NIXY Newport G4 All Around Inflatable SUP Review

The NIXY Newport has come a long way over the years and the latest 2021 G4 model is absolutely worth checking out.

This all-around board has an attractive design, great functional features, is fun and stable to use and as a bonus you get a fantastic accessory package that is one of the best we have seen.

In short the Newport is a quality inflatable stand up paddle board perfect for cruising and fun on the water.

Although this isn’t a long board at 10’6” it is quite wide through the center at 33”. In fact it is wider than many and consequently very stable.

That kind of width can definitely slow you down but thankfully the tapered nose and tail help to keep you gliding smoothly without too much drag and tracking straight.

SPECS

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NEW COLORS FOR 2021

The NIXY boards have some really cool new color designs for 2021. You can browse the color options below.  I have the purple board and love how bright it looks on the water, it really stands out.

WHO IS THE NEWPORT BEST SUITED FOR?

The Newport is ideal for new paddlers as it is stable and easy to maneuver.

The 33” width provides a nice stable base and even total beginners will feel comfortable quickly.

With the 10’6″ length it takes very little effort to paddle and I found that I equally enjoyed it on calm water lakes as well as when paddling in choppier water.

There isn’t a huge amount of room up front with the tapered nose but there’s enough to fit a child or a dog either up front or behind if you’d like to bring them along for the ride.

DON’T FEEL LIKE READING?

If you’d rather watch a video review you can check out my 6 min video below that will go through all the main points you need to know.

QUICK 1.5 MINUTE VIDEO

Or check out my quick one and a half minute long video below of me paddling the NIXY Newport G4.  It will give you a good idea on the stability and glide.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?

This is a comfortable board and NIXY has definitely put thought into trying to keep the board gliding straight and smooth while still being a fairly stable ride.

It feels good to paddle and I had no issue with the performance until I ended up out one day with friends who have leaner touring boards.

Even with the tapered nose and tail I couldn’t keep up with their boards.  The 33″ width does slow it down.

However if you want a faster and more efficient inflatable paddle board NIXY has an option for that too. The NIXY Manhattan is their highly rated and popular touring board.  If you want more speed this is where you should be looking.

The Newport is an all-around board meaning it’s perfect for just cruising around with friends or family. It’s not meant for fast cadence and longer fitness paddles – Although it can certainly be used for this too.

It’s a fun board that can hold a lot of weight (up to 300 lbs).  I found that even when loaded right up, it handles the extra weight and pressure extremely well, in no small part due to the excellent construction and carbon side rails.

If you are a smaller person the 33” width does require a little extra reach, however I don’t think you would really notice it if you weren’t already used to a leaner board.

It doesn’t take much effort to turn even in wind so it’s fun to play around with and try out different maneuvers as your skills improve.

WHAT MAKES THE NEWPORT STAND OUT?

A few things really stood out for me with the Newport G4 including:

1. QUALITY

The overall quality seems excellent. The Newport feels solid and very rigid when fully inflated. Every part of the board has been well thought out.

The Fusion Technology construction with dual layer woven drop stitch PVC creates a lightweight, strong and rigid inflatable SUP.

The overall package is high quality. It’s always a good feeling to know that you are getting your money’s worth and I feel in this case you definitely are.

2. STABILITY

I noticed how stable it was right off the bat, it’s a comfortable ride. Therefore it can also be used for other SUP activities as well such as fishing, fitness or photography.

If you are paddling on calm water it also feels great to just stop and chill out for awhile.  You can sit or lay down comfortably and not feel like you’re going to roll over in the water. 🙂

3. FEATURES

This board includes all of the latest and advanced features you could want on an inflatable stand up paddle board.  Besides the basics like good quality valves, front and rear bungees, grab handles and plenty of D-rings, the Newport G4 also includes:

• 3 removable fins
• 5 mounting brackets for accessories/action cam
• Carbon side rails
• Side paddle holder

Let’s take a closer look at some of these cool features as they really add to the enjoyability and functionality of the board.

TWO ADJUSTABLE BUNGEE SYSTEMS

There are two bungee systems on the Newport.  One up front at the nose and one at the back tail.

The bungee system at the nose of the board is right at the top of the traction pad, which makes it within arms reach from the center of the board.  It’s a smaller bungee system attached to 4 d-rings but you’d be surprised at how much you can fit under there.

I brought out a dog bed for my little dog to chill in while I paddled one day and easily secured it under the front bungees.

The back bungee system is slightly larger and attaches to 6 d-rings.  You can store larger dry bags or possibly even a cooler under these bungees.

The bungees are adjustable and have a quick release clip that allows you to fit the bungees to your requirements.

MULTIPLE D-RING ATTACHMENTS

There are a whopping 16 D-rings on this paddle board so lots of attachment points for securing gear, securing your leash and/or securing a kayak seat.

As a side note if you do want to paddle your board sitting down kayak-style take a look at the NIXY Premium SUP Kayak Seat.  I haven’t tried it yet but it has extra padding and support and looks really great.

3 TOOLESS REMOVABLE FINS

The three fins are all removable, which I really like.  Having removable fins allows you to adjust them according to your needs.

The fin configuration is toolless and the fins are really easy to install.  You basically just slide them in and turn the little screw to secure.

There is one 9″ touring fin and two 5″ side fins. I prefer paddling the Newport G4 with all three fins attached.  I found that this setup provided the best stability for the back end and overall performance.

NIXY NON-SLIP SOFT TRACTION PAD

The EVA traction pad on top of the NIXY iSUP has their logo embossed on it and is UV protected.

It is quite long so there’s lots of space to maneuver.  The grooves in the traction pad provide decent grip and it’s very comfortable to stand or kneel on.

5 MOUNTING BRACKETS FOR ACCESSORIES OR ACTION CAM

The mountain brackets are a real bonus and there are plenty of them on this board.

You will find two up front at either side of the bungees, one on each side near the back bungees and one at the very back tail.

You can use these mounting brackets to secure other accessories such as a camera mount, a cup holder, rod holders, phone holder or action camera mount – All of which NIXY sells on the Gear Page on their website.

CARBON SIDE RAILS

Another big bonus is the carbon fiber reinforced side rails.  This type of reinforcement is often seen in inflatable race boards as it helps to increase the rigidity and strength.

They are not that necessary for most people who are recreational paddling but they are definitely nice to have and the board should be extra rigid with the carbon side rails built in.

3 GRAB HANDLES

The center carry handle has neoprene padding around it that is secured with velcro, making it comfortable in your hand when carrying the board.

There is also a sturdy grab handle at the nose and tail.

The nose and tail handles are made of durable plastic and nylon webbing.  They are great for grabbing the board from the water, pulling into shore or carrying with two people.

PADDLE HOLDER

The bungee side paddle holder allows you to keep your hands free while carrying the board.

It’s also ideal to use if you’d like to keep the paddle out of the way while hanging out on the water, doing some yoga or a workout on your board.

SETUP AND PORTABILITY

As this isn’t a large board setup is particularly fast. It only took me just over 5 minutes to inflate the board to the recommended air pressure of 15 PSI with the included Typhoon hand pump.

Once inflated you can secure the three fins – No tools required and it only takes a minute to secure all three fins.

I found the Newport to be easy to transport and carry. The rolling backpack makes it simple and effortless to get your board to and from the water. Plus the board itself only weighs 21 lbs so most will have no trouble carrying it to the waters edge.

DELUXE ACCESSORY PACKAGE

Included in the deal is the ultimate deluxe accessory package.  Every accessory is high quality, they did not skimp in this area at all.

3-PIECE CARBON FIBER HYBRID PADDLE

The 3-piece carbon shaft paddle is lightweight at only 25 oz., adjustable from 67″ to 84″ and has a 90 square inch blade.

This paddle will suit most people and feels great to use with the comfortable t-grip handle.  It is definitely a step up from many of the aluminum or fiberglass paddles that come with other packages.

Plus this paddle floats, so if you drop it in the water you won’t lose it.

The 90 square inch blade is basically a middle range blade, which is great for recreational paddling.

As a general rule you’ll want your paddle blade to be between 85 square inches and 95 square inches depending on your size and the type of paddling you will be doing.  90 square inches is a good middle of the road size that’ll suit most people for recreation paddling.

NIXY G4 TYPHOON HAND PUMP

The Typhoon hand pump means business.  It’s a triple action pump that can inflate up to 29 PSI.

It’s a larger pump that has removable handles and foldable foot pegs to help it fit better in the bag.

The pump works great and does make it slightly easier to inflate the board.  It’s not that light however at 4.37 lbs. so adds some extra weight to the overall package.

HEAVY DUTY 3-WHEEL ROLLING BACKPACK

This bag is new and improved this year and I could probably write a whole other review simply on this backpack alone, it’s that awesome.

Unless you’ve ever seen or used other iSUP backpacks you might not know the difference but if you have tried others you will really appreciate how well thought out the features are on this bag.

There’s a ton of great features included on this backpack so I’ll run through them quickly here…

SIZE

For one the bag is a really good size and easily fits the board and all accessories.  It zips open on three sides making it simple to put the board inside and get it out.  It is also a good size to check as luggage at the airport.

WEIGHT

The bag itself weighs 5.75 lbs. but when fully packed the bag weighs 39 lbs.

LARGE OUTER POCKET

There is a large zippered outside pocket perfect for storing some of the smaller accessories or smaller items you’d like to bring along.  I use this outside pocket to store a towel that I use to dry the board off after use.

INSIDE POCKETS

Inside the large compartment there are three smaller pockets that are perfect for safely tucking the fins away.

EXTRA BACK PADDING

The outside of the bag has extra padding on the back and on the shoulder straps making it even more comfortable to carry as a backpack.

WAIST STRAP

There is also an adjustable padded waist strap for added support.

OUTER WEBBING

Plus a feature that I really like and that you don’t often see is added webbing on the outside of the bag to connect more items.

3 STURDY WHEELS

The bag still includes the standard 3 sturdy wheels making it easy to pull from your car to the water or when traveling.

STRAP POCKETS

There are pockets to tuck both the shoulder straps and the waist straps into when not in use so that they are out of the way.

SIDE POCKETS

The side pockets are perfect for storing your paddle or other small accessories.

DURABLE CONSTRUCTION

Some iSUP bags are quite flimsy.  This one is not.  It is made with durable heavy-duty material to protect your board and all accessories.  It also includes reinforced corners for added durability.  This bag should last a long time.

DRAIN HOLES

Drain holes!  First time I’ve seen that.  These drain holes help to drain water and sand that might build up in the bag.

Absolutely love this bag!

10’ HYBRID ANKLE LEASH

This is a hybrid leash meaning that it is both coiled and straight making it ideal for use in different conditions.

It is 10’ long and 7mm in diameter. It secures to your ankle with velcro straps and to the D-ring at the tail of your board.

WHAT IS THE WARRANTY?

All NIXY inflatable paddle boards come with a 2-year warranty.

IN SUMMARY

To sum it all up, the Newport G4 is a quality all-around inflatable stand up paddle board that I would not hesitate to recommend.  I can’t imagine anyone not being happy with the Newport iSUP package.

It is perfect for all-around fun with family and friends.

Although I feel the width does affect the performance a bit, for anyone looking for an ultra stable yet highly portable iSUP, this one fits the bill.

NIXY is a reliable and innovative company and I feel confident that you can trust them to provide you with a great inflatable paddle board experience.

WHERE TO FIND THE BEST DEAL?

Click here for the best deal plus free shipping on the NIXY Newport G4 direct from NixySports.com.

 

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