Why is my plate killing my back?

[JahJahwarrior]

Damn college food! I just hope students aren't involved in making the stuff. Seeing college kids in hair nets - just not right. That being said, I did serve a half-cooked patty melt to someone as a volunteer chef at my college.

X

Some of them are students. Those that aren't are hispanic. It's kind of fun, trying to order in spanish....

The night before I was supposed to come back for Christmas break, I visited the cafeteria one last time, since I wouldn't be here at college for a month and all. I spent that night/morning praying to the porcelain gods.... Thanks a lot for serving half cooked food!

 

[PerroneFord]

Plate looks a little low to me. But hard to tell from the angle.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I also was going to say it looks a little low. What holes are you using to mount the wing and tanks. And is your trim ok with the way you have it set up?

 

[TSandM]

I think the plate looks a bit low, too. If you reach back and feel the biggest "bump" at the base of your neck, that's the C7 spinous process. The next one down, which should be easily palpable, is the T1 spinous process. That's about where the top of the plate should sit.

Did you by any chance buy a "tall" plate? That would explain why it looks too long for your torso. At 6', I'd think a regular plate should work just fine (it does for me, and I'm 5'4).

The bolts on none of our doubles stick up enough to touch my back, even if I have nothing but a T-shirt on. (I don't dive in a T-shirt, but I have put the rig on to move it around, so I know.) Maybe you need to trim the bolts down a little bit?

I wouldn't want to hike a long ways with my doubles on, but it would be because of the weight, and not because the plate or bolts were digging into me. Something just isn't right here.

 

[Dive-aholic]

The plate looks low to me, too, but it doesn't look too long. If it feels fine under water, then there's nothing wrong with it. On land, you're going to have some digging into your hips because of the weight of the tanks. Buy a hand cart...or go sidemount...

 

[PhilEllis]

Many here are not going to like this, but the truth is, SOME people simply cannot get a plate comfortable without padding. I have a solution. If you want, give me a toll-free call at (800) 601-DIVE and I can help you.

Phil Ellis

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Thank you all for your advice! TSandM, I'm going to try your method of determining plate height soon, whenever classes end for the day

But I'm fairly confident that I managed to bruise my back some carrying tanks around yesterday, I hit that spot on a chair and it hurt like the dickens just a few minutes ago....so I'll forego trying to schlep them on my back again until this weekend when I go diving, and with any great luck it'll be better.

So first I'll try make sure the plate it as the right spot. Then I'll try bending the corners ever so slightly. Then I'll look into a pad of some sort. After that, a handtruck

 

[Mr.X]

The night before I was supposed to come back for Christmas break, I visited the cafeteria one last time, since I wouldn't be here at college for a month and all. I spent that night/morning praying to the porcelain gods.... Thanks a lot for serving half cooked food!

Thank you all for your advice! TSandM, I'm going to try your method of determining plate height soon, whenever classes end for the day

But I'm fairly confident that I managed to bruise my back some carrying tanks around yesterday, I hit that spot on a chair and it hurt like the dickens just a few minutes ago....so I'll forego trying to schlep them on my back again until this weekend when I go diving, and with any great luck it'll be better.

So first I'll try make sure the plate it as the right spot. Then I'll try bending the corners ever so slightly. Then I'll look into a pad of some sort. After that, a handtruck

...the evidence is in: food poisoning = weight loss. No padding. Doubles carried over distance = pain. Put in a proposal to the phys. ed.,or limnology department that you are conducting research. Maybe they get you a student sherpa under the guise of "vital" research being conducted for the university.

Seriously, having gone this route I always ended up having to truck my own gear.


Best,

X

 

[SparticleBrane]

These should help with the padding.

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

The plate looks too low to me too, especially if you let loose of the harness it's going to go even lower.

Seriously, I'm more concerned about the weight loss and the reasons for it than the fit of the harness. Talk to your family and get more money for food so you can eat better, if that's the issue. That's dramatic weight loss as a percentage of total body weight. I'm 5'10" and my ideal 'fighting weight' was about 170, though I passed that many years ago.