BP/W comfort?

First a big hello to everybody, I just joined and I think the forums are great!

Well here is my first question, it may have been answered before but I can’t find it with the search tool. I am planning to buy a Halcyon Pioneer wing, I have read a lot about it and it seems good for my needs. Here is what I need your help with: I never used a BP/W, I dived just with rented regular BC’s up to now. Unfortunately where I live nobody owns or sells the wing I want to buy so I can’t try it. I use a 7mm wetsuit in my country and a 3mm for diving in the Red Sea, so I am worried about the steel plate being uncomfortable on my back trough the thinner suit, especially while standing on the boat before getting into the water. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

It's not uncomfortable, even with a T-shirt on.

The backplate fits flat against your back, even when you're standing up. Believe me, it's nothing to worry about. I dive with a steel plate and 3mm wetsuit quite often.

What Big Jon said . . .

the K

agreed. the only uncomfy part for me was the harness at my upper arms, fixed when i re-warped to cross the straps behind my head. (no flaming - i did it the other way first & like this better for now.) the plate itself isn't uncomfy at all, and the whole rig is way more comfy than my paddy-squishy comfy *looking* back inflate bc.

I guess I am the only one...so far...that disagrees with john.

It really depends on your physiology and how the plate hits your hips or lower back. If you are wearing a thick suit then I agree ... it should be no problem. If, however you are not wearing a thick suit, and doing multiple dives like at Bonaire ....or somewhere you can get a lot of dives in.....then it could be a "sore" problem.

I use a DR TransPlate and I just made a small pad that velcros on and off if I dive a lot and it starts to bother me. Most places I dive only require a 3mm or less suit and the plate can dig into my lower back. It only becomes an issue if I do multiple dives.

Give it a try and see how it works. Even if you have to make a back pad like I did.....not a big deal.

rich

Im getting a OMS back pad because i get back pain when diving with a tshirt on. i also have the straps crossed behind my head and it helps but i also ordered sholder pads for my oms harness.. try to find a OMS dealer ( omsdive.com )and they have a good selction of accesories for the continous harness. you cannt real feel the bp but it pushed the plate back just enough to give it comfort

RICHinNC:

Most places I dive only require a 3mm or less suit and the plate can dig into my lower back.

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I'll try to keep this short and to the point.

What I learned while designing my line of back plates is the "degree of bend" or total angle of bend can very much affect comfort. Plates with a lot of bend, i.e. further from flat, are more likley to be uncomfortable. As we made plates flatter, we found a greater range of people (sizes of people) found them to be comfortable.

What is not well understood is that plates fit you differently when wearing doubles, than when wearing a single tank.

Double tanks are much closer to the divers back, seperated from the diver by only the thickness of the plate. The lower edge of the plate basically doesn't touch the diver, the bottom of the tanks hit the diver in the butt first. A steeply bent plate may be comfortable when wearing doubles because it held away from the diver.

This is not true when a single tank is mounted. The single tank is further from the divers back due to the center channel of the plate. Now the lower edge of the plate contacts the diver's back. For some people a steeply bent plate can dig into the lower back.

With a flatter back plate this very uncommon.

Hope this helps,


Tobin

I dive regularly in a 0.5mm suit and the BP+Wing doesn't bother me at all. As some said, extra padding on the shoulder strap would definitely help.

IvanM:

so I am worried about the steel plate being uncomfortable on my back trough the thinner suit

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not in my experience. i have a DiveRite aluminum plate and a Halcyon steel
plate, and neither bothers my back using a 3 mil shorty, 3 mil farmer john,
or a dry suit. can't even feel it

IvanM:

First a big hello to everybody, I just joined and I think the forums are great!

Well here is my first question, it may have been answered before but I can’t find it with the search tool. I am planning to buy a Halcyon Pioneer wing, I have read a lot about it and it seems good for my needs. Here is what I need your help with: I never used a BP/W, I dived just with rented regular BC’s up to now. Unfortunately where I live nobody owns or sells the wing I want to buy so I can’t try it. I use a 7mm wetsuit in my country and a 3mm for diving in the Red Sea, so I am worried about the steel plate being uncomfortable on my back trough the thinner suit, especially while standing on the boat before getting into the water. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

Click to expand...

I had the same worry at first, but after using my Hammerhead plate for a while I have to say it's very comfy. I dive dry, do padding is not a problem, but the plate is even comfortable when playing with the harness at home and wearing nothing but a shirt. If you don't like it, you can always add a pad later.