.7
Manueverability Score	9 /10	8.1

Stability

Upon first standing on the Newport G5 directly after using the G4, I found the G5 to have a bit more play when rocking the board from side to side. The motion was more fluid while the G4 actually felt like it had better primary stability (the level of stability the board has to be sitting on top of the water while keeping still). There are a few reasons for this. 

1. The Newport G4 has side fins, which help keep the board more firmly placed in the water compared to just having the center fin. 
2. The G4 is an inch wider in the center
3. The Newport G4 feels a bit heavier compared to the G5.

In my testing so far for 2024 The Newport G5 is found to be at the mid-point of paddle boards tested. It’s not the most stable but it will do the job just fine, just give yourself some time to adjust. 

Tracking

When we compared casual paddling strokes we found that the Newport G4 was able to do 1 more stroke per side (6) compared to the Newport G5 (5). The biggest reason for this is the fact that the G5 does not have any side fins.

Tracking Factor	Paddle Strokes	Average Paddle Strokes (All Around)
Paddle Strokes To Keep Straight Course	5	5.8

In my experience I find that 5” side fins add at least an extra stroke per side on almost any paddle board I’ve tested. 

Having said that the G5 scores are just below the average of All Around SUPs we have tested. 

Speed

While testing the Newport G5 we weren’t able to put an official number to the speed test due to the wind and the partial tide coming in which would ultimately skew the tests. So for this test, we went primarily by feel. 

One of the biggest things I found was that this board was easier to paddle and gain acceleration compared to the Newport G4. Even when I paddled against the tide I felt like the Newport G5 was easier to paddle due to the board’s lighter weight. 

Acceleration-wise the Newport G5 would be on the quicker end of all around paddle boards I have tested. This brings us to the next strength the G5 has. 

Maneuverability 

Where the Newport G5 truly shines is maneuverability. I found this board to be particularly responsive, especially compared to the previous Newport G4 paddle board. 

The Newport G5 did 4 reverse sweep strokes which is just slightly below the averages from All Around paddle boards we have tested to date. 

The G5 also did 11 Reverse side paddles which also came in at about 2 strokes below average of our tests which is a very good score. 

Manueverability Factor	Paddle Strokes	Average Paddle Strokes (All Around SUP’s)
Paddle Strokes for Reverse Sweep Stroke	4	4.2
Paddle Strokes for Reverse Side Paddles	11	13.3

In a way, the Newport G5’s responsiveness reminded me a lot of the Blackfin Ultra CX paddle board in that as soon as you are gliding and you stick a paddle in the water the board instantly responds. 

This level of maneuverability is especially handy for smaller/ lighter paddlers who want a board that can instantly respond to their paddle strokes without having to feel like they are maneuvering the Titanic (and we all know how that turned out!). 

The previous generation Newport G4 did 4.5 reverse sweep strokes and 12 reverse side paddles. We feel the main reason for this is that the G4 has the side fins which create more drag in the water when you are doing these maneuvers. 

Newport G5 Stats Deconstructed 

• Type of Board: Recreational
• Length: 10’6″
• Width: 32″
• Thickness: 6″
• Volume: 300 L
• Weight: 21 lbs
• Maximum Capacity: 300 Lbs
• Materials: Advanced Welded Seams, Dual Layer FusionTech, Laminated Woven Drop Stitch

The G5 offers a good foundation for a construction process which is becoming used more and more by ISUP manufacturers. The Newport G5 uses a combination of dual-layer fusion for the PVC construction (layers of PVC heat bonded together to strengthen the PVC material) and heat welded seams/ rails on the sides of the board which is reinforcement for the most failure-prone area of the ISUP. 

The strands inside are laminated woven drop stitch which is drop stitching that has multiple strands in each thread to reinforce the strength of the SUP. This also cuts down on the amount of drop stitching needed which is part of the reason the Newport G5 is so lightweight. 

Rating Factor	Score	Average Score (All Around)
Construction Score	9 /10	8.3

I did a little on-water bounce test between the Newport G4 and the Newport G5 and I found the G5 to have a teeny tiny bit of extra bounce to it. My theory to this is because of the loss of the carbon side rails but I can’t say it’s this for sure.  

Nixy Newport G5 Board Profile 

The board profile is very similar to the G4 although there are some slight differences. In the review video above we take the time to directly compare the two side by side. 

The G5 had a bit of a wider tail than the G4 which was a bit surprising to us. This is probably to make up for the fact that the G4 is an inch wider in the middle of the board so Nixy wanted to add a bit of extra stability from the tail to make up for the inch less listed width in the middle.

Newport G5 Onboard Features (Whats On Deck)

Rating Factor	Score	Average SUP Score (All Around Boards)
Board Features Score	8.4	8.1
Deck Pad Score	8.5 /10	8.3
D-Rings Score	8 /10	8
Deck Webbing Score	8.5 /10	8.1
Action Mounts Score	9 /10	7.8
Handle Score	8 /10	8.2

Thankfully The Nixy Newport G5 kept a lot of the onboard accessories that I thought made the original G4 a hit. We’ll go through them one by one below here. 

Newport G5 Deckpad

The G4 deckpad is very similar to the G4. It offers the same stamped Nixy logos on it with the stripes to add some extra grip.

The main difference between my Blue G4 and the Exuma Blue G5 is the color of the deckpad which is brown tan.

While I have not had a chance to fully test this deck pad out with bare feet it did grip well with my surf booties and provided plenty of grip throughout my paddling manuevers. 

Newport G5 D Rings

The Newport G5 has 14 D Rings with 2 D rings in the middle that allow you to add a kayak seat to the SUP. 

• D Ring on the bottom Nose (for boat towing)
• 4 D Rings on the front Deck
• 2 on the middle (for the kayak seat)
• 6 on the rear (to stash bigger gear)
• 1 on the tail (for a SUP Leash)

I do like the inclusion of the nose D ring for towing. I’ve stood on a paddle board while it’s been towed by a boat and I must say it’s quite fun! The nose D ring is also ideal for rescue in case you get caught out in tough conditions and you need a tow back to shore. 

Newport Deck Bungees

“I personally really like how the deck bungees are assorted for this board.

I like using the items that I used most at the front of the board. Coincidentally the items I use most are smaller so the deck bungee arrangement on the Newport G5 is ideal for my preferences.”

– Editors Notes

In the front, I like to stash:

• My sandals
• Water bottle or 2
• Dry bag 
• Small soft coolers

Sometimes I add other stuff but this is usually what I bring on 1-3 hour SUP adventures. 

In the rear deck bungee area, I like to bring items such as:

• Speakers
• Bigger Dry bags
• Small- medium-sized coolers
• Waterproof backpack

If you were on a longer SUP journey the rear deck webbing is ideal for those bigger items that you won’t handle as often. The Newport wouldn’t be my first choice for a multi-day SUP touring adventure. For multi-day trips, I would recommend the Nixy Monterey out of the Nixy Line-Up. 

Newport Action Mounts

Like the G4 the Newport has 5 action mounts.

• 2 on the front bungees
• 2 in the rear of the board
• 1 on the tail

While there are a good amount of action mount placements on this board I would have added one more on the nose. The nose is the best spot to mount an action camera for that wider-angle view. The Action mounts are M8 threaded and can be used with Gili and iRocker accessories as well. 

Newport Handles

The Newport offers 3 handles. 

• 1 middle handle that is surrounded with a comfy neoprene cover
• 2 handles on the nose and tail of the board made of nylon material

Like the G4 the G5 has a neoprene cover for the handle which makes it comfortable when you are carrying the board. They made the lettering less prominent on this middle handle which increases the comfort on your hands. 

The nose and tail handles do not have the plastic handle coverings over the nylon as they did with the G4 generation. I liked this feature but at the same time, it’s not a big deal when 2 people are carrying the board on the nose and tail. 

Nixy Newport G5 Accessories Explained

Rating Factor	Score	Average SUP Score (All Around Boards)
Accessories Score	8 /10	7.9
Fin Score	8 /10	8.1

I loved the accessories from the G4 SUP however the G5 is a lot more stripped down. This can be a pro and a con depending on how you look at it. 

The Pro is that you just have a board to carry which is lightweight in itself and you just have to worry about keeping the fin and strap with you. 

The con is there is no paddle, backpack, pump, or leash included. 

We do feel that this does take away from the package as these accessories were some of our favorites in the ISUP industry. However, these can all be found at a discount on the Newport product page. We will get more into this in the Add-On Accessories section. In the meantime here is what comes with the Newport G5.

Newport G5 Fin

The G5 comes with a center dolphin fin which is US Fin Box compatible. One of the features that do remain is the fact that the fin does have a screw attached to it which makes installation super easy. 

This is a great feature as some SUPs still have the screw and the washer feature that you have to try to line up and attach.

I do wish that the Newport G5 came with the same side fin design as the G4 though. I find the 5” side fins helped the board:

• Track better
• Added a bit more stability

With no side fins, you get added maneuverability. Although we still would have preferred they kept them and gave you the option as to whether you wanted to add them onto the board or not. 

The Finbox also has a US Coast Guard identifier on it for vessels that have motors. With this US fin box, you can add a motorized fin to the SUP if you prefer propeller power to paddle power. 

Possible Add-On Accessories

Below we will be going into detail about the add-on accessories that can be had at a discount on their website. 

Nixy Backpack

The Nixy Backpack is one of my favorites in the ISUP industry as it’s well-made and equally well-thought-out. Especially if you have a bunch of gear to carry with you. The Nixy backpack offers 3 wheels which keeps the content of the bag evenly distributed while rolling the bag along.

The backpack straps are also thicker which allows you to carry the board for longer distances. I can’t stand bags that skimp out on paddling as the straps can dig into your shoulders and cause damage down the road. 

When talking about the main pocket we felt that this SUP bag has more than enough room to fit the G5, pump, and paddle. I’ll take the baggy SUP backpacks over the tightly packed ones any day of the week! Simply due to the fact that they are much easier to fit inside.  

“The front pocket is spacious enough to carry the leash as well as a small PFD. This is an area I find a lot of SUP manufacturers lack having a front pocket on their SUPs but Nixy has done a good job in adding a good-sized one to boot!”

– Editors Notes

Finally, I also appreciate that the bag has multiple handles on the bottom, sides, and top of the backpack. These handles make it a heck of a lot easier to get this board out of areas or tight spaces like car trunks for instance. 

Nixy Carbon Hybrid Paddle

The Nixy Carbon Hybrid Paddle is one of the most lightweight paddles I have come across that come with a SUP package. They are also one of my favorites to use! Especially when I was testing 2 different SUPs and switched from an aluminum paddle to Nixy’s carbon hybrid, it was like heaven in my hands (Why does this sound like an undiscovered song title?) !

The reason why I like Nixy’s carbon hybrid paddle so much is because of its 1.57 lb weight. While .5 shaved off of a paddle does not sound like a lot it makes a big difference. Especially when you are paddling for 2 hours! Keep in mind each hour you are doing approximately 100 paddle strokes ;). The handle also feels nice on the hand and contours your grip well. 

Nixy Typhoon Triple Action Pump

While I am not normally a fan of pumps this one is one of the better designed ones in the industry. It’s design is also used by Thursosurf and some Sea Gods board packages. 

This pump features dual chambers and 3 settings that adjust how much air comes out of the pump. 

In the beginning, you will want to start it at setting one which pumps air on the up and down pump from both chambers. This ensures that the most airflow is coming out to fill the board.

As soon as you get to around 3-5 PSI (when the pumping gets tougher I switch it to setting 2 which pumps air on the down stroke with both chambers. 

When you are at the tougher PSI usually around 7 I go to the setting 3 pump which pumps on the down stroke from one chamber. 

The legs fold and the handles come off to make the pump a little more compact so that it can fit into the bag with the G5. 

Newport G5 Set-Up/ Take-Down

This board was straightforward to set up/ take down both times I used the board for on-water testing and presentation purposes. In this case, I used an electric pump. Of course, as we stated above the new generation of Newport G5 does not come with a pump at all. Because of this I would personally just get an electric pump.

No, I’m not trying to upsell you for the purpose of upselling, I’m just stating how much easier life is with an electric pump. And in this case it’s a no-brainer. The Typhoon pump costs (as of the time I’m writing) almost $60 USD. Some electric pumps on Amazon cost the exact same amount. However, I can’t attest to their quality but they seem to do the job. 

Rating Factor	Score	Average Score (All Around)
Set-Up/ Take Down Score	9 /10	8.2

I personally use the Outdoor Master Shark II pump which goes for $109 although there are lots of deals to be had there. The Nixy Ventus pump is currently on sale for $99 this spring FYI. Now that we have electric pumps out of the way…

Once the board is filled all you need to do is attach the fin which is pretty easy to install. I found this version of Newport the fin slides in and installs a bit easier compared to the G4 paddle board. After that, you are ready to get out on the water! 

The Newport G5 is easy to carry, I found it more lightweight than the G4 which was listed at the same weight. This is especially handy for smaller paddlers who may have trouble with heavier ISUP boards. 

Upon coming back I like to rinse the board at a boating station and dry it off with a towel. After releasing the valve of the high-pressureI like to use a pump to suck the air out of it. Both electric pumps and manual typhoon pumps have this feature. 

Once all the air is gone I like to fold the board up, tie it down the strap and place the board in my trunk, and go on my merry way. 

It’s up to you if you want to get the backpack. On one hand, it does take up quite a bit of space but on the other, it fits everything you need nicely in one bag, and it’s easy to transport thanks to the roller wheels. 

About Nixy Sports

Nixy was founded in 2015 by Ale and Nicolas Artigas in Szczedrin, Southern California. The business originally started because they were dissatisfied with the choices they were presented when looking for a good quality ISUP that looked good in the water. 

As a result, Nixy Sports was born which represents a high-quality option in the Mid-point ISUP range.  In my experience, Nixy is one of the better customer service-oriented brands that goes the extra mile for its customers. 

Nixy Sports Warranty and Returns

Nixy has changed its warranty policy and has made it a 3-year limited warranty over the 2-year warranty they had for the G4 and previous generations. Nixy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee as well. 

Like most ISUP limited warranties it does not cover:

• Misuse
• Lost or stolen
• Damage by exterior elements
• Damage done in improper storage or environmental factors

The complete list can be found here. 

Nixy offers free shipping on the continental USA for ground shipping on all orders over $100! 

Nixy has one of the better return policies in the industry with a 100% refund of the original purchase price. They also cover the cost of return shipping which is unheard of in this industry!

I for one like a lot of the changes Nixy Sports has made to their Warranty and return policy as it brings them a lot more in line with the customer-centered vision for their company. 

Where to Buy The Nixy Newport G5

You can purchase the Newport G5 from Nixy Sports website! There are also a few other 3rd party retail places you can find on this board if you Google them. 

Comparable Boards

Below are some boards that are close to the Newport G5’s boast specifications and features. 

iRocker Cruiser Ultra

The Cruiser Ultra has similar dimensions to the Newport G4 at 10’6” in length and it too has a 21 lb weight. Its Weight limit is also the same. The main difference with the Cruiser Ultra is that it has an electric pump, a compact bag/ pouch, and a 5 piece compact paddle that comes with the package. You can see our iRocker Cruiser Ultra Review here.

Bluefin Cruise 10’8”

The Bluefin Cruise 10’8” is a few pounds heavier and has a higher weight capacity. It also comes with a backpack, paddle, 1 center, and 2 side fins as well as a kayak conversion seat! If you are looking for a well-made “value package” the Cruise is a great pick. Check our Bluefin Cruise Review here. 

Is the Nixy Newport G5 a Good Buy?

The Newport G5 is a great pick if you:

• Want a minimalist SUP package
• Want a well-made board that is lightweight
• You want a maneuverable board that grows with your skill level
• You are a smaller paddler who wants something easy to transport

While the Newport G5 does not have the accessories associated with it as it did with the G4 we still think this SUP is one of the better-designed ones in the industry and have improved their manufacturing in the process. 

What do you think of the Newport G5? Let us know on our Facebook here.