Back Plate/ Wing question.

[Shabaday]

This brings up a question that I've had for awhile. I've seen mention of too stiff, too soft and Goldilocks webbing. I have been known to cuss at the webbing that came with my unit because it is SOOO stiff. But what is a good texture (wrong word, I know, but best I could come up with on the fly) for working with when assembling a back plate? Does too soft mean that it's hard to thread through the slots?

Slight hijack, but OP may find it useful if they decide to put together their own.

Thanks
Erik

I have both....stiff webbing and soft webbing. There are trade offs...yes the stiff webbing is easier to push through the slots but the D rings and such it's harder for them to secure them without a gap. The soft ones I usually have to use something to "pull" them through vs "push" them through. They wrap around accessories very nicely and are more comfortable when wearing a 3mm or skin. The stiff webbing is fine with 5mm and thicker and is easier to don without the flimsiness...so travel BC has soft webbing and my cold water BP/W has stiffer webbing

 

[Marie13]

The Halcyon webbing can be a bit floppy, in my experience, when trying to get into the harness. I’ve read the same from others here in the past. Definitely easier to work with than the stiff webbing on my Dive Rite harnesses.

 

[MidOH]

The stiff webbing makes donning and doffing in the water super easy.

But its annoying when you move a d ring, and theres a folded lump left behind in the webbing.

Its your call. But some stiff webbing wont fit in a sleeve, and still make it through the plate. Crotch belts are nearly always the more flexible webbing. Plate is stiffer.

 

[inquis]

I think I need a Stainless Steel back-plate, vs a so called light travel plate

If you're packing for 1, you're probably fine with the steel plate. I sometimes have 2 sets of gear in one checked bag, and steel plates would easily cause excess baggage fees.

That said, it's easy and pretty cheap to switch plates if you decide later the other type would work better.

 

[lexvil]

I usually use the medium from piranha, with my H set ups I like the stiff for the waist belt part to help support weight.

 

[inquis]

I prefer the stiffer webbing so D-rings are more likely to stay put. The "toothed" tri-glides may be useful if you use the more pliable webbing and find things shifting. Flashlights not an issue, but a pony bottle perhaps.

 

[Litefoot]

Again, hoping to add to the discussion and not derail it. Do any of you own both SS and AL backplates? Do you keep both harnessed up and swap the wing back and forth or do you have two separate complete systems or do you completely re-assemble the harness between to the plates?

 

[BoltSnap]

If cost is no consideration look at the scubapro S tek, nice soft webbing, comes assembled.

stainless makes weighting easier but you are carrying the weight when you travel rather than add it from the dive op stockpile.

there are many lower cost alternatives too but the SP set up is pretty well thought out.

This ^^^^^^^ advice is best overall with many options from Scubapro to customize the kit.

If you are doing mostly travel diving, the Al kit maybe better for you to reduce travel weight. You can add the SP rear weight pockets to allow you to add weight to the plate after you arrive in the destination instead of traveling with it.

At any rate, the SP kit is best overall but is more $$.

 

[MidOH]

Yep. Two complete systems.

You can move wings back and forth willy nilly.

But adjusting webbing is a pita. So if my cold water rig is webbed looser than my warm water rig, I want two complete backplates. Moving webbing sucks, and it only $20 or less on DGX.

So each of my three plates has its own:
Webbing
Knife or line cutter
Hardware
Maybe cam bands.

All setup ready to go. Cam bands can stay with a singles wing. Since you have to remove them anyways, to move a wing.

 

[inquis]

Do any of you own both SS and AL backplates? Do you keep both harnessed up and swap the wing back and forth

For 20 bucks in webbing, I would absolutely NOT rethread the harness with each switch. Adjust it once and it stays perfect.

I would swap the wing & cambands, however. A single tank adapter would make that swap a 60 second job vs. perhaps 5 minutes if cambands are run through the plate.

In my case, I swap between single and double tank wings (same plate) somewhat regularly. Haven't added an STA as yet, though.