DSS Backplate waist strap location seems low

[TT_Vert]

I've got about 100 dives on this kit and I love it. However, I'm getting old, eating too much and not getting to the gym like I need to so I need to re-harness my BP. I just didn't leave enough excess for fat me to comfortably dive in this. In checking out my current setup before switching out the continuous webbing I noticed that my waist strap is anything but near my waist. As I sit, I can barely touch the top of my plate so I feel that's about as low as I can go with it. It's possible my range of motion isn't the best but if It goes any lower I'm not going to be able to touch it. I am only about 5'9" but I'm a good 220 (Usually muscle but right now, not so much). I don't think I have a long torso but who knows. Looking at old pics it does seem my waist strap was a bit high but this feels way too high. I included a few pics of any suggestions you guys may have. I also included a pic from years ago (Bald guy) when I was in decent shape and it does seem it's a bit lower but hard to determine how much lower. My shorts level is right where they would normally ride on my waist for reference. I cannot see a way to make my waist strap actually a waist strap w/o lowering the plate. I'm starting to think that I had set my plate height too high based on my potentially limit range of motion over and behind my head. I have no height adjustability in my plate
Thanks much,
Dave

 

[Badger7]

Do you have your waist strap running through the crotch strap? In the top pic it doesn't appear so? For a shorter guy, I have a relatively long torso, but standard size plates have the waist strap in about the same position on my back, no more than a half inch lower than yours. The difference is I have the crotch strap length set so that the waist belt has to dive down to my naval in order to go through the loop of the crotch strap, and that brings the the waist strap down and across my hips rather than over the top of my (also slightly larger than I'd like) belly.

If you do have the waist strap threaded through the loop of your crotch strap, it might be longer than ideal and shortening it up would put the waist strap in a more typical position across your hips.

 

[inquis]

Crotch strap makes the waist strap "V" down a bit and stabilizes everything. With your index finger on your belly button, the top of the crotch strap would be at or just below your pinky finger.

 

[lexvil]

Why do you feel you need to touch the plate, I know it’s an obsession for dogmatic divers but…