Injured back

[Scubadude4]

I injured my thoracic spine a decade ago. I dive a Sherwood Avid BCD and HP steel 117. The weight of my steel tank causes pain after diving. Do you think going light with aluminum and wearing a weight belt would help. Weight around waist not on back. Would a metal back plate help disperse the weight across the back. Most of my dives are with shops that don’t like idea of putting the gear on in the water.

 

[Soloist]

Consider a Freedom Contour Plate if you are thinking about a metal backplate.

Freedom Plate Divers Roll Call: show us your rig!

 

[Marie13]

You might consider a weight harness, such as that made by DUI. Puts the weight on your hiosX not your back.

 

[DogDiver]

Go sidemount

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Go sidemount. yup. Then take a cavern course - then Into to cave - Then cave - then meet us at tulum Mexico.

 

[Julius SCHMIDT]

after the astronaut training

 

[SlugLife]

With side-mount, you can have a very lightweight harness, and wield 2x 40cu tanks. Just carry the tanks one at a time and clip them in the water.

 

[-JD-]

I'm guessing that your pain might be more about carrying the tank out of the water, rather than in.

Spitballin, but I wonder if a taller HP120 might be better than the shorter, fatter HP117. If you are longer torsoed and mount your tank high like I do, that keeps the weight high and you need to either lean forward at the waist, or pull your shoulders forward to keep balanced, which may be working the mid spine and musculature. The longer 120 drops the CG a little lower and tends to stabilize on nature's anti-roll guide, your fundament, i.e. your butt. Your personal geometry may work otherwise - I wouldn't buy until I try.

On the other hand if it is a compression sensitivity, getting the load down to the hips should be very helpful. A rigid plate can certainly help there.

After a major blowout of my L3-L4 disc, I'm going to be probing these issues shortly myself.