Question Does anyone have any reports of carbon fiber backplates cracking/breaking?

[Dirt Pineapple]

I am thinking about getting a CF backplate since I just got double steel HP100s for wetsuit ocean diving (I have a redundant bladder) and I'd like to offload as much weight as possible. Has anyone received any reports of CF backplates cracking or breaking under load?

 

[LFMarm]

Weight difference between aluminum and CF for a backplate is very small. If I was optimizing for weight I would get AL and not worry about durability.

 

[rongoodman]

Buy aluminum.

 

[The Chairman]

My CF from 2003 never cracked, even with dual Faber LP108s.

 

[Matan]

my carbon plate is just fine with GUE CCR (quite heavy).

Matan.

 

[Still Kicking]

Aluminum for the win.

 

[eightytwenty]

not really any benefit to carbon fiber other than looking cool (rule #6, I suppose...) If you're afraid of the extra 12oz an aluminum plate will add, you have other problems. I'd just buy an alu plate, rather than shelling out more money for something that you'd be afraid of breaking.

 

[happy-diver]

And if you're really serious you will forgo aluminium so they don't run out of the raw material for beer cans

and buy forever no matter what stainless steel instead

 

[LFMarm]

not really any benefit to carbon fiber other than looking cool (rule #6, I suppose...) If you're afraid of the extra 12oz an aluminum plate will add, you have other problems. I'd just buy an alu plate, rather than shelling out more money for something that you'd be afraid of breaking.

Depending on the agency it can actually be rule #1

 

[justinthedeeps]

The top-brand carbon I got in ~2017 is still 'like-new,' and a pleasure to dive. It is thinner than an aluminum or steel plate, packs and travels very well (and looks cool). It handles heavier tech diving fine just like others said. Goes well onto the JJ-CCR for non-drysuit diving.

Would not be surprised if it had been made it Asia too like the cheap generic ones are, but maybe I am wrong?

I guess one advantage of metal plate is that you could slam, scratch, puncture, scrape or ding, drill or modify it for any reason you might imagine, without ever worrying about water intrusion. Adding custom fixed trim weights, for example, or extra attach points where you want them.

With the carbon I thought perhaps the grommets might be a weak intrusion point over time, but so far so good.