Info Beginners Guide To BP/W

[drrich2]

Plates can be made out of many different materials. Stainless Steel and Aluminum are the most prevalent. There are some made from kydex, carbon fiber, or plastic and cloth (soft plates). The material is up to you. It really comes down to weight. The SS plates are heavier than AL or Carbon Fiber.

Thank you for taking the time and making the effort to craft an intro. guide article such as this, on a topic that generates a lot of interest but at times confuses with a lot of choices. Back when I was struggling to figure out what to get after my old Sherwood Avid BCD's camband attachments tore (a known defect it was prone to; sad, because I really liked that BCD), I came here to get help.

Here's the old thread - Mulling over BP/W options...

One angle I seldom see mentioned elsewhere is aesthetics; BP/W discussions tend to focus heavily on function over form, but if you've got a range of choices with good function, then form becomes a potential tie breaker. I'm far from GQ and nobody calls me 'style'n' - but if I'm dropping several hundred, I want something that looks good to me.

One detail regarding stainless steel vs. aluminum back plate led to considerable back and forth discussion:

Minor aesthetic point: I don't like the silvery 'bare metal' look; if the BP were epoxy-coated a color, that'd be sweet. It's not a deal-breaker, just a preference.

I wanted to know if I could spray it with Rustoleum primer then paint it, or get it powder coated, etc...

TooManyHobbies (Post #38) said I'd need to prime with a steel primer, then likely use an oil-based paint so it didn't break down with water exposure, and multiple coats to last, plus a couple of protectorant/clear coats.

Saxman (Post #39) said I might consider something like cerakote, and (in Post #46) noted there are lots of powder coating shops out there.

Eric Sedletzky (Post #48) said stainless steel needs to be left bare to take advantage of the benefits of the microscopic invisible chromium oxide film that serves as a natural barrier against further corrosion. He didn't recommend powder coating stainless steel or aluminum for use in saltwater environments.

Johnny (Post #49) agreed, and said on powder coated plates he'd seen, the designs looked great but each one chipped or wore out right there the waist belt went through, and it rusted. He said powder coat is strong but not built to hold up against chaffing.

Then Jim Lapenta (Post #50) discussed some issues and specifics with it.

So, in summary, I gave up the dream of colorizing a back plate and got an anodized black aluminum one. Much nicer looking to me than bare stainless steel.

I brought this up because if someone is torn between aluminum and stainless steel BP options, and the weight difference doesn't clearly make the choice for them, aesthetics might.

 

[The Ruttmeister]

When you said thin neoprene, were you referring to your shorts, or did you have one of those neoprene sleeves that can go on the crotch strap?

Sleeve on the strap. Which probably reduces wear on a wetsuit, but does nothing to increase comfort if you are not wearing a wetsuit.
Not tried it with a wetsuit yet. After a week diving in Bonaire, Monterey seems much less attractive.

 

[RobPNW]

I like the looks of the black that many of the aluminum plates come in. I've seen some of the other hardware offered in black which may look cool but I think I would want D-rings etc to be easier to see against the black webbing.

 

[Nemrod]

Just to add, some people may intentionally cross the straps on their plates to bring the straps closer to center (so they do not fall off the shoulders) and also to effectively drop the plate lower (by allowing a larger shoulder strap opening thus more strap length lowering the plate and still keeping the straps manageable without adding a chest strap). N

 

[lowwall]

You will want a one inch crotch strap for diving sans neoprene. Even a soft two inch webbing will chafe. There is no continuous load on the crotch strap in normal use so it does not need to be two inch wide and a plastic disconnect is acceptable in this use to facilitate easy egress from the rig. You will need to also decide if your going to use a weight belt or some brand of quick dump weight pockets on the waist straps and non QR pockets on the cam bands for weight integration

James

Interesting. I really disliked the 1" strap that came with my DSS harness and have no problems with the 2" on my current Piranha harness. That's with 3mm, 5mm and just a swimming suit. Maybe we are built different Someone mentioned that it's uncomfortable when inflated at the surface. I barely inflate at the surface so I can comfortably lean back in my rig.

I'm not a fan of weight belts. I use cheap XS Scuba trim pockets on my waist belt for lead. I use steel backplates and dive warm water so only need 2 or 3 pounds per pocket and am comfortable with just a velcro flap. I can pull the weights out manually if I need to dump them. I'll stick weight on the cam band(s) on the rare occasions I've needed more weight because I've added a vest or other exposure gear.

I would start using a weight belt for at least some of the weight either a) if I couldn't handle the weighted rig on the surface, b) my inflated wing couldn't easily float the rig without me in it, or c) if I was wearing a 7mm or drysuit. C is because if you get entangled in something and have to take off your rig underwater, you don't want to be so buoyant that letting go of the rig is an immediate elevator ride up.

 

[RobPNW]

I was thinking a 1 1/2" strap might be a good compromise but I notice on a lot of plates, they come with 1" and 2" slots. Not sure if a 1 1/2" strap in a 2" slot would shift around noticeably.

 

[inquis]

What does that look like if the person is wearing a basic harness and crotch strap that has no quick release buckets?

Crotch strap & waist belt works exactly like a normal weight belt. Unbuckle & pull it free. The loop of the crotch strap falls free. For shoulders, manipulate the unresponsive diver's hand next to their hip (elbow will be bent) and push it slightly (e.g., up to the wrist) through the gap between strap and plate from back to front. Several approaches after that: 1) push the elbow from the back, 2) pull the hand from the front, or 3) just pull the harness sideways at the shoulder (my favorite).

In my rescue class, I found it faster to do the above even for folks with jacket BCs. Finding a black clip against black webbing on the front while my head is to the side and where to squeeze (possibly wearing gloves) while in choppy water trying to keep victim from rolling over? No thanks. Insert hand, pull strap sideways, done.

Side note: I put my harness on the reverse of this by inserting my elbow first. This avoids the strap catching on my computer.

 

[RobPNW]

Crotch strap & waist belt works exactly like a normal weight belt. Unbuckle & pull it free. The loop of the crotch strap falls free. For shoulders, manipulate the unresponsive diver's hand next to their hip (elbow will be bent) and push it slightly (e.g., up to the wrist) through the gap between strap and plate from back to front. Several approaches after that: 1) push the elbow from the back, 2) pull the hand from the front, or 3) just pull the harness sideways at the shoulder (my favorite).

In my rescue class, I found it faster to do the above even for folks with jacket BCs. Finding a black clip against black webbing on the front while my head is to the side and where to squeeze (possibly wearing gloves) while in choppy water trying to keep victim from rolling over? No thanks. Insert hand, pull strap sideways, done.

Side note: I put my harness on the reverse of this by inserting my elbow first. This avoids the strap catching on my computer.

I like that approach because then you can just practice one technique regardless.

 

[RobPNW]

Question on ball park weight requirements. In warm water diving, wearing a wetsuit and a typical rental jacket style BCD, I needed 9lbs of weight. I'm leaning towards a basic harness and aluminum plate with no STA. The aluminum plate would knock about 2lbs off my weight needs. But. I assume that's not the only weight need reduction I should see based on losing all the other materials, padding etc of the typical BCD. In addition to the plate itself, anyone have a guestimate of what the more minimalist setup might save me?

 

[dmaziuk]

Question on ball park weight requirements. In warm water diving, wearing a wetsuit and a typical rental jacket style BCD, I needed 9lbs of weight. I'm leaning towards a basic harness and aluminum plate with no STA. The aluminum plate would knock about 2lbs off my weight needs. But. I assume that's not the only weight need reduction I should see based on losing all the other materials, padding etc of the typical BCD. In addition to the plate itself, anyone have a guestimate of what the more minimalist setup might save me?

IME: nada. I wouldn't count on the plate's 2lbs either because Alu has really sucky buoyancy characteristics. I wouldn't expect more than 2lbs for bulk and plate.