I was leak checking my dry suit and while taking off the gear noticed an easy look at how I rig my FP, I also trap a 6lb weight under the rail which gets this up to about 12lb.
Freedom Plate Divers Roll Call: show us your rig!
- Thread starter Akimbo
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Very nice! I'm so jealous of everyone that could the VDH wings!
You can have them a fair bit looser than "fit a fist underneath". Most likely, you should have. I think that is the most common mistake people make when configuring a BP/W - having the shoulder straps too tight. As you say, once you put the waist belt and crotch strap together and tighten it up, that is what pulls the whole rig together and makes it stable. The BP/W should be high enough on your back that the waist belt is not running around your waist like a normal belt. It should be angling down some as it goes from the back around to the front.
You can see here to get an idea. With the waist belt angling down towards the front, the crotch strap will be looped over it at the lowest point and when the waist belt is tightened, it has the effect of pull the whole rig down - which puts the tension on the shoulder straps to make the whole rig stable.
You can also see I was still dialing mine in and, in this picture, the plate is too low on my back. It needed to be higher up to nestle against my back like it should.
I did my Rescue training in a BP/W. When it came to an exercise where I was going to have to doff my rig in the water, the instructor offered to let me switch to one of the shop's integrated BCDs, to make that easier. I told her it would be no problem. I was faster to get out of my rig than students in an integrated BCD. Pop the buckle and pull out the tail end of the waist belt, shrug, shrug, and I was out. When it is setup right, getting out should be easy.
View attachment 600677
In case you're wondering, my swim trunks have a shark swimming amongst the stars, vomiting a rainbow, being ridden by a cat in a cowboy outfit. You know you want some....
I use the webbing from Dive Gear Express. It is stiff but, to me, it is definitely not too stiff. I have not encountered webbing that is too stiff. The DGX webbing is stiff enough to be somewhat of a pain to adjust things on it. But, that means that once everything is dialed in, it is that much less likely for things to move around by accident. I don't know why anybody would want less stiff webbing. I have never "noticed" it - i.e. it does not create points of discomfort. Not even in a 3mm wetsuit, carrying double steel 120s.
Also, just to point it out: People have been diving BP rigs for years without rollers or tri-slides or anything to keep their harness from moving around. You don't NEED any of that stuff. Especially if you use appropriately stiff (resin-impregnated) webbing. It might move around some when it's new. But, once you dive it a bit, the webbing will take a set and it's probably not going to move. My BPs that I use for carrying doubles don't move at all and they have no tri-slides or anything else to make them adjustable or to hold their adjustment.
I'm not saying "don't use them". I'm just saying don't get too wrapped up in it and let yourself be led into thinking you NEED something like that. Once a BP/W with a Hogarthian harness is setup right, it is very easy to get in and out of - even in a drysuit - and the harness does not move around on its own. That and the simplicity and robustness (not a single plastic part) are part of what makes it so appealing (to me, anyway). More than that is, potentially, just over-complicating something that should be very simple. Solve problems you HAVE, not problems you think you might have.
Thank you for the great post! tons of great stuff in there! One question I have, you mention that your webbing never moves. Do you feel that when in your lightest configuration (so rash guard or say 3mm) that it's overly loose if the shoulder straps were setup for say drysuits or 7mm? I can usually get away with a 3mm in shallower divers even here in Southern California if they are quick, but then dive a drysuit or 7mm for longer/deeper/repetitive dives so don't really want to be futzing around with the shoulder straps every time I change exposure suits.
Sorry for all the questions. I set up my other plate with an OMS harness since I have some flexibility problems, but want to give single piece harnesses another go. I like the simplicity of it as well.
When I thought I wanted adjustable webbing on my rig I used webbing lock clips. First on one side of the plate, then the other, then, both-then I realized I liked my webbing fixed. The webbing clips are inexpensive enough to experiment with.
DGX Black Plastic {2 in | 5.1 cm} Webbing Lock Clip | Dive Gear Express®
I also learned the hard way that stiff webbing is more comfortable than soft webbing. The stiffness divides the pressure over a larger area.
DGX Black Plastic {2 in | 5.1 cm} Webbing Lock Clip | Dive Gear Express®
I also learned the hard way that stiff webbing is more comfortable than soft webbing. The stiffness divides the pressure over a larger area.
My best example to respond to your question is my doubles BP/W. I dive that in the pool/warm water, and also in cold water in a drysuit. Being set to be "good" in my drysuit means it is a little less snug when I'm in the water in a thin wetsuit. It doesn't bother me at all. But, I suppose that could be partly to do with diving it like that a lot and getting used to it. Also, I think another facet of that is improving as a diver. I don't want to sound like I'm tootling my own horn when I say that. I just mean that I can recognize that I have gotten, I don't know, "calmer" (?) in the water as I have gotten more experienced. Less flailing with my hands. Less unnecessary finning. Less finning that is necessary, too. I.e. less or no need to scull my fins to maintain good trim.
The bottom line for me is that I do not make changes to my harness between warm water and cold water and I find it to be just fine. Obviously, I do tighten the waist belt snugly, regardless of the configuration, so the difference is only in how snug the crotch strap and shoulder straps pull things together.
Re-rigged my freedom plate with the above guidance, just looking for an evening to take it out now. Local vis when to pot this weekend on the shores (heard the wrecks were great). Still need to get a smaller wing, but that's challenging right now.
Dive #2 with the freedom plate went much better than dive #1 I'm happy to report. No shoulder bruising and generally very comfortable. I didn't notice tell towards the end of the dive but still hitting the first stage some, so on dive #3 I'll tighten the crotch strap some more, as there was some slack in it on this dive. But overall very comfortable and did great the in the surge and current we found at La Jolla Cove.
I just picked up a HOG 23# from DRIS for my son's new FP. I'll let you know how it rigs.
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