Are Backplates beneficial for your back?

[Sideways]

It may seem like a stupid question... and maybe it is. I have a friend who's about ready to give up diving because of the strain on his back when he dives sometimes. Will a backplate help him?? Thanks for any input.

Greg

 

[Crush]

Your friend can try getting a buddy to haul the gear into the water and don it there.

As for hauling gear yourself, the way to protect your back is to carry the weight on your hips, not your shoulders. I could be wrong, but I do not believe that this can be achieved with a backplate as the plates are typically worn high enough up your back that the belt rides well up your kidneys, and will not sit on your hips to offer help. Ironically (and I will be flamed for this) some vest-style BCs can be worn in a manner so as to allow you to carry the weight on your hips.

 

[*dave*]

It would probably help his posture if he adjusted it properly and wore it on land, without anything else attached. Good posture is the key to good back health.

The only way to really help the back is to reduce the load on it and a plate won't help you there. I know this because my back goes sideways from time to time and I am not feeling better after diving a plate.... which is not to say I'd feel any better diving a jacket. He may be able to adapt his technique to better accommodate his issue and gearing up in the water is certainly going to help. It might just be me, but it seems there's no ideal way to carry a rig without stressing the back in ways we typically avoid, so maybe a cart or Dive Sherpa?

More than you asked for, but there it is.

 

[tbone1004]

Transpac... Was designed for this application. Well hauling scuba gear through the jungle, but it was designed to carry like a backpacking pack and if adjusted properly will take almost all of the weight off of your shoulders onto your hips.
Flame all you want, but I'd rather have clips and padding for carrying gear on land then blow my back out with a hog harness...

 

[dmoore19]

Of course a BPW will help. It also makes you jump higher, run faster, dive deeper and come up dryer. It will do everything for you.

 

[*dave*]

Flame all you want, but I'd rather have clips and padding for carrying gear on land then blow my back out with a hog harness...

No flames, but....

In most cases, the issue can be identified as being more related to fitness or technique, than gear. Configuring a rig to favor land use typically works against its functionality in its intended environment.

 

[tbone1004]

tell that to my numb arms and the nice red gouge in my lower back from a steel plate with 1 piece harness after about 5 minutes running around on land... it isn't happy. Haven't had an issue with my transpac under water in a boat load of dives, so no complaints from me. figured I'd throw it out there as what he was mentioning was a large part of why it was designed

 

[CuNanoTube]

He should consider getting a military style lift pack to transport gear. If you are in a secluded area / have someone on the surface you can carry a ton to the water. I have loaded 150kg onto a lift pack and was comfortable.

 

[Tanja C]

Is his back sore from carrying the gear on land, or does he come back from a dive with a sore back? When I first started diving I used to come back from every dive with a sore back - and I had no previous bacl problems. But once I sorted out my trim and boyancy and had all my weight positioned correctly - no more sore back.

I have since now moved to a back plate and single piece of webbing and find that this can be adjusted so perfectly that even carrying twins on land (I am a bit of a lightweight) is not a problem at all.

Happy diving

 

[TSandM]

When is he getting his back pain?

We had two students in the OW class we just finished complain of back pain. It made me remember that, when I was new, I had backaches, too -- and they were from the underwater part of diving. I can't remember what I did differently or what equipment I changed that helped with it, but I haven't had a backache from diving in a long time. Sometimes wonder if it was getting my weighting better distributed, and making a horizontal posture easier, that did it.

Moving equipment is another story. Dive gear is heavy, and picking it up from the ground is a great way to cause back problems. If this is your friend's problem, a backplate will not help at all.