Can a backplate be too small?

[Ayisha]

A friend of mine is 5' 3" and is choosing a backplate and wing. She tried my small bp on and a standard on just for size. An instructor who loaned her a standard bp to try previously said a standard was a good size for her. Now that she's tried a small, the instructor intern, her, and I all think she should wear a small, but she could possibly go either way. The difference is 1 and 1/2".

Is it possible to have a bp that's "too" small?

 

[Dive-aholic]

Yes. The bottom of the BP should sit just above your waist over your kidneys. The top should come up to just under your shoulders. A BP that is too short will not offer as much stability and/or will route the webbing incorrectly.

 

[lowviz]

Do this in street clothes. Hold your fingers together on your dominant hand. Stretch your hand straight above you and make a hard, slow, strong arc around to your spine. Your fingers should touch the very top of your backplate.

 

[TSandM]

Yes, a backplate can be too small. I have a Deep Sea Supply small backplate which Tobin sent me, thinking that at my height, it would fit, but it's just a little short. What that results in is that, if I have the top of the plate where it needs to be to place doubles properly, the waist belt is wrapping around at the bottom of my ribcage. No big deal, but a medium plate is more comfortable.

 

[fnfalman]

Backplates can be too small or too large. Either way it ain't good.

People tend to get fixated on total heights. Total body heights don't have squat to do with getting a BP fitted to one's self. It's the torso length that matters. I am short but I have a very long torso, I could easily go with either a regular plate or a long plate. I chose the regular size because it's standard sizing and it is still long enough to spread the weight and stabilizes the rig on my torso.

 

[Ayisha]

Thank you. I saw both of them on her without a wing and the small fit about how Dive-aholic mentioned. The small bp sat at about her waist and the top was a little under her shoulders. I believe the standard ran her entire back from the top of her shoulders to a little below her waist.

She tried a standard bp while diving and said she was very aware of it. However, it was not adjusted for her at all. That was an instructor's extra gear that he let her try and he thought it was just fine for her, which is why we're confused.

TS&M, I've always thought that my *small* bp is slightly big for me since no one has ever been able to adjust it perfectly for me in 3 years, and according to everyone's parameters above, I'm convinced my small is a little long for me. I always wished I had a DSS since it's 1 inch shorter, and you'd rather have a little longer one! It's hard when we don't fit the mold...

 

[fnfalman]

Thank you. I saw both of them on her without a wing and the small fit about how Dive-aholic mentioned. The small bp sat at about her waist and the top was a little under her shoulders. I believe the standard ran her entire back from the top of her shoulders to a little below her waist.

Looks like the standard plate is too long for her.

She tried a standard bp while diving and said she was very aware of it. However, it was not adjusted for her at all. That was an instructor's extra gear that he let her try and he thought it was just fine for her, which is why we're confused.

Probably combination of both too long for her and not properly adjusted. Make a measurement of her torso and have her contact whichever BPW brand companies she preferred and talk to their customer service for the best BP size.

It's hard when we don't fit the mold...

These backplates are not space shuttle parts. You can easily find a local machine shop that can either cut down a too long plate for you or have them fabricate a custom plate for you. Show them a BP so that they would have the pattern and give them overall dimensions. A plate with a couple of bends is nothing for a decent machine shop.