Backplate rust on SS

[darylm74]

I just bought an Oxycheq Wing with backplate setup from COVCI. I loved how it dove, in fact I won't ever go back to a jacket style BC if I can help it. What is bothering me though is that when I got out of the pool, on my first trial run, there were a couple small rust marks along the bends in the channel. Is this normal? I mean I was in a heavily chloranated pool for awhile but never expected this. Maybe I'm expecting too much in saying it shouldn't rust at all.

On a nicer note, I did shed 4lbs from my weight belt....now I'm saying, what weightbelt

 

[cool_hardware52]

I just bought an Oxycheq Wing with backplate setup from COVCI. I loved how it dove, in fact I won't ever go back to a jacket style BC if I can help it. What is bothering me though is that when I got out of the pool, on my first trial run, there were a couple small rust marks along the bends in the channel. Is this normal? I mean I was in a heavily chloranated pool for awhile but never expected this. Maybe I'm expecting too much in saying it shouldn't rust at all.

On a nicer note, I did shed 4lbs from my weight belt....now I'm saying, what weightbelt

All Stainless will rust, some more easily than others. Often the manufacturing process, like cutting, drilling and bending will impart ferric (iron) particles than can be the starting point for rust. Passivation is a process that removes these particles. (We passivate all our SS products)

Even so slight rust on a BP is no real cause for alarm. Scotch Brite will take it right off, soak in Coke will provide some level of passivation.

I'm surprised you only "lost" 4 lbs from the weight belt. Most plates weigh ~5-6 lbs and many conventional Jacket BC's are actually positive. Often we find new BP users removing 7-9 lbs from their belt, especially if their old BC was a floater.


Regards,



Tobin

 

[darylm74]

Thanks for the tips. I may lose more weight. That was at first try and it was with a drysuit which I am still getting the full hang of. I also have been used to a airtrim system and haven't used the normal dump hose configuration in years so could of been I wasn't getting all of the air out of the wing......will work more on Thursday during my night dive.

 

[darylm74]

oh yeah......anyone paint their backplates?

 

[TwoTanks]

I haven't seen painted backplates, but I'm sure you could paint one if you wanted to. you could also get an aluminium plate and have it anodized if you wanted. Dive Rite also makes a plastic plate. I heard that OMS was going to make a titanium backplate, but I haven't seen anything about them yet.

TT

 

[cool_hardware52]

I haven't seen painted backplates, but I'm sure you could paint one if you wanted to. you could also get an aluminium plate and have it anodized if you wanted. Dive Rite also makes a plastic plate. I heard that OMS was going to make a titanium backplate, but I haven't seen anything about them yet.

TT

Abyss used to sell powder coated BackPlates. I'd rather have a piece of SS that can easily be touched up with scotchbrite than try and maintain a paint job. Look at painted tanks, including powder coated al's. Look good in the store, look pretty hammered pretty soon after.

The hardest thing known to man is diamond, the 2nd is aluminum oxide. That what anodizing does is creat a layer of Al-Ox, the colors are just dye. The problem with anodizing a BP is that although the anodizing is hard the underlying alum is not. Easy to scratch, now your protective layer is missing along with the pretty color.

Titanium is of course corrosion resistant, very corrosion resistant, but it's about half the weight of Stainless. Aluminum is about 1/3 the weight. Other than the way cool factor (never to be dismissed lightly) what problem does Ti really solve? If you want light weight for travel or very heavy doubles, Ti is not really the answer, aluminum is good, plastic even better. If you want a heavy plate for added ballast Ti is again not quite the answer.

You need to rinse off your harness and wing anyway so the claim that "I can put my ti plate away wet" is almost comical.

BTW: We now also make a plastic plate, very light ~1.6 lbs, that includes SS reinforcements at all critical load points. I'll have photos on our website Monday or Tues.


Regards,



Tobin