XDEEP zen deluxe or standard

[Pepa]

Hi guys!
I'm new in the BP/W world. I was reading, and it seems that XDEEP ZEN offers a good price/quality relation. But I'm not sure if it's better to get a deluxe version or a standard one. I'm going to dive with a drysuit, so maybe the quick release buckles are useful... I know that the standard version is more DIR but I'm not going to dive in caves, at least now.

What do you think?

Cheers,

 

[alien8]

I have the Xen Deluxe and don't regret it. The quick release shoulders have come in very handy even without a drysuit. I could care less about the padding - some take it off for easier access to the backplate. YMMV but it's a fun BP/W setup.

 

[yn37605]

I also have the ZEN Deluxe and don't regret it.

 

[quietlife4me]

I purchased the Zen Deluxe and regretted it. hahaha. The buckles get in the way of streamlining my lights. So I switched to standard. Have had no issues getting in/out, even in drysuit, without the buckles. So to each their own. It’s easy enough to switch by buying a role of harness material if you don’t Iike the buckles.

 

[FreqFlier]

Standard if you are young, nimble and dive in a thin wetsuit or skin. Deluxe (what I have and love) if you're not that.

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

No issues with the standard (DIR, single piece, no padding) harness in a drysuit with thick undergarments. The shoulder straps can be quite loose.

The only time it does become a bit tricky is diving from a RHIB.

 

[gordonscuba]

The combination of Drysuit plus single piece webbing is essentially the standard tech diver configuration so you literally have thousands of the most advanced divers all over the world doing that every day

 

[LFMarm]

My vote is for the non-deluxe version. Unless you are diving without any exposure protection (I have never seen anybody diving without at least a rashguard), you will not feel the difference in comfort with or without padding even when using it with 12+12 steel doubles. If properly fitted, there is no need for quick release shoulders to get in and out.

 

[happy-diver]

Well considering the benefit of a plate is to put weigh on your back and share the load, with these things

you're paying for the cheesegrater holes, buying pockets, and repairing your suit when it rubs through

and no one is looking at it

 

[noserider]

Well considering the benefit of a plate is to put weigh on your back and share the load, with these things


View attachment 901585

you're paying for the cheesegrater holes, buying pockets, and repairing your suit when it rubs through

View attachment 901586

and no one is looking at it

If you look at the Zeos aluminium back plate and the zen cheese grater there is only about 0.2 kg difference in the weight which is barely noticeable and yet a significant increase in cost

The 19kg wing for the Zen is also probably more than you need for tropical diving, the zen 13kg would be more than enough