Looking for advice for my first backplate and wing purchase

[runsongas]

@Bryan@Vintage Double Hose

 

[purbeast]

I ordered my wing today, the VDH #35 so should be here next week.

I put together my first BP and harness ever tonight and wanted to get opinions on whether this is a proper fit. Keep in mind I've never dove with one other than 10 minutes in a pool which sold me on getting one.

I am not sure if I should tighten the shoulder straps a little bit more or not. I do feel like it could be tightened a little bit more based on the sizing advice I saw here.

How to Assemble a Backplate and Continuous Weave Harness - SDI | TDI | ERDI

Also, should I move the buckle over a bit more towards the center of my body or is that in a good spot?

Here are a few pics I snapped wearing it. I may adjust the d-ring on my left a little bit too so nothing is finished yet. Don't mind the extra webbing I'm going to be cutting it off once it is fit properly. And also don't mind my face, I'm talking to my wife as she's taking pics lol. And I haven't hooked up my crotch strap yet (obviously).

 

[blake7]

BAUE How To Size a Backplate

You want the belt buckle in the middle where the crotch strap loop merges with your waist belt. Or a bit to the left or right based on how much exposure suit you are wearing at the time.

 

[purbeast]

Okay I ended up tightening the shoulder straps quite a bit and it feels better. I'm only going to be wearing a 3mm wetsuit so I think it'll be okay, else I can loosen it a smidge.

I'm now working on my own crotch strap now as I didn't get a premade one. I just created the loop and I think it is these sliders I have, but doubling back is a HUGE pain in the ass and it took me like 10 minutes to get it to work, cutting the edge of the nylon to make an angle so I could slide it through. But the width of the openings on the sliders BARELY fits a double back width in it.

I see that is the proper way to do the strap to the bottom of the backplate. But I know if I do that, then trying to resize it and stuff is going to just be really a pain.

I'm wondering if I should do it that way, or I am wondering if there is anything wrong with connecting it the way I have in the pics below. I am going to add a D-ring too but I just took these pics to ask if there is anything wrong with doing it this way. I mean there is no way that the metal slider can fit back through the plate like that and it's not going anywhere. But I know everything else says to double it back so I just wanted to know if this is a bad idea.

 

[purbeast]

I'm also wondering how much excess webbing you should leave on the side you weave through the belt buckle. I don't think I will ever be adjusting my belt buckle and if I needed to move the location, I could do it "from the other side" to move the position of the belt buckle. But it's super snug and very hard to adjust right now so I don't think it will be moving. I have like 2-3 feet excess on that side right now but am wondeirng how close to the buckle I should cut it.

 

[rongoodman]

You might want to raise the D-rings on the shoulder straps a little. I'm hoping the BP doesn't hang that low on your back when you finally get it set up. Can you even touch the top of it? The excess from the belt buckle will be laying underneath, around toward your left hip, so maybe trim it to end just before the D-ring there. You can use one of the these, Extreme Exposure, to secure it, along with ones on each shoulder strap to secure back-up lights. Put a couple on each side so you won't have to unthread everything in case one breaks.

 

[purbeast]

You might want to raise the D-rings on the shoulder straps a little. I'm hoping the BP doesn't hang that low on your back when you finally get it set up. Can you even touch the top of it? The excess from the belt buckle will be laying underneath, around toward your left hip, so maybe trim it to end just before the D-ring there. You can use one of the these, Extreme Exposure, to secure it, along with ones on each shoulder strap to secure back-up lights. Put a couple on each side so you won't have to unthread everything in case one breaks.

The BP did move up once I tightened it a bit. With my body size/structure I can't touch the top of it. I don't think I could tighten it anymore though. It would be too tight.

When I am talking about the excess on the belt buckle threaded side, I don't mean the side that you put THROUGH the belt buckle to secure it. I mean the webbing that you thread through it to secure it to the left side of your harness.

Are you saying I should keep that much excess on the left side of the harness that has been threaded through the belt buckle already? Or were you referring to the excess after I put the right side through the buckle and it's tightened? It seemed like you were talking about the latter so I just wanted to clarify in case I'm wrong.

 

[purbeast]

Here's some updated pics of how it is when it feels pretty fitted and snug on me.

 

[rongoodman]

I was referring the the excess after threading the buckle. You don't need a lot, but it can lay all the way over to the left hip D-ring without being in the way if you want. I think mine is a few inches shy of that. You can raise the back plate by loosening the waist belt and shortening the shoulder straps, while lengthening the crotch strap. The waist belt will lie above your waist, but the crotch strap will still secure it. It just looks too low on your back the way you have it now. It will be interesting to see what other posters have to say.

 

[blake7]

Hard to see from the last set of pictures, but can you move the shoulder straps around 2-3 inches off your shoulders without the crotch strap attached to the belt? The crotch is what should be locking down your shoulder straps to your body.

Also, just loop your crotch strap through the slot and use the slider beneath the plate to fix the return flap. Only the material of the crotch strap is going through the slot on the plate.