Freedom Plate Divers Roll Call: show us your rig!

[Soloist]

Does anyone know the name for the disorder where you start a project in the overcomplicated in every way and evolve into something incredibly simple?

My first engineering job had me working with a crusty old design engineer. He had a little piece of paper titled “Par for a Project” thumbtacked to his bulletin board. I made a copy of it and it stayed with me throughout my career. This was standard operating procedure at Ford…

The Six Project Stages
1. Wild enthusiasm
2. Disillusionment
3. Total confusion
4. Search for the guilty
5. Punishment of the innocent
6. Promotions for the non-participants

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

My first engineering job had me working with a crusty old design engineer. He had a little piece of paper titled “Par for a Project” thumbtacked to his bulletin board. I made a copy of it and it stayed with me throughout my career. This was standard operating procedure at Ford…

The Six Project Stages
1. Wild enthusiasm
2. Disillusionment
3. Total confusion
4. Search for the guilty
5. Punishment of the innocent
6. Promotions for the non-participants

Same goes for construction project management. To a fault.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I knew a guy who went to auto design school in Michigan and landed his big dream job at GM as an auto designer, so he thought. It turned out to be the biggest nightmare of his life. He only lasted five years and felt he barely got out with his skin.

 

[The Ruttmeister]

I knew a guy who went to auto design school in Michigan and landed his big dream job at GM as an auto designer, so he thought. It turned out to be the biggest nightmare of his life. He only lasted five years and felt he barely got out with his skin.

Big companies are where dreams go to die.

 

[d^2b]

Sorry for the bad cell phone image. Here is aluminum plate #450 after two weeks of boat diving, first in Turks and Caicos and second in Belize. It was my first back inflation BCD and I'm very happy, I went from 12lbs to 6bs with the same 3mm full suit. The harness is a Diverite basic harness, which worked out fine, no great difficulties getting in an out (on land or in water). The basic harness is nothing special, it was just easier to buy the hardware that way in Canada. Barely visible are some diverite qr weight pockets right at the back where the harness goes into the plate. The wing is a 23lb VDH. I did not find it annoyingly large. I spent very little time bobbing on the surface, so hard to honestly evaluate that part. There are also 2 small XS scuba pockets on the lower tank band that I used for 1 and 2 lbs weights in the first week. I didn't really notice a difference going to only the two waist pockets (no 1 lb weights on the second boat).

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Are these plates starting to be seen more and more at exotic locations around the world?
It seems that enough of these have gone out (about 600) that a few should start to be seen in the wild.
How many times has someone with an FP run into another diver on a boat or LOB diving with an FP?
I’m assuming somewhere like Cozumel or similar.
What are the reactions from other divers on the boat, do they inquire or just have a blank stare? I’ve heard that it’s more the staff and DM’s that eyeball them.
I never get out much beyond my little Norcal world and have never been on a LOB in a warm water location, so this is why I ask. It’s also been about 20 years since my last vacation diving going to ocean water over 78 degrees.
These are honest questions because I really do not know. I count on you guys to fill me in.

 

[d^2b]

At least someone one my boat knew what I was talking about when I mentioned my backplate was custom made by "A guy out in California". He said "Oh you mean Erik Sed*", some approximation of you name. You can thank Scubaboard for the (sortof) name recognition, he said he'd read about freedom plates here.

 

[Nemrod]

Probably the two most rare back plates are the VDH plate and the beautiful Freedom Plate (sorry LH, the VDH plate is wonderfully functional but just not pretty ) and I am lucky to have each. And, I get to see them in the wild because the group that I often dive with is somewhat unusual in that several of the guys have not just one or the other but several of each! But outside of that bunch, I have never seen a Freedom Plate in the wild swimming free.

Somewhere in about Bonaire I encountered this unusual bunch of divers who among them the diving experience might be counted in centuries if totaled:



I think there are 6 Argonaut Krakens, 8 VDH Plates and one Freedom Plate blocked from view behind the lady back there

James

 

[Soloist]

I’ve seen five Freedom Contour Plates at one time. Two were my wife’s and three were mine, but we are down to a measly three plates now. We’ve owned six of Eric’s plates over the years and actually saw one in the wild in Cozumel.

The new Freedom Contour - The Rolex of backplates.

@Aloha Joe I agree on the Apeks Wing, it's a great design with excellent tailoring. Just make sure that the camband slots on the Wing line up nicely with your version of the Freedom Plate before you splash your cash. The vertical distance between the camband slots seems longer on the Apeks...

scubaboard.com

 

[Couv]

Are these plates starting to be seen more and more at exotic locations around the world?

I'm not sure the places I've been this year are considered exotic: Red Sea, Bonaire, and Cozumel-but it was a good year for me and my FP.

What are the reactions from other divers on the boat, do they inquire or just have a blank stare?

It would be rare for me to spend a week in a dive location with my FP without someone saying something like, "Cool backplate. Where did you get it?" Another conversation sometimes goes like this, "If you ever want to sell it, let me know-I'll buy it." My standard reply is, "If I ever want to get rid of it, I'll give it to you," but I don't think they understand what I am really saying.