Any One Have Experience with XDEEP ZEN WING

[Max02]

Im looking for a new BPW system and was wondering what divers here think of this specific BPW
I know the Xdeep Ghost seems to get high marks.. and was wondering how the ZEN rates..
Pros and cons . I will be using steel low pressue Tanks and dry suit since im Located in New Jersey

Thanks all

 

[happy-diver]

Mate
it's got ten pounds more lift than you need, the wing sits up so high you could almost tie a knot in it
and they have removed so much metal from the plate that the manufacturer should give cash back

a guy I dive with, doesn't understand trim or wings or plates just bought one, one thousand dollars

for the pretty shapes cut out of the plate, for travel he says when it's the biggest plate on the market ish

so if you like it buy it

 

[Zef]

The benefit of a non-cut out stainless steel backplate is that it offers the advantage of moving weight off your hips/weight belt and onto your back where it is dispersed closer to your center of mass. You get the advantage of not having so much weight on your hips as well as having the weight situated where it supports better trim.

Unless you have plans to travel (by air) with your eventual setup, some might consider it impracticable to purchase an extremely lightweight cutout back plate like the X-Deep ghost.

The problem I have with their design is as follows:
1. From their website it does not seem as if one can just a order a plate or wing...the zen and the ghost seem to only come as a package.

2. They are careful on their website to not show a picture of the product from the rear....I think this is because, as far as I can tell, they do not have cutouts in the wing or the plate for cam straps and require a single tank adapter....that is a bit counter intuitive to offer a super lightweight back plate and wing package that you must use with the addition of an STA that adds weight.

3. I went the BP/W route because I wanted durability, modularity, and replaceability. The Zen and the Ghost designs do not seem to lend themselves to the things I look for in a BP/W setup.

That being said, if the X-deep design appeals to you then go for it. I know of a shop close by here in Belgium that sells their stuff but I have no first hand experience with it. Their catalog seems nice...they at least have a good size print advertisement budget.

Oh, one other thing...they are a European company. That is not bad in and of itself but it may complicate things if you have a warranty claim. I believe the company is headquartered in Poland and Germany. There are companies based in the US that make great products that have a stellar reputation for customer service. I implore you to check out the Dive Rite stainless steel XT lite back plate for light weight cutout stainless steel option. The plate is drilled 11" on center and has cutouts to thread cam straps. Stainless Steel XT Lite Backplate | Dive Rite

Just some thoughts.

-Z

 

[taimen]

I have the Zen, and I like diving it.

1. From their website it does not seem as if one can just a order a plate or wing...the zen and the ghost seem to only come as a package.

The Zen is part of NX modular system, so you can get aluminium or stainless steel backplates separately, as well as Zen single tank wing (with a STA) and the Project doubles wing. Wings and backplates are also interchageable with others with regular bolt spacing.

3. I went the BP/W route because I wanted durability, modularity, and replaceability. The Zen and the Ghost designs do not seem to lend themselves to the things I look for in a BP/W setup.

The Ghost is an ultra light weight system with it's unique parts without modularity.
The Zen is different. The backplate is part of the NX modular system with SS and alu backplates, Zen single wing and Project Double wing. Thus when you choose the Zen (instead of Ghost) you get modularity and replaceability.

Holes and spacing in xDeep NX backplates and wings are standard, so it is possible to mix them with a Halcyon wing and/or backplate (or any other with same bolt spacing. There are several sets of holes in the backplate so it is possible to adjust how high the wing sits (related to backplate). When correctly set aligned with the cylinder gas centre of gravity the wing usually sits quite low in my opinion.

The benefit of a non-cut out stainless steel backplate is that it offers the advantage of moving weight off your hips/weight belt and onto your back where it is dispersed closer to your center of mass.

I agree that a cut out stainless steel backplate is somewhat an oxymoron. But the NX backplate (which comes with Zen and Project wings) is also wider and longer that standard backplates, so it's weight even with it's cutouts it pretty much the same than a standard SS backplate.
The Zen is comfortable and feels remarkably stable due to it's wider than normal backplate and also wing design.

The Zen is not bad at all, but for a lightweight travel rig I think the Ghost is the better option. The NX Project (shares the same backplate and harness with Zen, but doubles wing) has gained some enthusiastic followers. Review: XDeep NX Project Wing

 

[ams511]

I agree that a cut out stainless steel backplate is somewhat an oxymoron.

The reason for a stainless cut-out or "dog bone" plate is to give stainless steal durability to a plate that weighs no more than an aluminum plate. Some people have had trouble with al plates using heavy doubles. It is also more compact for travel.

 

[runsongas]

just get the new revision of the dgx single tank bpw with a steel plate.

xdeep got too cute with their bpw designs. shoulda stuck to what they do best, which is sidemount.

 

[taimen]

The reason for a stainless cut-out or "dog bone" plate is to give stainless steal durability to a plate that weighs no more than an aluminum plate. Some people have had trouble with al plates using heavy doubles. It is also more compact for travel.

I don't think so (in xDeep's case).

xDeep stainless steel NX backplate (despite cut-outs) is 3,1 kg. For the reference, Halcyon Standard SS backplate is 2,7 kg.
xDeep also has an aluminium BP, about 1 kg.

They somewhere claimed that the reason for the cut outs in their stainless steel backplate is weight distribution, but that is probably BS as they have the exact same design in their Al version too. Cut outs are just for looks.

The stainless steel backplate is a good one. It is more stable and comfortable than a standard bp (I have the Halcyon and a generic one too). It has MORE weight than your typical standard SS backplate and the centre of gravity is located (maybe partly due to cut outs) correctly in the mid-lower back area.

and was wondering how the ZEN rates..
Pros and cons . I will be using steel low pressue Tanks and dry suit since im Located in New Jersey

Pros:
- The backplate is good and comfortable, it is wider, more stable and heavier than a standard SS backplate. All pros for a single steel tank drysuit rig.
- The Zen wing design is streamlined for the lift it provides. 19 kg/ 40 lbs lift is the same as H Eclipse. That is typically considered adequate for steel tank diving.
- Harness routing and especially the crotch strap are slightly different from standard. It works. I like the crotch strap. This may be a pro or con. If you have a lot of DIR crowd around you they may freak out, usually before trying the rig.
- Overall quality is high
- Zen is part of a modular system and if you switch to doubles, just get a Project wing (or any other doubles wing, the bolt hole spacing is standard)

Cons:
-Argon bottle rigging looks awkward because the backplate is so wide. Underwater it is just fine.
-Harness may be a con or a pro, probably more for others than yourself.
-I am not fully convinced of xDeeps aftersales service. Haven't had any issues, but they are not one of the companies praised for exceptional customer service.
- for GUE training it is probably easier to buy/borrow Halcyon

The Zen is my go to rig for single tank diving, but honestly differences are really small and you will be fine with any bp/w rig you buy.

 

[divezonescuba]

If it hasn't already been said, the Ghost and Zen are actually sold with single tank adapters installed. You can take it off if you wanted for some reason to reduce the weight. But in the case of the ghost, I think the savings would be minimal.

I was quite surprised by the weight of the Zen backplate. This is even with the large number of cut outs. The plate is quite thick.

For any travel by air, the Ghost is the way to go. However, the Ghost does not have a bladder and cover. It is a single unit. We have not had any difficulties with this, but is something to be aware of. In contrast, if something happened with the Zen wing, it is more easily repaired or replaced.

 

[allpointswest]

I have been diving an Xdeep NX Project in stainless steel, its weight is 8 lbs (same backplate as the Zen). I am coming from an oxycheck ss 6 lb backplate. I have a hand full of dives on it so far and from what I been able to see is that it is much more balanced with my twin faber 117's than the traditional backplate. The backplate sits a bit higher up on the back but at the same time lowered my doubles a bit. The lowest mounting hole on the backplate is right at the bottom of the plate vs 3 inchs up. Also with the design of the backplate there is more weight low down closer to your waist. With this setup I have been able to trim out easier and am now only using 4 lbs of led.

The crotch strap feels more like a sit harness when on the surface or in a head down position. I never had thought much of the single strap on my old system but switching back and forth between the two backplates (tech diving and then single tank teaching) I can feel the difference and it is much nicer to use. It also gives better access to the but d-rings. I haven't needed to use them yet so I cant speak to how gear sits on them. Getting in and out of the harness is much easier as well. I was a bit concerned that with the extra length of the straps that it was going to feel loose but I can't say I have noticed any different in the water.

The quality of the wings are great. I am really liking the centered low pressure infiltrator it is easy to dump gas out of the wing and is low profile. Floating in the water is also really nice. I have noticed that it does hold me up out of the water a bit more than my old wing. That said when laying back to put fins on the wing has less lift near the head and I do notice that my face is closer to the water in this position. When surface swimming on my back it is just fine and I don't feel like I am to low in the water. I am going to assume that the Zen and Ghost wing is going to feel similar as its of the same design just smaller and narrower for single tank diving.

I can't speak to the weight pockets as I use a weight harness when using a single tank setup.

So far I am very happy with my NX Project. Enough so that when my single tank setup needs to be replaced I will be looking at getting the Zen in stainless steel. As for customer service. I haven't needed to contact Xdeep directly but in the area a lot of sidemount divers are using Xdeep gear and it has been very well made and supported. I feel the gear is well designed and will stand the abuse of cold water tech diving.