Do Your Backplates Still Come in Sizes?

[Makai]

Patrick,

I was down at my LDS this weekend looking to pick up a SS backplate. I found that the medium size one they had was a little too short for me. When I asked if they could order me a large, the guys at the shop said that Oxycheq was no longer making them. Is this true?

Thanks,
Makai

 

[DwainT]

Majority of the people who purchased one thought thy should have stayed with the medium. That said... the proper adjustment is in the crotch strap and waist. Make the crotch strap a little shorter than you think it should be then use the waist strap to adjust tension.

 

[Makai]

I dunno, Dwain. When I do as you suggest with the Dive Rite plate I have now, the top of the plate is pretty low on my shoulders. It's well out of reach of my finger tips when I reach over my shoulder. Doesn't seem to comply with DIR guidelines. Is the medium Oxy plate longer than the standard SS Dive Rite? The Dive Rite plates don't come in sizes that I'm aware of.

 

[Mike Edmonston]

I dunno, Dwain. When I do as you suggest with the Dive Rite plate I have now, the top of the plate is pretty low on my shoulders. It's well out of reach of my finger tips when I reach over my shoulder. Doesn't seem to comply with DIR guidelines. Is the medium Oxy plate longer than the standard SS Dive Rite? The Dive Rite plates don't come in sizes that I'm aware of.

Hi Makai,

How tall are you?

Thanks bud,

 

[Makai]

Everybody asks me that. I'm 5'10" with a 30" inseam. I know that, based on this, I should be OK with a medium plate. Still, when I was checking out the medium Oxycheq at my LDS, the store manager had to admit that it was a little short on me. I'm currently diving a Dive Rite SS plate which measures 15.5" and it feels a little short.

Anyway, after checking with a couple of on-line stores, I got the answer to my original question: Oxycheq has stopped making backplates in size large due to a lack of demand. They don't make 'em, and you'll be darn lucky to find one anywhere.

This weekend I'll go back out to the LDS and buy the medium Oxycheq and get the guys there to help me make sure I have the harness set up properly. Several of them are experienced tech divers so I'm pretty sure they'll steer me in the right direction. Thanks for the help.

 

[Mike Edmonston]

Everybody asks me that. I'm 5'10" with a 30" inseam. I know that, based on this, I should be OK with a medium plate. Still, when I was checking out the medium Oxycheq at my LDS, the store manager had to admit that it was a little short on me. I'm currently diving a Dive Rite SS plate which measures 15.5" and it feels a little short.

Anyway, after checking with a couple of on-line stores, I got the answer to my original question: Oxycheq has stopped making backplates in size large due to a lack of demand. They don't make 'em, and you'll be darn lucky to find one anywhere.

This weekend I'll go back out to the LDS and buy the medium Oxycheq and get the guys there to help me make sure I have the harness set up properly. Several of them are experienced tech divers so I'm pretty sure they'll steer me in the right direction. Thanks for the help.

One thing to keep in mind is that it might feel short if you buckle the plate all the way down to your waist. The buckle should be about level with your belly button.

 

[Makai]

Thanks for the tip, Mike. I think that's what Dwain was trying to tell me in his earlier post. This must be the one drawback to being a fat guy trying to dive a backplate.