Help!!! Z- Plus vs. xDeep Stealth 2.0 again!

[Sea Rock]

I cant decided between Z- Plus and xDeep Stealth 2.0. I have looked up and read everything about them.
I like the stealth but am not confident of and am not sure if I like the idea of a bungee wrapped around my chest. That being said I like the harness of the stealth.
The Z-plus looks great but everyone keeps posting how they are switching over to the stealth.

I dont have any BCD for sidemount, help me pick one please. If there is a disadvantage the either system have please post it.
If you dont like something about either system pleasepost.
Thanks

 

[Karl_H]

The UTD harness basically is a very slightly modified Razor harness, perhaps very, very , very slightly modified is more appropriate! - if I had the choice I think the basic razor (i.e. UTD) is the slightly better harness of you are diving the same set-up (constant wet-suit or dry suit and undergarments, no need to adjust the harness), if you change set-ups or need to adjust the harness size regularly then I'd go for the Stealth. The weighting sysem on the stealth is by far the best out there right now, if you need more than 8-10lbs of weight get the Stealth harness.

For the BC I think the stealth is hard to beat, however, if you can make the low lift volume work on the UTD Z-trim it's a fantastic harness and hard to fault. The Z-plus and Alpha-Delta are not particularity nice harnesses, they don't trim well unless you are using a dry-suit and tend to bubble in the centre. I'd definitely say go with the Stealth if you need more than the 23lbs/9kg of lift you can get for a Z-trim.

In short, if you can use 23lbs of lift or less, get a UTD Z-trim and harness (but skip the Z-system manifold if I were you), if you need more get the Stealth, not Z-plus or Alpha-Delta. The Razor style harness is ahrd to fault, I still think it's slightly better than the Stealth but the Stealth is much easier to adjust and the weighting system is great.

Hope that helps,

Karl

 

[Valery]

Don't want to hijack but I'm also looking for my 1st side mount system and was looking at the razor vs xdeep.
I intend to use the same harness for both wet and dry suit. In dry suit I should be close to 8kg of lead. Can you advise?

 

[decompression]

I dive the Z trim and the alpha/delta trim with the z harness as well as back plate. I use the z trim mainly for warm and the a/d for cold or multi bottle dives. I really like how the z harness quickly adapts to any trim device ( the backplate option is great for weighting in cold water). The z harness has lots of options for weight distribution. I've never experienced a "bubble", especially the a/d as it has grommets in the Center so it can be rigged back mount as well. Checkout the videos on the z harness on the UTD website and you can really see the details and get a good comparison to the x deep. Safe diving!

 

[rongoodman]

Don't want to hijack but I'm also looking for my 1st side mount system and was looking at the razor vs xdeep.
I intend to use the same harness for both wet and dry suit. In dry suit I should be close to 8kg of lead. Can you advise?

The Stealth 2 for sure. As mentioned above, it's much easier to adjust and has a superior weight system. I prefer the Stealth wing to the Razor 2 also, although if you're training with an agency that requires redundant flotation when using a wet suit, you do get that automatically with the Razor wing.

 

[scuba127]

Couldn't you get redundant flotation with a stealth by adding a 2d wing since the wings are not attached to the harness?

 

[Karl_H]

Don't want to hijack but I'm also looking for my 1st side mount system and was looking at the razor vs xdeep.
I intend to use the same harness for both wet and dry suit. In dry suit I should be close to 8kg of lead. Can you advise?

Go for the X-deep if this is the case, the Z-plus and Alpha/Delta can work with a dry suit (the trim sucks in a wet suit) but the Stealth would be a better choice all round I think - the dry suit gives you adequate back-up bouyancy for emergencies in most cases so no need for a second bladder in this case.

The backplate can be used for weighting but also gives you a lot of the draw-backs of back mount diving so takes away many of the advantages of sidemount diving IMO, the X-Deep weighting system is really nice and gives a bit more flexibility than a backplate.

I'd still say the Razor style harness (either Razor or UTD and they are basically the same) is slightly better than the X-Deep in terms of flexibility, if it's possible to get a Razor style harness (no BC) with an X-Deep bladder and weighting system I think this would be the ideal (although not necessarily the most practical to source!) choice.

Couldn't you get redundant flotation with a stealth by adding a 2d wing since the wings are not attached to the harness?

Yes - but that's true with all harnesses, the Razor 2 would work with just the a single harness, it's generally easier to use a simple modified MSR pack for redundancy as this has a much lower profile.

The main agency linked with redundant buoyancy is DSAT, interestingly they require two independent sources of buoyancy connected to a low pressure inflator - technically the oral inflation on the Razor or MSR pack wouldn't meet this - something worth clarifying! I just noticed that :-/

 

[Valery]

Thanks guys very helpful subject.

 

[Sea Rock]

The if you change set-ups or need to adjust the harness size regularly then I'd go for the Stealth. The weighting sysem on the stealth is by far the best out there right now, if you need more than 8-10lbs of weight get the Stealth harness.


In short, if you can use 23lbs of lift or less, get a UTD Z-trim and harness (but skip the Z-system manifold if I were you), if you need more get the Stealth, not Z-plus or Alpha-Delta. The Razor style harness is ahrd to fault, I still think it's slightly better than the Stealth but the Stealth is much easier to adjust and the weighting system is great.

Hope that helps,

Karl

But UTD Z Trim has 50lbs lift! Z-Trim+ Device

 

[Sea Rock]

Z-Trim+ Device

The Z-Trim has 50lbs lift

Does that change things?

Karl_H, whats wrong with the but Z-system manifold?