Pinch flat precaution

[Anthony A.]

After reading lots of posts and threads about pinch flats and how the best precaution is to remove it whenever possible, I got thinking of a few ideas and questions.

1) Will a dss kydex plate still be able to cause a pinch flat (not because of its weight) because it is simply a hard surface?

2.) I recently tried on a H aluminum plate with the deluxe padding on it, and noticed that the backpad actually wraps around the edges of the plate. Seemed like it created a very soft edge. Would this still cause a pinch flat being that its padded?

3.) Anyone used 1/4" silicone tubing with a slit through it, wrap it around the plate edge and zip tie it to the plate holes? I would drill a few small holes in the bottom and sides to help drain trapped water. Would this completely eliminate pinch flats?

I know "being careful" is the best practice, but I have been on boat ops that require you to take your gear off in the water, they grab it, launch it in the corner of the boat, and next in line gets the same.

 

[tbone1004]

1. yes, though unlikely with a DSS wing due to the thickness of the bladder
2. it's possible but unlikely
3. yes it's been done, no it will not completely eliminate pinch flats, but it will certainly bring the chance to near 0

pinch flats are not common issues. DSS uses a very thick rubber bladder material that is very durable, Halcyon uses a laminated fabric that is also very durable. Two different ways to skin a cat with neither being necessarily better than the other, just different.

The key is to size the wing appropriately, and do what you can to protect it. Abuse like throwing gear around is not going to cause a pinch flat in the normal sense, but may cause damage to the bladder in other ways. Pinch flats usually occur when you have the wing mounted and drop the plate onto the bladder. Takes a pretty good amount of force to do it, usually with a sudden impact vs sustained loading. @cool_hardware52 can elaborate a bit more on them, but I don't think it's enough of an issue to be seriously concerned about.

For me the biggest thing if I'm weighing DSS vs Halcyon *assuming you're normal size* is going to be cost, $850 vs $480 *can buy you a spare wing from DSS and still have almost $100 to spare if you go with the Infinity, or if you go with the Traveler you're halfway to a spare wing since it's $600*. The others are with the Infinity system specifically and that is the STA. I love STA's, don't get me wrong, and if you're diving locally all the time, then using STA's where you can have one on each of your tanks and the wing nuts may or may not be easier than trying to work with cam bands when on a boat. They are for me, but I dive doubles when diving locally. The convenience of the DSS rigs when travelling is awesome because the cam bands stay on the plate, but the wing can come in separately for packing and you only have 2 pieces. With the Halcyon you have 3 pieces plus have to worry about washers, wing nuts, and bolts which are annoying. The biggest thing for me personally is the length options of the DSS backplates allowing me to dive comfortably with a backplate again.

I have over a thousand hours of dive time on a Halcyon Eclipse 30, and it was the first BC I ever used, but I own DSS rigs for a reason...

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I have thought the same thing about protection. For a good bit of my one plate, I placed a sheet of thick wetsuit over it and then wrapped it a little over the edge, punched holes and then tied it with string. It is probably uglier than I describe.

 

[Anthony A.]

tbone, I really like the H stuff when I tried it on. It really did feel high quality, but its really expensive too. I have yet to try a dss plate, but will in the next couple weeks from a dealer. Looking forward to that. I hear the bend is quite nice.

Having said that, I still haven't found a plate that is comfortable enough for me even in a thin wetsuit. Even adjusted properly, I just prefer the ones with a backpad. Once I tried on the H one with the backpad, I was instantly sold.... until they told me the price of both pieces

So my search continues. I only dive 100% single tank and wont be changing that anytime soon. Plus its a mostly travel rig with occasional local stuff, so im still tossing the idea to stay with a softplate and not worry about pinch flats.



dumpster, I did think of the wetsuit idea as well but thought the tubing was just as cheap. Its like $5 from home depot.

I wonder if adding tubing and then adding the deluxe backpad on a H plate would be 99.9% safe

 

[tbone1004]

I don't think you can put the backpad on the H plate with tubing around it, tolerances are likely much too tight.

I hear you on the backpad, but I don't find soft plates to be any better unless they have a backpad.

That said, this one is cheap and universal... Doesn't help your pinch flat issue, but it certainly solves your comfort concern. The DSS plates being flatter also come in more contact with your back which helps to distribute the pressure.
Cave Adventurers - Cave Adventurers Lumbar Pad with Mounting System - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!

 

[Aqua-Andy]

To avoid pinch flats I just keep the wing inflated. When I go diving I always set my rig up at home and transport it that way. I keep the wing inflated so that if the rig rolls or falls the plate will just bounce off the wing instead of pinching it.

 

[redacted]

pinchflats and other punctures are easy enough to avoid by handling your gear with reasonable care and adding a little padding between the edges of the plate and the wing when packing. I have never removed my wing from my plate for travel. a couplke strategicaly placed t-shirts do the job.

 

[tbone1004]

To avoid pinch flats I just keep the wing inflated. When I go diving I always set my rig up at home and transport it that way. I keep the wing inflated so that if the rig rolls or falls the plate will just bounce off the wing instead of pinching it.

^that, all about that. I hadn't thought to mention that since if you handing gear to the boat from the surface, you should have it inflated, but that's realistically the best way to prevent damage to the wing is to keep it somewhat inflated. I don't like leaving them pressurized, but half or so full is good