Hammerhead Backplate Question

Hi Hammerhead Backplate owners!

Ok, so I just got my backplate today and a number of questions:

First... is it normal for there to be a few sharp burs on the cutouts? Nothing that a little dremel action didn't take care of.

When it comes to rigging it I am a little confused. It comes with a bolt and a piece of bungee cord. I don't know what those are for.

Also, the webbing looks like it covers up the single tank adapter holes.

Thanks,
Sam.

You can finish polish the cutouts with a file or Dremal as you suggested, yes, that is normal for a budget plate.

The webbing will cover the top hole, once adjusted--once adjusted---you will then burn a hole through the webbing thus locking it in place.

The short bolt is to attach and lock your crotch strap.

The bungee is to make a holder for your inflator in the LH D ring I believe.

N

Sam,
The plate requires a little finishing. It is supposedly done at the factory but a dremel should make it just how you like it. I noticed the sta was very burred when I recieved it.

The bungee is is to secure your inflator to your left shoulder d ring. Make a loop out of it and install it between the d-ring and the 2" webbing. It will keep your inflator in a position you can easily find and use.

The bolt is for you to secure the crotch strap.

When you are first rigging the harness it is nice to have the hole burned in so it centers the webbing. I used my bolt provided to hold it in place until I was done rigging.
You can then make small adjustments to it while the center point of the Hogarth rig remains fixed.
Harness pictures from George Irvine and Sean Stevenson

https://www.deepseasupply.com/index.php?page=instructions

Hope this helps

I kind of wish I had spent the extra few dollars and gotten a backplate from DSS. Actually, I think I should have spent the money on a better harness kit. I was sort of hoping for a pre-assembled crotch strap

Those burs are annoying, I am not sure how smooth it should be, or if I should round the corners of the webbing cutouts.

The DSS plate is nice but the Hammerhead is also a great plate. It is a copy of the Fred T design.

There is no real need for a pre-assembled crotch strap. It is very easy to put together and once is is set is is not going anywhere. Should only take about 5 min to put it together.

I would debur the entire plate including the webbing cutouts. Smoother the better. I also reamed out the square holes to fit my doubles bolts better.

kgdiver:

The DSS plate is nice but the Hammerhead is also a great plate. It is a copy of the Fred T design.

There is no real need for a pre-assembled crotch strap. It is very easy to put together and once is is set is is not going anywhere. Should only take about 5 min to put it together.

I would debur the entire plate including the webbing cutouts. Smoother the better. I also reamed out the square holes to fit my doubles bolts better.

Click to expand...

Now I removed the burs, but inside the webbing holes there is a little groove in the direction of the hole (it looks like where the plasma cutter started and ended or something) I don't need to remove that groove do I? Just anything that is sharp... With a dremel tool I only spent 10 minutes going over it. I am not sure I have done a thorough enough job. I guess worst case is that it wears on the webbing... in that case it isn't an expensive fix. I think I will try assembling it now

swinchen:

I kind of wish I had spent the extra few dollars and gotten a backplate from DSS. Actually, I think I should have spent the money on a better harness kit. I was sort of hoping for a pre-assembled crotch strap

Those burs are annoying, I am not sure how smooth it should be, or if I should round the corners of the webbing cutouts.

Click to expand...

When I purchased my HH rig, there was no need to debur the plate, but the STA required a little bit. No Biggie.

Pre-assembled crotch strap? Belt slide?

You need to know how to do this yourself. DIY. Embrace it.

I am most confused by the crotch strap. I am not sure how much of the webbing to cut off. I guess Once I get it adjusted I will just cut off whatever is remaining... and that will get turned into the crotch strap. And once I get that I am not sure how to attach that to the back of the plate, or make the loop for the best. I can probably google that though First thing first.

Your getting to scientific. The harness will probably last about 1,000 dives if you don't deburr anything. Just knock off whatever sharp corners you can and be happy. The harness will wear some but dude your not mountain climbing---it will be OK.

There are several links floating around to set up a harness. It is really simple. I suggest not cutting off to much and leaving everything long until you can get it in a pool WITH your suit. I leave mine a little looser than many do in the shoulder area. The crotch strap really is simple. I will shoot some pics of my well dived Hammerhead and harness later tonight.

You can place rubber strips from inner tubes over cut ends and the crotch bolt to prevent it rubbing on you. A STA just about always will make life easier--as far as I am concerned.













In the pics I am pointing if you look close under the rubber strips you can see a small bulge, that is the crotch strap bolt.

Also the bottom pic shows another old wives tail wrong. Notice how close the STA and the plate are. The "sandwich" of plate/wing/STA adds only a minimal amount to the thickness compared to no STA. If you go without an STA then there will be nothing to hold your wing to the plate unless you get some round head (nylon) bolts and use them to attach the plate. This will leave the tank sitting on the bolts instead of the secure STA.

Plates in formation. The Freedom Plate II compared to Hammerhead, Mach V (30) vs SeaTec (40ish or so). I just have returned from an extensive road tour through north and central Florida, trying to get things mended, washed and stowed.



BTW, the Hammerhead has the resin impregnated webbing, the Freedom Plate has the soft stuff with a prefab DiveRite crotch strap. I used to like the resisn stuff but after using the soft webbing I kind of like it now.

N

swinchen:

I guess Once I get it adjusted I will just cut off whatever is remaining... and that will get turned into the crotch strap. And once I get that I am not sure how to attach that to the back of the plate, or make the loop for the best. I can probably google that though First thing first.

Click to expand...

You got it. Use the left overs.

To secure the crotch strap you use a couple of weight belt keepers. Put it through the keeper then through the plate for the backside...and about a 4-5" loop on the front. Then weave the webbing back through the weight belt keeper. All thats left to do is burn the hole and bolt it.

Leave a little room on the harness for adjusting. It took me a couple of dives to get it dialed in perfectly. You can always trim later.