Nixy Venice Review

In this Nixy Venice review, we will be going over all the details of this board with a fine-toothed comb. 

As a Nixy owner myself, I have personally always held this brand in high regard. In my opinion, they give you some of the best quality materials with both the accessories and board for its price range!

So how did they do with the Nixy Venice inflatable paddle board? 

Well, this particular board was the winner of the Best Yoga Paddle Board! Find out why below!

Total Ratings 8.8/10 (Average of Below Numbers)

Who Should be Using the Nixy Venice Paddle Board?

If you are a beginner paddler, and like me, you couldn’t stand on a balance beam if your life depended on it in high school (bad memories :(). Then the Nixy Venice will be a solid pick for you!

I won’t sugar coat it, inflatable paddle boards can be a bit tricky to stand on the first time up. Especially if you are transitioning from sitting/ kneeling to standing. 

What makes the Nixy Venice a great beginner board is a fact that it is 34” wide which gives you more initial stability when transitioning to the standing position. 

What’s more, is that it has a more rectangular shape as opposed to its cousin the Nixy Newport. This wider shaped board with a wider tail makes you feel like you are standing on a proper platform. This means movement from the waves and wind will not sway you as much as thinner more pointed boards.

Make no mistake about it though, the Venice can be used for far more than just beginner paddlers! Read on below as we talk about the different activities you can do on this paddleboard!

What SUP Activities can the Nixy Venice Inflatable Paddle Boards be Used For?

While you may think that the Newport Venice is used for mostly SUP Yoga and Beginners it has far more uses than just that. In Fact, in its earlier years, Nixy originally pigeonholed this model by giving it more feminine colors. 

Hey! I’m all for the bright colors and giving gals what they want! But this made many guys buy other models when in fact this board could be used for so much more! In 2020 Nixy rectified this by giving this brand a bluer shade so that it appealed to a wider audience. We will plant some ideas in your head below. 

SUP Yoga

For SUP Yogi’s I apologize for making you read this far to get to this section. Yes, this is my favorite board for SUP Yoga and other related fitness routines like calisthenics. The reason why this board works so well for Yoga and fitness is its wide berth. Why do you see SUP Yogi’s practice on wide square floating platforms in indoor pools? 

This is because they are more stable! Nixy kept this in mind when designing the Venice while still keeping in mind that the board has to maintain its on-water performance.

Another reason why it’s a fantastic yoga board is the fact that its deck pad covers all 8’8” of the 10’6” board. Its width takes up 28 of the 34” of the deck. 

This is one of the biggest ratios of deck pad to paddleboard I have seen from any make which means you don’t have to worry as much about placing your hand or foot on the more slippery bits of the board! 

It also has a paddle holder which is handy for keeping that pesky paddle out of the way when doing some poses. Although admittedly it’s not my favorite paddle holder design. More on this later. 

The front cargo storage is also small and discrete meaning it does not take up a lot of room nor get in the way!

Recreational Paddling

You really can’t call a paddle board a paddleboard if it can’t… Well, paddle (I’ll try harder on the next analogy I promise). Thankfully the Nixy Venice does an ample job of being a well-rounded paddle board. 

Its on-water performance is actually a bit surprising for a board of 34” and 10’6” long but a lot of it comes from the fin set-up. The fins allow this board to track pretty well which gives you good straight-line performance while paddling.

Under-Appreciated for SUP Fishing

I know I know, a grizzled fisherman (or woman!) would not be caught dead on an aqua blue or purple board. And I get that. However, This board also has a neutral blue color that your fellow fisherman friends won’t laugh at you for. 

So why is it an underrated fishing SUP? 

Just like with SUP yoga it all comes down to its wide design and square tail. These features allow the board to feel more steady in the water when you are stand up fishing. With lots of D rings available you can also plop an anchor into the water when you find that all coveted honey hole!

This SUP also has 5 Action mounts which means you can mount single rod holders or even drink holders to the SUP. If you are really that fish crazy you can try using up all 5 (okay ok 4 with 1 drink holder). 

The bungee deck webbing in the back gives you more than enough room to store a tackle box or two as well. Got a giant cooler? No problem! You can use the 4 available D rings in the middle of the board to tie up bigger coolers like a Yeti. 

Tandem Use

This is actually not a bad pick to have more than 1 person on. Its heavier 400 lb maximum capacity can seat at least 2 medium-sized adults sitting.

The more preferable set-up would be having a kid or dog at the front of the board. This is actually a good pick for this due to the elongated soft deck pad. 

The biggest disadvantage to this compared to the iRocker Cruiser Ultra is the fact that the Cruiser has handles at the front of the deck which is easier for a child to hold onto should things become rocky.

Light Touring

I put this last because this is probably one of the last boards I would pick from the Nixy line to do touring with. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done! 

The Nixy Venice still has a pointed profile and hydrodynamics-wise will still leave a lot of designated yoga paddle boards in the dust. 

But if touring was of your main reasons for getting a SUP I would look to the Nixy Monterey or the more pointed Nixy Manhattan for racing purposes. Followed by the Nixy Newport G4 series.

Nixy Venice On-Water Performance

Rating Factor	Score	Average SUP Score (All Around Boards)
Total On-Water Score	8.0	8.0
Stability Score	9.5 /10	8.3
Tracking Score	8 /10	7.8
Speed Score	7 /10	7.7
Manueverability Score	8 /10	8.1

So we know who Venice is for, what it comes with so how does it perform in the water? We piece it all together below!

Stability

Probably the on-water performance feature that stands out most is its stability in the water. The Nixy Venice is one of the best SUPs when it comes to doing an activity that requires you to have a stable platform to stand and perform activities on. 

The board’s stable platform is aided by its 34” width, its wider shape, and the 5-inch side fins that help keep the back of the board planted while paddling forward. 

“For those looking for a stable platform even in windy and choppy conditions, this would be one of the best picks to choose from in the Nixy line-up. “

-Editors Note

Tracking

For a board of 34 inches, it tracks surprisingly well! This is due to 2 things.

• The hydrodynamic hull
• Nixy’s tri-fin setup

The combination of those two things allows you to keep pace with boards that may be an inch or 2 shorter in width. Is it the best tracking board in the Nixy paddle board lineup?

No, there are better boards for tracking, if stability is the most important thing for you. It won’t be any slouch when it comes to straight paddling performance.

Speed

The same thing I said about tracking can be said about Venice’s speed. It definitely is not the fastest model in the Nixy line-up but it is one of the better performing SUP Yoga boards when it comes to on-water speed. 

Maneuverability 

One of the better boards when it comes to maneuverability, the 34” base allows the Venice to be an underrated slow-moving river board. 

To maximize maneuverability you may want to switch to river fins or take off the 2 side fins. This reduces the tracking of the board which will produce better maneuverability in tight areas. 

Nixy Venice ISUP Specifications Deconstructed

• Type of Board: All Around/ Yoga SUP
• Length: 10’6″
• Width: 34”
• Thickness: 6”
• Volume: 315L 
• Weight: 23 Lbs
• Maximum Capacity: 400 Lbs

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

The Nixy Venice is made of the same higher-quality manufacturing process that it does with Nixy’s other board lines. 

The Venice is made of fusion layered drop stitch material. “Fusion layered” means that 2 layers are sandwiched into one usually by a machine press. This keeps the PVC just as strong as double-layered material while making it lightweight. 

This process also saves a lot of glue from the process as well. Fusion layering is starting to catch on rapidly in the $1000 and under boards. It’s this process that allows the Venice to only weigh 23 pounds with fins attached. 

Nixy also uses woven drop-stitch material in its boards which means that the threads are woven in criss-cross patterns making the drop stitch less flexible and stretchy when inflated to higher PSIs.  This helps the board keep its rigidity for a longer period of time. 

The Venice stand-up paddle board is also helped by carbon side rails which give the board extra protection on the sides as well as a bit more rigidity on the side walls where all the pressure is accumulated.

Nixy Venice Board Profile

One of the main differences you will find between the Nixy Newport G4 and the Nixy Venice is the way the board profiles are. 

The Newport G4 has more of a pointed profile which makes it more hydrodynamic for paddling longer distances. A big part of it is the shape of the tail. The Newport G4 features more of a pointed tail while the Nixy Venice Cruiser has a square tail. This does not mean that the Newport G4 has all of the on-water performance though.

The Venice has an advantage in that its wider and broader board profile allows it to be more stable in the water. This means the chances of you being able to stand upright when you encounter some chop will be better on the Venice. It will just be a tad bit slower due to its 34” width. 

The wider profile also gives it more maneuverability which might come in handy for doing those sharper turns needed. 

What’s On the Deck

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

The Nixy Venice Cruiser has a wide variety of features that come equipped with many other Nixy boards. In terms of SUP Yoga comparisons, it’s definitely one of the more feature-rich SUP yoga boards.

Nixy Venice Deck

The Venice paddle board has one of the most specious deck pads in the SUP industry. With the deck pad taking up about 83% of the board! 

The way the deck is designed is ideal for SUP Yoga folks, the pad stretching even past the front deck storage. The nonslip Nixy traction pad is made of embossed foam with little grooves that are shaped as the Nixy logo. 

These grip well although I did feel that diamond grooved deck pads do give you just that little bit more traction. Definitely not a deal-breaker by any means though. 

D Rings

The Venice features 16 D Rings 4 of them are free on the sides where you can mount bigger objects like 

• Kayaks seats
• Bigger coolers
• Fishing Crates

The rest are either used for the SUP leash at the back, towing at the front or deck bungees at the front and rear of the board. Thankfully they can be removable so that you can use them for other bigger objects that require more heavy-duty tie downs.

Deck Bungees

Nixy has always been pretty good with outfitting its board with a good amount of deck bungee room. Although they have the same amount of D Rings accounted for at the top of the board as the Newport, you will notice they are positioned differently. 

These D rings are a little bit more discrete, which is excellent for fitness routines like SUP yoga but casual paddlers may want a bit more room. This is great for things like:

• Holding the paddle
• Water bottles
• Small dry bags
• Waterproof phone or radio

If you compare the front deck space to the iRocker Cruiser you will see it features more room to store bigger items you may need. 

The rear bungees provide ample room for bigger cargo. This will be the area where you will be able to store things like:

• Dry bags
• Change of clothing
• Tackle boxes
• Jackets
• Speakers (I do this)
• Bigger water jugs
• Backpack

Action Mounts

We covered this a bit in the SUP fishing section but I’ll go into greater detail here. The Venice G4 features 5 action mount holders that allow you to screw in Nixy applicable accessories.

The mounts are located:

• 2 on the front middle part of the board (black dots)
• 2 on the rear middle section of the board (black dots)
• One on the rear of the board where the rear Leash D ring is located

I kind of feel like there should be one right at the very nose of the board but that’s being pretty nit-picky on my end. 

These action mounts are super handy especially if you are a SUP Yoga warrior with a following and you want to document some exercises to your following. Some things you can mount from the Nixy store include:

• Nixy Navigation Lights for night time paddling
• Nixy Cup Holder
• Phone Holder
• Action Camera Mount
• Digital Camera Mount
• Single Mount Fishing Rod holder

If you are a fisherman your mind should start wondering about all the possibilities!

Handles

The Nixy Venice SUP features 3 different handles

• Middle Handle (With Neoprene cover)
• Front Handle (Made with molded plastic)
• Rear Handle (Made with molded plastic)

I like the removable neoprene cover of the middle handle as it feels nice on your hands. This is a nice surprise for those of you who use nylon handles, we both know how much of a pain they can be on your hands when walking long distances to the shoreline!

The front and rear handles are made for guiding the sup through the water. You can theoretically drag it on the ground although I wouldn’t recommend doing that. 

Paddle Holder

I’m sure SUP Yogis will probably appreciate this feature more than I do. The paddle holder is located on the front left side of the board towards the bottom. This helps keep the paddle out of the way when doing some of those more intense poses like Vasisthasana, Halasana and Sirsasana li Padmasana which require more concentration. 

I personally feel that the paddle holder should be held on the side of the board for easier access. Also preferable a bit higher than the bottom of the board. But again some folks may disagree with me here. 

Nixy Venice Accessories 

Rating Factor	Score	Average SUP Score (All Around Boards)
Accessories Score	9	7.9
Backpack Score	9 /10	8.1
Paddle Score	9 /10	7.8
Pump Score	8 /10	7.6
Fin Score	9 /10	8.1

One of the big positives to getting a Nixy board is the fact that they put just as much thought into the board as they do with the accessories! 

We go into further detail below.

Nixy Bag

I would go as far as saying that Nixy produces the best bag in the $1000 and under category paddleboards. 

While some SUP manufacturers (Amazon brands I’m looking at you!) give you a simple nylon bag that is nicely packed when you get it. But then is almost impossible to fit everything back in when you are at your point of exhaustion.

Nixy does it differently. The Nixy bag is baggier and bulkier but is much easier to put everything back away. Best of all you don’t need to construct “the perfect fold” to put everything back inside. 

In 2021 the Nixy brand updated all of their backpacks to have roller wheels. This gives you the option to drag the bag like a suitcase or carry it like a backpack. 

Something that often goes overlooked is the fact that unlike many other SUP bags the Newport backpack has a 3rd wheel in the middle to support the base of the bag. This keeps the contents from slumping to the middle of the bag and deforming it which maintains the composure of the backpack. 

Going to the features of the bag, the Venice has a big front pocket which I appreciate a lot. For the front pocket, I usually put phone cases, water bottles, the speaker, and the repair kit. You can also use this pocket to fit a Type III or Type V PFD should you choose.

Inside the front pocket, there’s slots that are designated for the fins. These are super handy in ensuring that you don’t lose your fins at the bottom of the bag. The slots also have velcro that you can use to close them so that the fins don’t slide out of position. 

The vast majority of SUP manufacturers expect you to somehow fit the paddle into the bag. Oftentimes there’s a struggle in rearranging everything to fit the paddle in the SUP bag. 

Nixy did it differently though. They have pockets on the sides of the bag that allows you to fit each component of the 3 piece paddle. 

One significant difference I saw between this Nixy bag and the one I have is the back padding. My older model bag has the back padding shown while the 2022 version has it behind a large back pocket that you can use to put the shoulder straps in. 

This allows the bag to not be so unwieldy when carrying it from its side carry handle. If everything is tucked in you are not having the straps drag on the ground and it also greatly reduces your chances of tripping on them. 

Lastly, the bag has nicely padded shoulder straps that are padded enough to not feel like anything is digging into your shoulders. I’ve tried other packages that don’t have this (Serenelife) and carrying a bag with no padded shoulder straps for a significant distance is the worst. 

The Nixy bag also features a waist strap and a little buckle to clip for the chest. It’s a good bag for hiking although the wheels add extra weight. Which may be something you may not want going for hikes that are hours long. 

Nixy paddle

The Nixy G4 comes with a carbon fiber hybrid paddle which weighs 1.54 pounds. The name “hybrid” implies that it has a carbon-fiber shaft with a 90 square inch nylon paddle. 

Its length adjusts from 67” to 84” which is a good height for the majority of paddlers. To make the paddle portable Nixy made it into a 3 piece setup in which the paddle can be taken apart and placed in the pockets of the bag. 

My personal experience with the Nixy paddle is that I liked it! Previous to this paddle I had a carbon paddle that was more lightweight but admittedly more flimsy and finicky. With the Nixy paddle I felt that it was more comfortable to paddle longer distances and while the paddle itself may be a bit heavier than the pure carbon one I actually use it more. I’ve probably clocked about 40 hours on it so far, it’s been a solid paddling companion!

Nixy Typhoon Pump 

Out of all the manual pumps I’ve used this is probably my favorite because of its triple action settings. 

At stage 1 you get all 2 chambers firing both on the up and down pumping motion. As you keep pumping and it gets to around 7 PSI I switch settings to Stage 2 which I believe switches to a single chamber up and downstroke. Stage 3 goes to the single-chamber downstroke which makes the pumping significantly easier as the PSI starts to get up there. 

If you are planning to go paddling a lot this summer I highly recommend you get an electric pump. I resisted doing this for a couple of years but you know what? The extra $150 saves you strength and your back!

I personally have the Outdoor Master Shark II pump but Nixy also sells their own electric pump called the Ventus Electric Pump. I’ve never tried it before but I’ve heard good things about it. 

Fins

I still think Nixy has some of the best-designed fins in the game. The 9” center fin is FCS compatible meaning you can swap fin set-ups not just from the Nixy store but just about any company that has compatible fins. This will help you configure your board to handle differently in different water conditions. 

For example, in shallow rivers you may want a flexible river fin that does not constantly scrape off the bottom, or if you are going touring you may want a 9” racing style fin that protrudes further outwards for better tracking.

The side fins are 5” long which helps give the board both better tracking ability and increases its stability. They are also screw-in makes which means you can experiment with others. Although you don’t find as many compatible side fins as opposed to the bigger center fin. 

Leash

The Leash on the Nixy Venice is comfortable and easy to use. Much like many other SUP leashes, it has 2 swivel bases on the ankle portion and the attachment part. The inside of the ankle leash is made of padded Neoprene which makes it comfortable to wear.

I’ve paddled with it on for 3 hours plus and I never had any issues with it. It’s very comfortable and after a while, you will forget it’s even on you. 

About the Nixy Brand

Nixy is a relative newcomer in the Inflatable SUP game but they have been on the cutting edge of improvements that can be made for the boards. 

They were one of the first movers when it came to adding carbon side rails to their boards, making them out of fusion laminate material, and now incorporating woven drop stwitch to the process. Every year I notice that they keep making modifications and improvements to their SUPs.

The company is run by Ale and Nicolas Artigas. They started the company in 2015.  To see more Reviews on Nixy Paddle Boards click here.

Warranty and Returns

Nixy features a 2-year warranty on all of their boards, a 90 day warranty on accessories and a 30 day money back guarantee.

In regards to the ISUP industry, this is fairly standard although comparable brands such as iRocker feature a 3-year warranty and 60 day return period. 

What Customers Think

One of the biggest pluses of Nixy is that they have fantastic customer service on all of their products. I found their response to questions to be very quick. In fact, if you look at reviews, both on Amazon and their website you will see a ton of people who state that they are highly responsive to questions and concerns.

In my experience with my Newport paddle board they have been responsive the whole way through when shipping my paddle board to Canada. I still contact them to understand their products better so that I can make good reviews for you folks :). 

In terms of the Venice board, it’s been mostly positive responses from verified customers both on Amazon and the Nixy website. The most common remarks regarding how stable the board is and how easy it is to transport. Including this comment, I came across.

“I’m 55 and new to paddle boarding and this iSUP is perfect! Light but sturdy and stable, this is perfect for me! Enjoying it tremendously! I’m definitely going to purchase the electric pump though. It’s not horrible to inflate manually but it is tiring. Takes about 12 minutes. The last few PSI are tough.”

– Carolyn L (Verified Customer)

Where to Buy the Nixy Venice Paddle Board

The best place to get the Nixy Venice is from their Website. All Nixy Products as of now provide free shipping on all products over $100 in the Continental United States. Products ship from 1 to 5 business days depending on the carrier.

They are also available in Canada. When I got my Newport shipped to Vancouver I believe the charge was $75 back in 2021. 

You can purchase Nixy in other parts of the world but heavy fees and tariffs may be applied. My recommendation if you are outside of North America is to check your local Amazon site. Often Nixy ships their boards to Amazon warehouses throughout the world. This way you will save on tariffs, fees, and what have you. 

Comparable Boards

Below are some brands that we found were most comparable with the Nixy Venice stand-up paddle board.

iRocker Cruiser

Chances are if you are on the lookout for a stable cruiser board you have probably also run into this model. The dimensions are pretty close with the Cruiser being an inch thinner at 33”, and being 2 pounds heavier at 25 pounds vs the Venice’s 23 pound weight. 

In my mind, the Venice is better for fitness activities like SUP yoga while the Cruiser is better to have passengers on like small kids thanks to the 2 handles at the front of the board.

Gili Meno

One of the runners-up in the Best Yoga paddle boards article we wrote, the Gilio Meno series comes in 3 different sizes. The 10’6”, 11’6”, and the 12’6” boards. For fitness purposes the 10’6” or the 11’6” are probably the best bet as they are significantly wider at 35” compared to the 12’6” Meno which clocks in at a 31” width. 

The closest comparable, the 10’6” Meno is 1 inch wider than the Venice with the same weight but has 450 weight capacity compared to the Venice’s 400-pound capacity. The tail on the Meno is also a bit more tapered compared to the Venice. 

Should You Get the Nixy Venice?

If stability is important to you or you are new to getting your water legs then yes I would highly recommend Venice. The board is especially handy to SUP Yogis who want a wide platform to do a variety of poses while having a traction pad that takes up 83% of the board. 

The customer satisfaction with both the board and the company is great, as by reviews from both Amazon and the Nixy site. My experience with Nixy has been nothing but positive as well! 

Who shouldn’t get the Nixy Venice?

If on-water performance factors like speed and 10/10 tracking ability are important to you then I’d advise you to look at other boards. For things like touring and SUP racing, there are lots of boards that are more specific to those kinds of things. 

Have you got a Venice or are thinking about getting one? Let us know on our Facebook what you think!