Sold! "Titanium" backplate and STA from AliExpress, $50

[LaneCast]

I actually forgot about this post, but sure, I can still sell it.

This past year, I've found the weight of this backplate to be useful. It's in between my true titanium backplate and a couple of steel backplates I have. So if this weight is interesting to someone, it could be a good purchase.

The color has altered after a few dips in the ocean. If you're buying it for the aesthetics, let me know and I'll post

Hi! Yes! Would love to see some updated images and would be interested in taking them off your hands if youre still interested in selling. The items had caught my eye on Aliexpress more for the superficial reasons. But was curious about the quality and wear so i started digging around here if anyone had any experience with them. Being in between true titanium and SS is actually perfect for my trim and environmental needs as SS can overweight me in anything below a 5-7 mm.

 

[SaltyWombat]

Here are updated photos. Since I've now used the backplate, I can't sell it as brand new, so I'll modify this post's subject.

I probably only dove it once or twice. It's low quality. The metal looks worse in reality than in these photos.

I can't explain the "titanium" changing color since it was not exposed to heat. I believe titanium coatings get these iridescent appearances after being heated or having electric currents running through them, which would also create heat. Nothing like that happened. It sat in my house and then went in the ocean.

New price: $50, excluding shipping.

 

[suricatasuricata]

I am pretty sure the Helium Dive backplates are not pure titanium either. It is all an alloy, depends on which alloy. Assuming the backplate from Ali Express is the one made by OSR Sports (and sold via their Aliexpress store), it is probably TC4. You can reach out to them and ask.

 

[geoff w]

I bought one of the Ali Express titanium backplates. Quality was decent. I took a torch to it to see if it was really titanium, and it changed colors as expected. Titanium being less dense than steel meant I needed more lead when I dived it. It seems like it would be a decent backplate for warmer water diving. There weren't any rough edges or burrs on the one I got, but for So Cal a steel backplate definitely makes more sense