Is the GPZ really too heavy? imo not if the harness is used correctly

The first day I used the GPZ I did think it too heavy but realised that I did not have the harness set up correctly. Next day I managed to correct this and found detecting much easier. I really like the side stick as it shares the workload between both hands/arms.

If you set the bungee to the correct length the unit is really well balanced and in my opinion far easier to use than the GPX5000.

Make sure that the plastic rods are fully inserted into the front of the jacket. The stitching is a bit tight (or was on mine) and at first the rods were not pushed right to the top of the jacket. With a bit of pressure this was fixed and it made a lot of difference.

I read a lot of negative stuff on here, but the few issues I had on the first day were all fixed by re-reading the manual and experimenting with the settings... couldn't be happier now.

I am now convinced that this is a great machine, just my opinion, but I will quietly get on with mastering this new detector, and so far the results are in, for me at least.

Yes i would agree with you on been heavy if its not supported by the harness.
I initially was not going to put on that side rod but seen it been used by araratgold on U tube.
The harness does require correct adjustment, when set up correctly the unit seems light.