Backplate sizes - really needed?

[Bob01]

Hey All,

Just about to pull the trigger on BP/W setup. Just curious, I noticed a bunch of backplates come in one size, while other are available in sm, med, large, long, etc....Does getting a "sized" backplate really make that much a of a difference? I keep hearing about how a bp/w is almost infinitely adjustable - so backplate size shouldn't really matter?

I'm 5'5" - a standard Dive Rite Aluminum plate should be ok for me?

Thanks,

Bob

 

[cool_hardware52]

Hey All,

Just about to pull the trigger on BP/W setup. Just curious, I noticed a bunch of backplates come in one size, while other are available in sm, med, large, long, etc....Does getting a "sized" backplate really make that much a of a difference? I keep hearing about how a bp/w is almost infinitely adjustable - so backplate size shouldn't really matter?

I'm 5'5" - a standard Dive Rite Aluminum plate should be ok for me?

Thanks,

Bob

Most divers can use one of the "one size fits all" back plates or in the case of DSS a "medium" simply because most divers are between ~5'4" and 6 ft tall.

Outside that range some divers will benefit from longer or shorter plates.

If the plate is too short for the diver the waist strap can ride on the rib cage, and if the plate is too long it may prevent the diver from arching their back and cause discomfort by contacting the pelvis.

At 5'5" you almost certainly can use most of the 15"- 15.75" long plates that are sold as "one size fits all"

Tobin

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I'm one of the people who is very glad that some manufacturers make more than one size of backplate. I'm also 5'5", but I'm very short waisted, and the reason I came to the bp/w in the first place was that I had such a hard time getting a vest BC to fit. I would buckle the cummerbund around my waist (it can't go any lower) and ... whee! BC up around my ears! Not to mention that the area between my waist and my armpit was stuffed full of cloth and padding. I thought I would love diving, but the BC was making me want to stick with snorkeling only (I still love both, so this is not a knock on snorkeling).

When I came here I heard people talking about the backplate and wing and I got to wondering. I started a thread asking about whether they might fit me better, and I was alerted to the fact that a shop where I was going to be diving in a couple of weeks rented them. I rented one the first day and ... Bingo! I knew I had found my BC.

On the bp/w I rented the plate was a "regular" size, which I think was about 15.5" long (Halcyon). It was already waaaay better than any of the vest BCs I had tried, but I still noticed a slight problem after using it on some dives because the top of the backplate - in the back where the straps "sprout" from the plate - was above my shoulder curve line, and this caused some slack which let the whole thing slop around a bit at the top. Nothing like the vests, but still, it wasn't exactly right. Since the waist strap cannot go down (at least on me), there was no way to really fix that problem.

Halcyon does make two sizes of plate, and the shop had a "small" one for sale (14"), so I tried it on and I could see it would fix the problem. I might have bought it on the spot, since I had a week left and wanted my own gear anyway, but they only had an aluminum one and I wanted stainless steel. (I also thought that I might like a slightly smaller wing than H makes.)

I bought a DSS rig with the small plate and a 17# wing and for me it worked out very well.

As Tobin says though, if you are 5'5" and male, a medium is no doubt the right size. I think the small plate would be a bit short on me if I were any taller from waist to neck. I'm sure glad the backplates do come in various sizes though

Sorry if that was too long winded - especially since Tobin had already answered your question - but I figured an example never hurts. Especially later when people find a thread via search. Also, seeing your thread title made me mentally say "Yes! They are needed and thank goodness some people make them!" It can get frustrating for people who are not "average male" size and shape.

 

[The Kraken]

What Tobin said . . .

I once make a backplate for a guy who's about 6'4" tall and weighted in at about 275 pounds.

The back plate I made from very thick steel (15 pounds, finished) to offset his combined natural and wet suit buoyancies.

the K

 

[Bob01]

....
Sorry if that was too long winded - especially since Tobin had already answered your question - but I figured an example never hurts. Especially later when people find a thread via search. Also, seeing your thread title made me mentally say "Yes! They are needed and thank goodness some people make them!" It can get frustrating for people who are not "average male" size and shape.

Well if the 5' gf is ok with the bp/w setup, I guess I'll for sure get her the small plate then.. hopefully she wont hate the bp/w when she tries my rig out with the standard plate in it ;-)

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Well I found the "standard" sized plate to be similar in overall feel/comfort as the small one. I mean, it did not fit me properly, but I was able to get the idea of what a bp/w was like, so that when I did get the right size it was not a surprise, but just an improvement.

OTOH, if she is a short-waisted 5' tall, then it might not work out the same way.

The concept that I found a few "helpful" people on the boat not to understand was that the waist strap is a fixed point. At least on me (and I would think many women), the waist is the waist, and it does not move. So the rest of the plate has to fit around that. I mention that because a few people who saw me in the "standard" plate - and saw that it was not fitting quite right - suggested that I loosen the shoulder straps to get the top of the plate to lower itself on me.

Of course since the waist strap cannot go any lower, all that did was to make the plate fall away from my back (on land), and the whole rig shifty (in the water). At 5', your GF might have that problem too with the standard plate, and perhaps more exaggerated. Potentially it could cause her to judge the plate without being able to give it a fair shake.

 

[The Mighty Thor]

I had a small Halcyon plate, and there really wasn't too much of a difference between that plate and the regular plate. Slightly shorter and more narrow. Also weighed 1 lb less.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

True, but then there isn't too much difference between a size small and medium shirt either - except that one is a bit smaller and narrower

 

[The Mighty Thor]

True, but then there isn't too much difference between a size small and medium shirt either - except that one is a bit smaller and narrower

True, but if a small shirt fits you, then my guess is that you would be able to physically wear a medium shirt also. More a matter of preference than function.
My point is that people who are in the 5'0 to 5'7 range could probably get away with using either the small or reg plate, although one might be preferred.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

My point is that people who are in the 5'0 to 5'7 range could probably get away with using either the small or reg plate, although one might be preferred.

Well yes, it would probably be usable. To a point. But I'm 5'5" and the regular size Halcyon plate was not a very good fit for me. It made it impossible to get the tank and rig to really sit tightly on my back (which was one of my main complaints about "vest" BCs) It's hard to imagine a 5' female being able to fit that same plate very well. On the other hand, the small sized DSS plate (which is 13"; the Halcyon small is 14"), fits me very well.

One example: The "standard" sized plates have fairly widely spaced cam straps. The top one is nearly up where the top 11" OC fastener hole is. That makes the tank ride very high on me. On the small DSS plate, Tobin has set everything up proportionately, so the top cam strap slots are much lower, below where the harness strap crosses over. This brings the tank down to a much better height.

I know I probably sound strident, but as a female who has participated in a number of outdoor activities over the years -- in a world where "standard" sized things are meant to fit average males -- well, it just gets a bit old having to "get away with" using things that don't really fit. They are often uncomfortable and/or they make it harder to do what you want to do - or sometimes more dangerous. So I applaud the folks who actually make things in sizes, so that I can use equipment that fits me, instead of always making do. So that's why I felt a strong reaction when your reply made it seem as though the differences were somewhat negligible.