Nixy Huntington G5 iSUP Review – Overview
The Nixy Huntington G5 has some unique characteristics. First is its size. At just 9’6″, it’s one of the shortest all-around paddle boards out there. It’s also incredibly light, weighing under 15 pounds, but it is just as rigid as Nixy’s other G5 series iSUPs.
It’s incredibly maneuverable and paddles well at cruising speeds. However, its size is limiting regarding who this board is for. I think the Nixy Huntington G5 is best used as a kid’s board in disguise or as a lightweight all-around for petite paddlers.
— Nixy Huntington G5 iSUP Review Ratings and Summary —
Nixy Huntington G5
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Construction & Durability
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Features and Versatility
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Stability
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Speed
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Maneuverability
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Tracking
Nixy Huntington G5 iSUP Review – Construction and Durability
The Huntington G5 uses Nixy’s latest construction to create an incredibly lightweight iSUP without giving up its durability or longevity.
Inside the Huntington G5, you’ll find a new lightweight woven dropstitch core.
The woven core uses woven fabric for the top and bottom layers and cross-woven drop stitching to connect them, giving the board its 6″ thickness and flat shape. Woven fabrics and X-shape cross-woven cores use less material and offer better rigidity than traditional knitted fabric and V-stitched cores at lower weights.
The fabric base layers are coated with PVC, and a heat lamination process directly applies a layer of reinforced PVC material without the use of glue. This fusion lamination process reduces weight and helps improve rigidity.
The top and bottom of the board are joined together with a heat-welded seam around the edge. These welded rails physically bond the layers together, turning the entire board into one continuous piece. Welded joints offer better resistance to pressure and heat than traditional glued construction, reduce weight, reduce the use of volatile and noxious chemical adhesives, and reduce the chances of manufacturing problems compared to hand gluing.
Once the board is built, the deck pad is installed, and all of the other onboard features are added, the Huntington G5 weighs in at just 14.6 pounds. That’s incredibly light and is the second lightest iSUP we’ve put our hands on (the title of lightest going to the Kokopelli Chasm Lite at 12.9 pounds). I’m not sure why Nixy has the board weight listed as 18.8 pounds, but it is significantly lighter than that.
In our standardized bend test, the Huntington G5 did relatively well with a measured bend of 1.61″—almost spot on our running average of over 120 iSUPs. This also keeps it in line with Nixy’s other G5 iSUPs, all of which have a maximum pressure rating of just 15 PSI and are far more rigid than the super-light Chasm Lite, which has 2.5″ of bend.
Considering the Huntington’s small size and low weight, an average bend test result is actually quite good. Our bend test is designed to let us compare different types of constructions, and this is a prime example of the G5 construction holding its own regardless of the board size. I would like to see Nixy increase the maximum recommended pressure of their boards to 18-20 PSI as I feel it would greatly increase their rigidity both in our bend test and, more importantly, on the water.
On the water, the Huntington G5 does some interesting things. First and foremost, while just standing on the board or paddling at a casual cruising pace, the Huntington G5 is quite rigid. I didn’t notice any flex in the board during this normal use.
However, the Huntington G5 does begin to lose its rigidity rapidly when paddling at anything more than a casual cruise. Even at a moderately fast pace that’s far from a sprint, I could feel the Huntington G5 flexing quite a bit. I could also see the nose of the board lift up and slap back down with each stroke to a significant degree. So much so that multiple times while paddling quickly, the board actually flexed so far that it stopped in the water as if I had taken a giant reverse stroke.
Now, two things are working against the Huntington here. First, it’s not designed for fast paddling. It’s a compact all-around board meant for casual use. Second, I am 215 pounds. While that’s well within the board’s 250 pound listed capacity, I am undoubtedly larger than who this board was designed for.
Overall, the Nixy Huntington G5 is well-built. It uses the industry’s most advanced materials and construction techniques and has excellent rigidity for its weight.
Specifications
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 9’ 6” |
| Width | 32“ |
| Thickness | 6“ |
| Weight | |
| Max Capacity | 250 pounds |
| Board Weight | 14.6 pounds |
| Kit Weight (SUP & accessories) | pounds |
| Buying Info | |
| List Price | $725 |
| Warranty | 3 years |
| Returns period | 30 days |
Nixy Huntington G5 iSUP Review – Features, Accessories and Versatility
The Huntington G5 is fully featured, but much like the board itself, on a slightly smaller scale. Though smaller than on Nixy’s other boards, there are cargo areas, threaded accessory mounts (but fewer of them), and even kayak seat D-rings, but only two instead of the standard four. However, the Huntington G5 has a full-length deck pad to let you use the full length of the board.
That is quite the feature set on such a small board. Unlike many other compact iSUPs, the Nixy Huntington G5 does not fold in half to fit into a smaller bag. While you do get the full feature set and lighter-weight build, you don’t get the full benefit of a compact board for storage and travel.
Like Nixy’s other G5 iSUPs, the Huntington is sold only as the board and fin rather than as a full kit. However, Nixy lets you build your own kit at a discount by choosing which accessories you’d like to include when purchasing the board.
This gives you the great opportunity to instantly upgrade items like your pump and paddle (or forego them if you don’t need one) without having to pay for the base-level items in a full kit.
Nixy Huntington G5 iSUP Review – Paddle
The Nixy Huntington G5 no longer comes standard with a paddle. However, Nixy has a large lineup of very nice paddles for different paddlers and uses.
The Nixy “kit” paddle – the Nixy Carbon Hybrid paddle – is one of my favorite entry-level kit paddles. It has a carbon fiber shaft and handle section, and the blade is fiber-reinforced nylon with a medium size and rectangular shape. This makes it extremely versatile for paddler size and style. You can just as easily paddle at a casual cruising cadence as you can at a higher sprint cadence. This paddle is also compatible with a second blade to convert to a kayak paddle.
The Nixy Pro series paddles offer outstanding quality and performance at a great price—especially if you bundle them with the Huntington G5 for an extra discount. These fully carbon fiber paddles are available in a variety of colors, sizes, and even different stiffness profiles to suit your exact needs.
I highly recommend upgrading to the Nixy Pro 3k for most paddlers and the Nixy Pro 12k for larger paddlers and racers who need a stiffer paddle. The Pro 3k build even has a slim-shaft option for petite paddlers.
Nixy Huntington G5 iSUP Review – Stability
The Nixy Huntington G5’s small size and low weight make the board very reactionary to changes in weight and position, and it has a lower overall stability profile compared to Nixy’s other iSUPs.
Once on the water with the Huntington G5, I noticed how reactive the board felt. Small shifts in weight made big differences in trim and tilt on the board. Combined with the board’s low weight, this created a noticeably twitchy feeling. Now, one caveat with this is my size. I’m 215 pounds, which is a good chunk of Huntington’s 250 pound recommended limit. Smaller paddlers, particularly kids and petite adults, won’t feel this twitchiness nearly as readily.
Once I became accustomed to how the Huntington G5 reacts on the water, it felt more stable. However, it never became as comfortable as the Nixy Newport G5 for me.
Generally, the Huntington G5 has a predictable feel on the water. The board stabilizes with your paddle stroke while paddling, and the 32″ width still offers enough wiggle room to correct if you do begin to tilt to one side or the other.
Due to its smaller size, holding the board on its rail is tricky, but the board does rock back and forth smoothly. Walking on the board is likewise predictable, though it only takes me one step back (not even moving my front foot) to be far enough back on the tail to raise the nose for a pivot turn.
In the grand scheme, the Huntington G5 is not a particularly stable paddle board compared to iSUPs of a more typical size like the Nixy Newport G5 or other all-around boards 10′ or longer. However, when you consider its size and weight, the relative stability is what you would expect from any all-around board. This is why I feel the Huntington G5 is generally best for kids and petite paddlers under 120 pounds.
Nixy Venice G5 iSUP Review: Speed
Shorter and wider paddle boards will always be harder to paddle at higher speeds. The Huntington G5 is no exception. It’s hard to paddle at high speed but moves well at slower cruising speeds.
In our speed test, the Huntington G5 was, at no surprise, a bit slow for sprinting. It’s not a board designed for top speed, but that’s OK. Not all SUPs have to be designed for speed!
At a fast pace for a sustained sprint, the Huntington G5 only moved an average of 4.5 MPH, and I was only able to reach a total maximum speed of 5.1 MPH. Besides its shorter length, the Huntington G5 also suffered from a decent amount of flex while paddling hard. This did two things. First, the board’s direction was hard to control as the shorter waterline spun more with each stroke. Second, there was enough flex that I could actually feel the board resist moving through the water, and a few times, it even suddenly lurched to a near stop from the flex. But again, this is not a board meant to be paddled hard for top speed.
At a casual cruising pace, the Huntington G5 does much better. First, there isn’t nearly as much flex at this cruising pace. I didn’t notice any unless I was really looking for it or decided to take a big, powerful stroke for some reason. With 25 strokes per minute, the Huntington G5 held an average speed of 3.3 MPH. That’s a little slower than other all-around boards like the Newport G5, but it’s still within the normal range.
Like Nixy’s other G5 iSUPs, the Huntington G5 also has some impressively good gliding efficiency. A single paddle stroke will send the Huntington G5 around 17 feet at its typical cruising speeds. While this isn’t a long distance compared to many other iSUPs, when you account for the Huntington’s short length, it’s actually 1.8 board lengths per stroke. That’s extremely good for an all-around iSUP, especially one so short.
Overall, the Nixy Huntington G5 isn’t a super-speedy paddle board, but it cruises along at regular speeds and has above-average efficiency for its length.
Nixy Huntington G5 iSUP Review – Maneuverability and Tracking
The Nixy Huntington G5’s 9’6 ” length makes it an incredibly agile paddle board, but it also reduces its tracking performance.
The Nixy Huntington G5 is one of the most agile paddle boards I’ve used. Our maneuverability test is set up to be difficult for the boards we test to complete: turning a full circle using only forward sweep strokes, which are some of the least efficient turning strokes you can use. We also test reverse sweep strokes, which are one of the most efficient turning strokes (when you aren’t moving forward).
There was almost no difference between forward and reverse sweeps with the Huntington G5. It took just 3.5 forward sweep strokes and 3.0 reverse sweep strokes to make a complete 360-degree circle. And that’s with a 9″ fin! That is the best maneuvering performance we’ve seen in our testing.
However, maneuverability and tracking are essentially two sides of the same coin. While the Huntington G5 is incredibly agile on the water, tracking in a straight line is quite difficult.
Our 10-stroke tracking test focuses on using the best possible forward stroke technique and then measures how far off-target we end up after 10 paddle strokes. The Nixy Huntington G5 averaged almost 30 degrees of deviation in 10 strokes. That is one of the lowest tracking performance measures we’ve seen in our testing (second lowest, to be precise).
The lack of tracking is primarily due to the board’s short waterline length and more rounded outline. Shorter paddle boards will always have a harder time tracking straight than longer boards.
Nixy includes a 9″ all-around or surf-style fin with the Huntington G5. However, the fin box is a Universal Standard (US) style box that can accept hundreds of different fins. So, you can improve tracking performance by using a larger fin.
Nixy Huntington G5 iSUP Review – Warranty and Customer Support
Nixy now offers a 3-year warranty for their G5 paddle boards and a 1-year warranty for all of their accessories. While this is not the longest warranty period we’ve seen, it is the longest warranty period for accessories, which, in general across all brands, are more likely to have issues than the boards themselves. If you have any questions about Nixy’s products or need to file a warranty claim, you can contact Nixy via email, phone, chat through their website, or on social media.
Nixy Huntington G5 iSUP Review – Final Thoughts
I honestly had some trouble rounding out my thoughts on the Nixy Huntington G5. It’s a rather unique paddle board. It’s extremely lightweight, but it doesn’t pack down as small as many (slightly heavier) compact iSUPs. It’s highly maneuverable but has difficulty tracking, but it is also really efficient for its size.
I think the Huntington G5 is an all-around paddle board best suited for kids/tweens and petite paddlers, especially paddlers under 120 pounds. With a smaller paddler, the Huntington G5 minimizes some of its performance flaws due to its size but still maintains all of its benefits from its construction.
Nixy Huntington G5 iSUP Review – FAQ
Is the Nixy Huntington G5 a good paddle board for beginners?
The Huntington G5 is a good all-around paddle board for petite paddlers and kids under 120 pounds. New paddlers up to 180-200 pounds should move up in size to the Nixy Newport G5, and new paddlers over 200 pounds should use the Nixy Monterey G5.
Is the Nixy Huntington G5 compatible with a kayak seat?
Yes, the Huntington G5 is compatible with kayak seat attachments available from Nixy. The Nixy Carbon/Hybrid SUP paddle is also compatible with a second paddle blade to convert to a kayak paddle when seated.
Can I paddle with a passenger or pet on the Nixy Huntington G5?
The smaller size of the Nixy Huntington G5 does not make it an ideal choice for using with a passenger or pet. We recommend using a larger board like the Nixy Newport G5 or Nixy Monterey G5 depending on paddler and passenger size.
How long does it take to inflate the Nixy Huntington G5?
With Nixy’s Typhoon hand pump, it takes about 6 minutes to inflate the board to 15 PSI. However, we recommend an electric pump like the Nixy Ventus to save you both the energy and time required to manually inflate your board.
Is the Nixy Huntington G5 a compact iSUP?
The Huntington G5 is one of the lightest iSUPs available, however it does not fold in half like a standard compact iSUP. This means the Huntington G5 will take up the same amount of space as a typical 32” all-around iSUP when folded.
