Nixy Monterey G5 Expedition iSUP Review – Larger, Lighter, and More Comfortable | 2024

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Nixy Monterey G5 Expedition iSUP Review – Overview

Nixy’s fifth generation iSUPs are an industry-leading example of how a company should listen to users and update their products accordingly, not just as a way to generate a new model year with no real improvements.

The Monterey G5 Expedition is a great example of an updated iSUP that is more user friendly and focuses on the core needs of paddlers rather than trying to jam as many bells and whistles as possible onto a board just because.

By using an ultralight construction and some slight shape changes, the Monterey G5 is now lightweight, more stable, and more comfortable for paddlers of all sizes and skill levels.

— Nixy Monterey G5 iSUP Review Ratings and Summary —

Nixy Monterey G5 iSUP Review – Construction and Durability

The Monterey G5 uses Nixy’s ultralight fusion construction with welded rails to make the board lightweight, rigid, and durable, and does away with the older double-chamber design of the G4.

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Right away, the first thing I noticed about the Monterey G5 is the lack of the second air chamber that dominated the middle of the Monterey G4. I personally consider this to be an overall improvement in design for a few reasons.

First, it simplifies the construction process of the Monterey and eliminates additional seams and potential areas for manufacturing issues or material degradation.

Second, additional air chambers must be “taped” to the board with an extra layer of PVC material. On the G4, this additional strip of PVC material ran directly under where an average-size paddler would place their feet and created an uncomfortable bump under your feet. No second air chamber, no extra PVC to force your stance extra wide or extra narrow.

Lastly, multiple air chambers are a bit of an odd duck to begin with. Any instance where you’d worry about puncturing one, would likely puncture the second.

So this removal of the second air chamber is actually a big improvement in my book. It lightens the board, simplifies the construction, and removes an uncomfortable bump from the deck of the board.

Back to the main (only) chamber!

Inside the Monterey G5 is a woven drop stitch core. This is made with two layers of woven polyester fabric connected together with thousands of 6” long drop-stitched yarns to keep the board flat and rigid while inflated. The woven fabric also helps reduce weight and increase rigidity when compared to a more-basic knitted core material.

The dual-layer fusion PVC shell of the board is applied to the core material in two steps. The first is a layer of PVC applied directly to the woven fabric to stiffen it and make the material airtight. The second step is using heat and pressure to laminate and fuse a layer of reinforced PVC fabric. Fusion lamination mechanically bonds the layers together rather than using an adhesive between the layers. This makes the material lighter and more rigid.

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Once the top and bottom layers of the board are cut and aligned, a band of reinforced PVC material is heat-welded around the edge seam. This completes the airtight chamber with another mechanical bond that essentially turns the Monterey G5 into a single, continuous, piece of material. Welded rails are far more durable and resistant to heat than glued rails, reduces manufacturing errors and pinhole leaks at the seams, and we are thrilled that more and more brands are using this technology.

Lastly, an additional layer of reinforced PVC is wrapped around the edge of the board to help protect the inner seam and give the Monterey G5 an extra bit of rigidity. Once the deck pad and all of the fittings are in place, the Monterey G5 weighs in at just 21.2 pounds.

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We put every board we review through a standardized bend test to help gauge the board’s rigidity. With the Monterey G5 inflated to its full 15 PSI, it only bent 1.58” (4 cm) with 170 pounds of weight. That is slightly stiffer than our total running average of 1.62”, and slightly stiffer than the Nixy Newport G5 (1.7”).

Another change from the Monterey G4 is the exclusion of the carbon fiber fabric rail layer. Carbon fiber fabric rails do provide a small increase in rigidity, but are mostly there for additional protection against abrasion. With the addition of the welded seams, the Monterey G5 doesn’t need as much protection, and the small loss in measured rigidity isn’t felt on the water.

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While standing and paddling normally on the Monterey G5 I did not notice any real flex or bend in the board or at my feet. I could feel some slight bend in the board while sprinting for our speed test, but not to a degree that I felt it hampered the board. Jumping on the Monterey G5 does produce a moderately high amount of flex, but once you stop it has a comfortable and smooth rebound.

Nixy’s ultralight materials are time-tested by the G4 series, and the new welded rails are known for their longevity and durability. With better-than-average rigidity and a great feel on the water, I’m very pleased with the Monterey G5’s construction.

Specifications

Nixy Monterey G5 iSUP Review – Features, Accessories and Versatility

The Monterey G5 is labeled as an “expedition” iSUP, but shares much more in common with many similar-size all-around paddle boards. But, the larger size and plethora of tie-down and attachment points do make the Monterey G5 a good option for overnight paddling.

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With the Monterey G5’s feature set it’s hard to think of how it can’t be used. The wide outline provides great stability for new paddlers, larger paddlers, yoga, fishing, and paddling with a smaller passenger. The numerous D-rings and accessory attachment points make it easy to load up with cargo, fishing rods, cameras, and more.

The Monterey G5 is sold as a “board-only” kit at its base price, and only includes Nixy’s 9” all-around style fin. However, you can use the kit-builder tool on the Monterey’s product page to fully outfit your kit with whichever accessories you’d like. This gives you the opportunity to upgrade to items like the Nixy Ventus e-pump or the Nixy Pro paddles without having to first pay for the basic items that come in a full kit.

Nixy Monterey G5 iSUP Review – Paddle

The Nixy Monterey G5 does not automatically come with a paddle. However, the kit-builder feature on Nixy’s website allows you to choose which paddle you’d like and add it to the Monterey G5 at a discounted price.

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 Monterey 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.

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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. There’s even a slim-shaft option in the Pro 3k build for petite paddlers.

Nixy Monterey G5 iSUP Review – Stability

The Monterey G5 is a large paddle board that provides excellent stability for paddlers of all skill levels and sizes.

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At 11’6” x 34” the Monterey G5 is a large paddle board. This is typically the top of the size range for all-around iSUPs, and in conjunction with its construction and rigidity, gives the Monterey G5 a comfortably stable feel on the water.

Right away I felt settled on the Monterey G5. I didn’t feel any rolling, twitching, flex, or bounce while standing and paddling normally. I could easily and comfortably change position, walk around, and use the full-length of the board.

While the more rounded, torpedo-like, shape doesn’t quite maximize the Monterey’s stability like a more rectangular shape would, the curves and tapers of the board are gradual. This gradual change in width gives you a consistent feeling as you change position on the board, and it doesn’t have any sudden drops or changes in stability.

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Whereas the smaller Newport G5 (10’6 x 32”) had some light twitching feeling when balancing on its edge or rocking the board, the Monterey G5 feels consistent and solid under foot.

I can easily walk to the back of the Monterey, and thanks to the wider tail shape, comfortably lift the nose out of the water and spin the board around for a quick pivot turn.

If you are a newer paddler, a larger paddler, SUP angler, SUP yogi, or anyone who wants extra stability in their paddle board – but doesn’t want to feel like they are paddling a barge – the Nixy Monterey G5 is a great option.

Nixy Monterey G5 iSUP Review – Speed

The Monterey G5 is surprisingly quick for such a large paddle board, but is most comfortable and efficient to paddle at a moderate pace.

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Paddle board speed is controlled by a large number of factors. Longer boards will have higher speed “limits”, but wider boards will be more difficult to accelerate and maintain those speeds.

The Monterey G5’s large size likewise works both ways. In a sustained sprint I averaged about 5.3 MPH on the Monterey G5, but was able to reach a maximum speed of 5.8 MPH for a short distance. This is quicker than I expected to see with the Monterey G5. I will say that maintaining either of these speeds was quite difficult and I did feel a moderate amount of flex in the board while paddling so hard.

But expeditions aren’t sprints, and the Monterey G5 Expedition iSUP performs very well at a casual cruising pace.

At 25 strokes per minute – a pace most paddlers can sustain for very long periods of time – the Monterey G5 moved along at an impressive 3.7 MPH average speed. That’s excellent for a 34” wide board, and is even keeping up with the middle of the pack for 32” wide iSUPs.

Equally as impressive is the Monterey’s gliding efficiency. While paddling the Monterey G5 I felt the board move smoothly along the top of the water, rather than pushing through the water. It was easy to paddle the Monterey at that impressive cruising speed. Once moving along, a single paddle stroke kept the Monterey G5 gliding for almost 21 feet before I noticed it slowing down. That gives the Monterey G5 a gliding ratio of 1.8 board lengths per stroke. Again, that’s top of the line performance for larger all-around boards, and standard 32” boards alike.

While the Monterey G5 isn’t the easiest iSUP to reach high speeds, it does have some get-up-and-go. But where it really shines is in its name – “Expedition” cruising speeds and efficiency.

Nixy Monterey G5 iSUP Review – Maneuverability and Tracking

The Monterey G5 is easy to both turn and track straight thanks to its simplified fin system and length.

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Simply put, I was impressed by the Monterey G5’s performance in our maneuverability stress test. Generally, longer paddle boards are more difficult to turn with basic strokes. The longer board has more resistance through the water. But the Monterey G5 breezed through our testing.

From a standstill it only took me an average of 5.25 forward sweep strokes (paddling in an arc from nose to tail) to turn the Monterey G5 a full 360°.

That is faster than average for all-around paddle boards (around 6 strokes), and much faster than touring and other “expedition” style boards we’ve tested.

Similarly, a reverse sweep stroke spins the Monterey G5 even faster with an average of just 3.75 strokes to make a full circle.

When you add in more advanced turning techniques like cross-bow-draw strokes and pivot turns, the Monterey G5 is extremely nimble on the water – and not just for its size.

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While longer iSUPs tend to be harder to turn, wider paddle boards tend to be harder to track straight. The wider the board, the farther away from the midline of the board your paddle has to be. This creates more of a turning force with each stroke.

The Monterey G5’s wider profile and rounded shape does tend to encourage a little more turning force with each stroke, but overall it handles straight-line tracking quite well.

In our 10-stroke tracking test, the Monterey G5 was only off course by an average of about 14° after the 10th stroke. That’s good for a larger all-around iSUP, though it’s short of the performance we’d normally see in a more dedicated expedition-style touring SUP.

With basic steering strokes I didn’t have any issues keeping the Monterey G5 on course while paddling normally.

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I would prefer to see the Monterey G5 bundled with a more traditional touring-style fin rather than the all-around or “surf” style fin that comes with it. For a larger board, the larger surface area fins do help with tracking without drastically reducing their maneuverability performance.

The included fin from Nixy has a great feature with a captive thumb screw in the front. This keeps the fin bolt from accidentally falling out of the fin during transportation and storage, and it screws directly into the embedded nut in the front of the Universal Standard (US) fin box.

Though I’d like to see a little better tracking performance for an expedition-designed iSUP, the Monterey G5 does very well with both tracking and maneuverability for a larger all-around paddle board.

Nixy Monterey 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. This is an improvement over the warranty period for the G4 iSUPs, and the accessory warranty is one of the best in the industry. With the new welded seams I doubt Nixy will see many warranty requests at all! 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 Monterey G5 iSUP Review – Final Thoughts

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The Monterey G5 has been a blast to paddle. The wide platform is excellently stable but doesn’t prevent the board from performing well on the water.

It’s a great option for newer paddlers, especially beginners over 200 pounds, who want a stable paddle board to learn with. If you plan to load up your paddle board for an overnight trip, with lots of fishing equipment, or bring along a child or pet, the Monterey G5 can comfortably handle all of it.

While the Monterey G5 doesn’t come with a standard kit, I consider this to be a bonus. It allows you to select the exact accessories you want (or don’t want) rather than being forced to purchase everything and then upgrade later.

I highly recommend both the Nixy Ventus e-pump and the Nixy Pro carbon fiber paddles. Even if you are new to SUP, having a high-quality paddle can make a huge difference in your experience on the water.

Nixy Monterey G5 iSUP Review – FAQ