expectations in a Backplate?

What type of expectations do you have in terms of quality and performance for a backplate?

Here is why I ask. My wife purchased an Oxycheq wing with a (Koplin?) BP from COVCI, I purchased one from another company.

Mine has performed without a hitch. Hers on the other hand chewed significantly through her webbing after just a few dives. It was not very well finished or polished. On hers I can see slight rust stains where the steel bends. It also weighs less than mine.

Now, I know that she (or I) could buy some sandpaper and smooth out the edges on hers (right now she just put some duct tape on it as a temporary fix). But, for the cost should she have to do that? It was a significant investment. Not all BP purchasers are DIY types. Perhaps some feel like it is no big deal to smooth it out a bit, but she is really disappointed in the quality of the BP and feels it should have come to her "dive ready." Though COVCI was helpful before her purchase, when she wrote back about this issue several times she never got a reply again.

So what do you expect from a backplate? Is this acceptable to you? What are your standards?

p.s. If she could have done it over she would have bought it from a local vendor.

Raposarose,
I manufacture back plates as a small, cottage industry.
There are a couple of finishing operations that I feel are critical.

The edges of the webbing slots "where force is exerted and movement is encountered" should be finished off with a smooth radius with a file. The upper webbing slots aren't too critical in this respect because there is very little movement of the webbing in those slots. The lower, waist strap slots, however, should be give special attention and finishing. There is a great amount of movement of the waist straps and if the edges are finished properly here, excessive abrasion can occur.

The overall surface finish of the plate is, in my opinion, a matter of personal preference. I finish my plates by glass beading them and then finish sanding them with 400 grit paper. It gives them sort of a "metal flake" appearance.

As to the rust in the bends . . .
The rust probably comes from carbon steel residue left on the punch and die used in the brake. Stainless steel doesn't rust, but carbon steel particulate matter left on the bending tool and embedded in the surface of the plate when it is formed will rust. It's of no great concern, other than cosmetic.

All exterior edges should be radiused and polished. I always take my hands and run around the edges with a good amount of force to see if I can cut myself or maybe if the edge seems just a little too sharp.

There should be no burrs present that can catch on anything or cause any cuts.

A back plate doesn't "perform", it's just a hunk of metal that supports some webbing and a tank.

There are differing weights for divers with different requirements, but other than that there are very little differences among manufacturers.

But then, I deal in onesies and twosies and deal with the end user in a one-on-one basis, so mine have to be right and to the full expectation of the customer.

the K

Having been involved in another hobby where some people expect a highly finished product and others expect a little DIY, I can see where this could be a problem. But generally, it comes down to money.

There are a number of highly respected manufacturers of BP/W in the diving community that frequent the large boards and people purchase from them over and over again with great results. I am about to order my first BP/W setup next week, after reading about them for months. I know I could order from Halcyon, Dive Rite, Hammerhead, FredT, or Tobin and be very happy. Or I could go bargain hunting and maybe do ok, or maybe not.

Some bargains will not have deburred edges. Some won't include an LP inflator, some plates will be fairly light because not as much steel is being used. Some will have slight outer bends at the outside bottom of the plate. Some wings will have an outer protective shell, others won't. Some wings will have a pull elbow for the corrugated hose, others won't. But just like anything else, there is a range of features and a corresponding range of price.

In my opinion, if your wife wanted a nicely finished product (and she is certainly not alone in this) then she should have sourced one from one of the well known companies, as we rarely hear of these issues with their products, and they are VERY easy to contact and get relief from when there are issues. At this point, I'd suggest she sell her setup online because she'll probably get VERY close to what she paid for it, and move to something else.

Just my $.02.

Rap,

Take Perrone's advice and e-bay her BP for whatever you can get. Then steer her to:

HERE: www.deepseasupply.com

Tobin makes great stuff. Very well finished. Get the custom harness with it and her comfort level will be maximized.

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the feedback. Perrone, she bought her wing at a time period where everyone on this board was really high on Oxycheq wings Several people here mentioned COVCI as a good option for a complete package for a good price. The guy who runs it, Chris, is a member of this board. I just don't know why he was so friendly before the sale and never wrote back when she had questions afterward.

The system was delivered totally set-up and presented as ready to dive. The same as my Halcyon system (I got a package Halcyon system + regs deal at an LDS). But I had no problems and now she has duct tape around her webbing at critical points. We weighed our set-ups and believe that her plate is about 1 lb lighter than mine.

Anyway, you are right, it would have been good to go through a well-known company (a local dive shop would have matched prices, offered a better plate, and used steel buckles instead of plastic).

Kraken, by "performance" I meant that the plate should not wear significantly through the webbing after only three or four dives, just as you mentioned. I agree that those finishing operations are critical, I just wondered if other divers around here felt it was acceptable to receive a plate ("dive ready") that wasn't finished to the same degree of care as yours.

She is happy with her wing. She would rather have steel buckles and a better plate though. Considering this, do you still think it is better to sell it off or should she just try to do the finishing herself? Is it difficult? What would we need to do?

Thanks for all your feedback. She is a little disappointed by all this but I am trying to help her figure out the best option. It's always good to feel positive about what you're diving!

Cheers!

BigJetDriver69:

Rap,

Take Perrone's advice and e-bay her BP for whatever you can get. Then steer her to:

HERE: www.deepseasupply.com

Tobin makes great stuff. Very well finished. Get the custom harness with it and her comfort level will be maximized.

Click to expand...

Take Rob's advice get your wife a Deep Sea Supply plate and I guarantee her webbing will far outlast your own. I just replaced the harness on my DSS plate after more than 200 dives ... not because I needed to but because I wanted a different color webbing for a while. The webbing I removed still looked, essentially, new.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

As usual, good points from the members above. To answer your question specifically about "is it ok with other divers" the answer is no. If my Diverite SS plate was rough I would have been upset. If they say it is dive ready and quality gear then shortcuts or excuses shouldn't be taken. Many of us buy BP/W's because one major advantage is that they should last longer than a fabric BC and should be a better buy in the long run in some cases. Your plate isn't facilitating this thought.

For some reason the deepseasupply links aren't working. I guess we were 1 for 2 on buying backplates. Hopefully we can fix this at a minimal loss.

NWGratefulDiver, what color webbing are you using now? She might like a different color (maybe blue) when she replaces hers.

Honestly, I think I'll end up doing all the work of getting her the new plate, setting it up, etc. I suggest sometimes for her to look into this stuff so she can learn, but really she just likes to dive and not research equipment. I guess that means that my "research" is also partially to blame for the decision to get this through COVCI. Oh well, others can learn from our mistakes!

Can you get a storage pack for pack for a lift bad for the deepseasupply plates like you can for the Halcyon? I don't think she'll need any special harness for comfort, our wetsuits are pretty thick for the northern Cali diving so we haven't felt uncomfortable with regular harnesses.

raposarose:

For some reason the deepseasupply links aren't working.

Click to expand...

Sorry, our host server has been done for a while, not sure why.

We don't offer a storage pack, I use two bungee loops on the bottom of my plate for SMB storage. I like this method as it is possible to restow the bag yourself.


Tobin

BTW, The DR plate also eats the webbing......anyone want to buy mine?