Backplate and wing..

[DivingUAE]

Am about to invest in a pbw.. Tested a Halcyon and am now convinced this is the way to go.
The rig I tested was a Halcyon backplate with harness (no "upholstery"). Was diving in a 5mm wetsuit. As it was no problem with rubbing bolts in my back or any discomfort, I see no reason to go for a full harness w padding type of BPW style as the Halcyon Infinity/Apex WTX etc... Like the simplicity of the backplate and harness set up.

Question:
-If I buy a Apex backplate, will a Halcyon wing fit to it?

-Will the Halcyon Cinch system be possible to install on a Apex backplate?

 

[NAM001]

Back plates vary from one maker to another but still comform to many standards. One of those are the bolthole pattern for the wing and doubles to mount to. they have 11" centers. many have a series of holes say one inch apart on say the top and a slot on hte bottom to accomodate imperfections in manufacturing and material srinkage over time. So the 99.9% answer is YES.... final answer.

 

[TSandM]

If you are using a single tank wing and need to thread the cambands through the plate, you may have problems if the slots in the wing don't line up with the ones in the plate. If you are using an STA (single tank adapter) it solves that problem.

The Cinch adapter will not work on other plates, because those plates don't have the right holes drilled for the bolts, and they don't have the same bend at the bottom corners.

 

[divad]

The Cinch adapter will not work on other plates, because those plates don't have the right holes drilled for the bolts, and they don't have the same bend at the bottom corners.

A drill and a vise may solve that problem.

 

[PfcAJ]

Apex plate warning:

The slots on the bottom of the plate are cut kinda large, and triglides (the thingies that keep your webbing in place) have a tendency to pop out of them.

Good call on no padding. Not needed. The cinch isn't really needed, either, once you get your harness set up right. A lot of folks tend to make it too tight.

 

[Bopper]

Apex plate warning:

The slots on the bottom of the plate are cut kinda large, and triglides (the thingies that keep your webbing in place) have a tendency to pop out of them.

And an Apeks WTX Harness warning: You don't thread the tank bands through the backplate, but rather through the back pad of the harness. This actually makes many wings obsolete as it forces you to thread "out" then come back "in" to catch the wing slots. Kind of hard to explain, but the bottom line is that tank bands aren't long enough because of this added length that is required. Also, the backplate just slides into a pocket in the back part of the harness. Nothing is ever threaded to it. Its just loose inside the pocket with a velcro flap at the bottom that holds it in (unless you put sex bolts through it).

I just bought a WTX harness and am realizing I should have just stuck w. a plain backplate.

 

[SanDiegoSidemount]

Forget all the bells and whistles. Bare backplate, continuous webbing harness. Forget the upholstery, forget all the "deluxe" multi-piece harness setups. Once you decide this, the brand of plate & harness you choose hardly matters, they are all very similar. All you need to decide is stainless or aluminum. With a 5mm wetsuit, you could go either way.

If you're diving singles, as TSandM says, get a Single Tank Adapter, you'll be happy you did. It makes wing and harness slot positions irrelevant. All you need to worry about are the bolt holes in the plate, which are standardized.

Wing shopping can be a little more complicated, but only buy as much lift as you need. Else you risk a floppy, draggy and/or "taco" prone wing. The smaller/tighter the wing's profile, the better. Dive Rite's newer single tank wing designs are very "tight" like this, but I'm sure others are as well.

---------- Post added December 14th, 2013 at 08:19 PM ----------

I'm not familiar with the Halycon Cinch system, so I looked it up.

My thought is that once you get your backplate harness properly adjusted, you have little need for any kind of "quick adjust" any more, unless you are drastically changing your exposure protection. I feel that so-called "features" like this just over-complicate what should just be a continuous webbing harness. Extra buckles and cinches just mean extra crap to get snagged and caught up, either in the water, or when donning & doffing.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

Skip the Apeks plate entirely, and get the Halcyon plate instead--used is fine, not like you'll ever need warranty coverage on a 6lb chunk of SS. If all you're diving is single tank, get a DSS plate with the glide adaptor...no triglides needed, well made plate, and the glide adaptor makes the cinch system look like the kludgey piece of it is.

Also, regardless of what wing you buy, get a DSS OPV for it.

 

[ams511]

The Halcyon Eclipse wing does not have cam band slots cut into it so it requires a single tank adaptor. If using a STA then any plate using 11" bolt holes will work. So an Apeks plate will work with Halcyon wing.

---------- Post added December 14th, 2013 at 08:49 PM ----------

The Cinch adapter will not work on other plates, because those plates don't have the right holes drilled for the bolts, and they don't have the same bend at the bottom corners.

I have heard reports that Scubapro and Salvo plates will work with the Cinch.

 

[gcarter]

Skip the Apeks plate entirely, and get the Halcyon plate instead--used is fine, not like you'll ever need warranty coverage on a 6lb chunk of SS. If all you're diving is single tank, get a DSS plate with the glide adaptor...no triglides needed, well made plate, and the glide adaptor makes the cinch system look like the kludgey piece of it is.

Also, regardless of what wing you buy, get a DSS OPV for it.

Why? Can you explain?

Thanks.