Proper Positioning of the Back Plate?

[bjpell]

I searched the board for this topic for over and hour and couldn't find anything on it so I hope this isn't a double post.

What is the proper position of the back plate in relation to your waist? Where should the waist straps come around and go forward to the front in relation to you stomach? I was assuming that it was at the belt line but on a person who is 20 lbs over weight this is a few inches well below the belly button and then the back plate is almost riding on your lower waist like a backpack while hiking. The chest straps are then loose and the rig is somewhat unstable. I know that part of the answer is loosing weight, which I’m currently working on, but where should the waste strap be??? What is the DIR Position?

I looked all over for a picture of a someone wearing a system like mine but can't seem to find front and side views.

Any help is appreciated even if it is positive criticism, but please keep any flaming/rude comments to your self.



-=ben

 

[cool_hardware52]

Look here http://www.baue.org/images/galleries/equipment

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Take a look a Dan MacKay's "Dressed for success" book, I think I recall him having some pics in it on this.

From what I can recall him telling us was actually can you reach the top of it with the harness on (with no tank), putting it up around the mmiddle of the shoulder-blade area. As in how you would do a valve shut-down.

The waist belt was about belly-button area, sorry man the issue of excess personal weight never came up with our group when adjusting.......


I've never really found much of a height difference when I was adjusting mine.

EDIT: Yes number 4 of 21, thanks CH.

 

[JeffG]

Any help is appreciated even if it is positive criticism, but please keep any flaming/rude comments to your self.

There goes my involvement in this thread. Man...can't even be rude to Steve. Yeesh.


But like Steve says, its the top of the plate that is important. The bottom ends up where it ends up.

I didn't like where the waist strap end up using a standard plates, so I bought a large plate from DSS (It just has to get to my house so I can try it )

 

[cool_hardware52]

Being able to touch the top of the plate is a good place to start, but is not the end all.

Long armed flexible folks could likely touch the top of the plate when it was several inches lower.

The "wing span challenged" (that's me) might not.

Take the advice in total, i.e. plate location + shoulder strap tightness etc. as a starting point. You will need to tweek it on the first few dives.

Valve access is a combo of plate location, exposure suit "give" arm lenght, tank band location for doubles, tank location for singles etc.

BTW your waist is not your hips, your waist is that (perhaps formerly) narrow spot below your ribcage and above your hips. (Good thing my long term memory still works )


Tobin

 

[bjpell]

Thanks for all your help guys! I have been playing around with it all day and checking out the pictures in the first link. Now I can just hit the top of the plate with 3 fingers. That puts the straps at the bottom edge of my ribs but above the hips. I was wishing it would be a little lower then that but oh well. The crotch strap is now lengthened way longer then it previously was. I used to wear my system at the same spot you would wear a belt, on my hips.

With the given adjustments I cannot get the two fingers under the shoulder straps unless the waist belt is on, otherwise it is a snug fit. I'm sure that with an alu 80 tank two fingers would not be easy at all if not painfull from the shoulder weight. Maybe when I think its setup right I'll post a picture of it riged on me and you can let me know what you think?!?

Thank you for all your help!!!!!!!!

-=ben

 

[Scuba_Steve]

As Tobin says, you'll still have to tweak it as you go after a few dives.

And for pete's sake, don't get it too tight!

To this day I can't believe the difference in flexibility when wearing the right suit. I went from struggling but reaching the valves, to scratching my a*s from over the shoulder if I wanted to

Hey Jeff, as long as you keep that signature line, you can be as rude to me as you like. Plus my son likes your machine gun maniac kitty.

Steve

 

[bjpell]

Thanks again to all who posted here. I went into the swimming pool at the apartment here and found that I need no lead with an empty al 80 tank (200psi) and all my gear on. The positioning of the plate was good and I could reach the valve on the tank. It was easier though when I lifter the bottom of the plate with my other hand so it was not so far behind my head while turning the knob.

Thanks again!!!

-=ben

 

[jagfish]

Thanks again to all who posted here. I went into the swimming pool at the apartment here and found that I need no lead with an empty al 80 tank (200psi) and all my gear on. The positioning of the plate was good and I could reach the valve on the tank. It was easier though when I lifter the bottom of the plate with my other hand so it was not so far behind my head while turning the knob.

Thanks again!!!

-=ben

Hi Ben
Glad to hear your gear configuration is shaping up. Just remember that you MAY need weight in salt water if you were neutral in fresh.

Jim