Backplate - SS or ALU?

[Guy Alcala]

What Tobin said . . . I think if you saw a Kydex plate setup, it would set your mind at rest. Nothing snags.

I have put my Kydex plate on doubles with very short bolts, and had to lean on the thing to get the wing nuts started. You can see it flex. Nothing has cracked. My Kydex plate is almost four years old now, I think, and has done 2 1/2 years of cave diving travel. Having the plate flex a bit has been more than handy on occasion, when Peter's rigid plate couldn't be used on a set of doubles, and mine could.

My thanks to you and Tobin for the replies. Now all I need to do is be able to afford going somewhere warm to dive, or else get into doubles. Ah well, hoping/planning to do Fundies in April.

Guy

 

[TSandM]

Ahhh . . . some GUE instructors don't like Kydex plates (and they are actually not acceptable, if you read the description of backplate in detail). Danny just looked dubious and asked me if it would break, but I wasn't brave enough to take the Kydex plate to Florida and subject it to David Rhea's scrutiny.

 

[Guy Alcala]

Ahhh . . . some GUE instructors don't like Kydex plates (and they are actually not acceptable, if you read the description of backplate in detail). Danny just looked dubious and asked me if it would break, but I wasn't brave enough to take the Kydex plate to Florida and subject it to David Rhea's scrutiny.

Not an issue locally; I'll probably be doing it with Rob Lee (his instructor checkout class) and/or Beto in Monterey going for a rec pass in singles, and my SS plate works fine for that. With my Asahi HP100s, doubling them with a SS plate would be too much, especially with a can light. I may try to get some Worthington or PST tanks to use for doubles in any case, but a lighter plate might still be necessary. And when I eventually make it to Chuuk . . .

Guy

 

[Jorgy]

Go AL........

As was mentioned earlier you can always add weight..........

Anyway AL is much cheaper......

M

 

[grandizer52]

the other thing to think about are you diving AL or STEEL? you'll want to match them

 

[paddler3d]

Why don't you get both, AL and SS?

It isn't like they go bad.

Wings take seconds to flop in and out.

It wouldn't be hard to have one of each!

 

[Colliam7]

Do I buy a Stainless Steel backplate, probably better for the winter, or do I buy an Aluminium backplate, better for the summer? Don't say both, I am a poor diving instructor.... When I dive an AL80 with no suit I am pretty negative.... Anyone dive this kind of configuration with a drysuit?

Personally, I am never in a signle tank situation where I need less weight than a SS BP, even if I am diving a steel tank with a bathing suit only (which I never do anyway). So, on that basis I would say, go SS. But, it sounds like you are negative with an AL tank alone, and it is so easy to simply add weight with an AL BP, to equal the SS, that it probably makes good sense to go AL. You already have scoped out the options. Simply add weight to a belt - my least favorite choice. Go with weight pockets that can be worn on the waist strap of the harness - OK, but I find they get in the way. Go with the weight pockets that can be attached to the tank cam bands - I have two Halcyon pockets that I use for single tank diving - they are a great solution. I do use them when I dive dry and a single tank, but that is with the SS plate. Even with a HP steel 130, and a SS BP, I need considerable weight for my drysuit.

Just get or make your self a vee weight for the aluminum plate.

A simple thing to do is use a couple of two pound soft weights in the channel of the plate, as a vee-weight equivalent. Probably cheaper than buying or even making a vee weight, cheaper than weight pockets for the waist band or the cam bands, almost as cheap as solid lead weights or even equal.

 

[DiveGear4Less]

I have a question regarding the selection of a stainless steel vs an aluminium backplate.

My problem is the following, I dive all year round, nearly every day. However, red sea winter is in a dry suit, red sea summer is in boardshorts and rash vest. In between somewhere is usually a 5mm full suit.

Do I buy a Stainless Steel backplate, probably better for the winter, or do I buy an Aluminium backplate, better for the summer?

Don't say both, I am a poor diving instructor....
(I know I will end up getting both, but want a decision for now...)

The problem with getting the steel plate is that in the summer I will be overweighted. I don't like that. When I dive an AL80 with no suit I am pretty negative.

They sell theses weight pockets here for cam bands that look just like the halcyon or xs scuba weight pockets, but are very cheap. I was thinking of putting some pockets on the two cam straps (probably two pockets per strap) then I can play around with the weights.
Like this I could get the aluminium backplate, but still move lots of weight of the belt and to my back for the drysuit.

Any ideas? Anyone dive this kind of configuration with a drysuit?

The most affordable way to do this is to buy an aluminum backplate that you can use year round and add channel weights when you need more weight in the winter months. You can either make a v-weight or buy a channel weight pocket and fill it with lead shot. Most channel weight pockets take about 4 lbs of shot. You can sandwich the plate between a couple of pockets and add up to 8 lbs of weight to the aluminum plate.

 

[SCU5]

I concur with most of what's been said above. If you have one plate, Aluminum is the best choice. It's easy to add weight pouches and for travel, the extra 3lbs can then be allocated to other dive gear.

 

[Bronson]

I really think that you answerd your own question to go with the Aluminum bp. I use a ss plate and am close to neutral with it but that is me.