SS vs AL Backplate - Choosing Your Scuba Backplate Material

[Pressurehead]

OK, talked me into it, bought an aluminium backplate to go with the SS one.
Now to work out the weight with the trim pockets etc.
Diving at he moment in 3mm full suit , short vest, and Scubapro pocket shorts, Mares fins.

What tanks do you use?

If I'm diving an AL80 I have a 1Kg weight on a camband near the bottom of the tank using my SS backplate with a 3mm suit and 2Kg when I'm diving my 5mm suit and no weight belt in both cases

With a steel 12L tank on the SS backplate I'm overweighted in the 3mm and about right in the 5mm with no additional weights.

My drysuit config is the same as for 5mm plus 2Kg (soft) on a weight belt.

I'm 170cm and 68Kg (5'7" and 150lb for the imperialists)

Ok, I dive steel 12.2L cylinders , SS plate is 5.3lbs/2.4kg , I need about what you have for an AL80 [I must be 'covid fat' now at your height at 80kg]
Al Plate is 2lbs/0.9kg,

 

[divezonescuba]

I am moving from Diverite plastic to titanium. So far so good. At least as long as I don’t beat it with a steel hammer and have an o2 leak at the same time.

I passed on CF. Seemed too thin and flimsy.

 

[stuartv]

I have a Deep Sea Supply Kydex back plate that I use all the time with my double 120s. It's great for diving in warm-ish water.

Now that I just said that, I realized maybe I should take it with me to Coz next week for diving with a single steel 120, too. I think I'm going to be well overweighted with a stainless BP, diving in board shorts...

 

[-JD-]

I have a Deep Sea Supply Kydex back plate that I use all the time with my double 120s. It's great for diving in warm-ish water.

Now that I just said that, I realized maybe I should take it with me to Coz next week for diving with a single steel 120, too. I think I'm going to be well overweighted with a stainless BP, diving in board shorts...

@stuartv would you happen to know what thickness Kydex those DSS plates are? I'm going to be playing with a custom hybrid plate for myself and was curious what had been used in that application.

 

[stuartv]

@stuartv would you happen to know what thickness Kydex those DSS plates are? I'm going to be playing with a custom hybrid plate for myself and was curious what had been used in that application.

My calipers say 0.130". But, keep in mind that it also has stainless steel reinforcement in the whole spine channel and at each of the spots where the harness webbing goes through it.

 

[-JD-]

My calipers say 0.130". But, keep in mind that it also has stainless steel reinforcement in the whole spine channel and at each of the spots where the harness webbing goes through it.

Thanks! 1/8" nominal matches with my remembered impressions. Should have brought the last of the long-pattern ones from John.

I'll be grafting the kydex onto a Golem dogbone plate. The cylinder/harness connection will be SS. The only weight it will be carrying is ballast and accessories. Given that the DSS is .130, I'm thinking .093 or even .080 might be sufficient for my purpose.


Have a great trip! Wish I could be going.

 

[NAM001]

whats the difference between them. nothing but weight. you can add weight to the spine of an AL plate but you cant remove weight from a steel plate. A steel plate weighs what it weighs

 

[happy-diver]

Stainless

"Because you must"

 

[chris kippax]

Very nice! If you ever retire from diving I would love to take it off your hands

 

[Rickk]

I ended up with an Ocean Diver AL back plate and harness. The SS Apeks plate alone was as much as the combination, the Apetks harness about the same so I got Al for half what a SS would have been.

I had been using a low end Seac BCD, With just a rashie and board shorts I was diving with 5 kg. On my first dive I used pockets on the harness and dove with 4 kgs. Switched to tech shorts 3 mm so I would have some pockets. At the end of the dive we were in sand bottom 5 m deep and I was able to hold depth with only 2 kgs and 60 bar. I laced the 2 kgs on the belt of the harness and can maintain depth at 50 bar. Cannot take a deep breath of air though.

I will stay with this configuration for now. I have a pair of RK3 fins on order and if they are too floaty may have trouble with trim if i go to a SS plate as that will move the weight higher on my body.

I have had about 8 dives with the new rig including a night dive and am loving it. Better control and less encumbrances . With teh BCD If i tried a roll, I ended up jerking around as I rolled past about 60 degrees. Now a roll is nice and smooth. I will be tweaking the configuration for a few dives, lo=ts more customization than available on a BCD.

Got to do a few drills with it Doff and don both surface and underwater etc.