Advice and Tips on how to rig backplate and harness (Hollis) to suit a tall person

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Zeke XA3

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Messages
301
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Location
Queensland - Australia - Most of the time
# of dives
5000 - ∞
So i just picked up this lot for a good price,

Hollis
Weight Pockets x2
Utility Pocket
Elite II Harness
Back Pad
Book Screws
S Series Wing(inc inflator hose) 25
Stainless Steel Backplate
Cam Bands x 2

It was a friends who has had to sell. I tired it a few times and want to get a wing at some point and this offer was very good. Now it was set up for her, I am very thin so it fits me that way, problem is i am about 6 foot tall.

As such when i wear it the waist band is above my belly button, probably a good 6 inches to high. Now I cant see how to easily adjust the should straps at the top. So instead i threaded the excess waist webbing back through the bottom of the plate to make the should strap longer. This meant the waist strap dropped to the right place. But in the water the shoulder straps are very loose, the rig doesnt move around but if pull the should straps nice and tight, thus undoing what i did on the surface, the waist band ends up a rib band!

Do i need to take the whole rig apart and re - do? Should i go for a singe piece of webbing setup? Are there different size backplates for taller people as it seems with the back plate a set size when you tighten the should straps the waist band will always be the length of the back plate below your shoulders if snug. Or.... and im dreading this, should a crotch strap be fitted and take all the strain of pulling the shoulder straps tight by holding the waist band (and there for the back plate itself )down?

Any help is much appreciated!
 
Did you read it? It only explains one way to set it up and then just says "adjust for optimal positioning".

It doesnt really make any sense to me, since once again as described above, it seems there is only one set distance between the waist strap and the top of the shoulder strap when tight and that is the length on the back plate?

Might spend a few hours tomorrow night taking the thing apart and playing around from scratch but wanted some ideas before i potentially get stuck!
 
I would vote for switching over to a single piece of webbing. I'm 6'6" and both my backplates have a single piece of webbing. my 02
 
I'm 6'4" and have the DSS long plate. For me the waist band is about 2-3" above my navel. It feels high but when you measure from the back of your neck I can reach the top of the plate with my hand / wrist laying on my neck. The BAUE site has info on fit. http://www.baue.org/faq/backplate_sizing_inline_images.php

The issue I have is my weight belt wants to ride just below the waist band.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I would vote for switching over to a single piece of webbing. I'm 6'6" and both my backplates have a single piece of webbing. my 02

On your setup, can you touch the top of the backplate behind your back? how loose do your shoulder straps feel when horizontal and how high is you waist band?

---------- Post added March 26th, 2014 at 12:12 AM ----------

I'm 6'4" and have the DSS long plate. For me the waist band is about 2-3" above my navel. It feels high but when you measure from the back of your neck I can reach the top of the plate with my hand / wrist laying on my neck. The BAUE site has info on fit. BAUE How To Size a Backplate

The issue I have is my weight belt wants to ride just below the waist band.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for the link, sets out a few useful hints. At the moment the waist band is waayyy higher than my weight belt would be! Currently my Wing is my play rig so i use the weight pouches on the tank bands. I only use a weight belt when working and then i use my jacket BCD since it works a lot better, big pockets to store all the legally needed extra equipment etc!
 
On your setup, can you touch the top of the backplate behind your back? how loose do your shoulder straps feel when horizontal and how high is you waist band?

---------- Post added March 26th, 2014 at 12:12 AM ----------



Thanks for the link, sets out a few useful hints. At the moment the waist band is waayyy higher than my weight belt would be! Currently my Wing is my play rig so i use the weight pouches on the tank bands. I only use a weight belt when working and then i use my jacket BCD since it works a lot better, big pockets to store all the legally needed extra equipment etc!


If you follow the BAUE setup, I can reach the top of the plate with my hand/wrist at the base of the neck. You could probably cheat and lower it a little to compromise and raise the tank when you mount it to the BP to bring the tank/valve back up a little so you don't have too much weight too low. The shoulder straps are not too loose. I can put about 2-3 fingers between my chest and the strap. I went with the DSS long plate for this very reason. It adds about 1.5 inches to the overall length. I'm more torso than leg so I needed the extra length. As long as the waist strap does not restrict your breathing you should be ok. Just adjust the crotch strap to keep everything in place.

+2 on the single piece webbing. It should give you better overall adjustment options.
 
On your setup, can you touch the top of the backplate behind your back? how loose do your shoulder straps feel when horizontal and how high is you waist band?

I never worried about touching the backplate. I set my tanks up so the top band was right at the break of the tanks, and have them positioned in the second hole on my plate (old diverite plate that was reshaped and had new holes drilled for pad and adjustability of the tanks). That setup allows me to do manipulate my valves without hitting my head on the manifold.

My straps do not feel loose at all. I set them up to be a little tight on the surface, so once my suit is compressed at the 10' mark they are really comfortable. The waist band sits about an inch or two below my navel, and has a slight curve to it bowing down to meet the crotch strap.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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