Backplate size?

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Web Monkey

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I'm putting together a BP/W and a set of doubles, and was wondering what the deal is with various BP lengths.

Some manufacturers have "regular" and "long" sizes, and OMS shows a bunch of different sizes in their catalog, but these seem to be the size of the wing, not the plate, since they only seem to offer 1 size SS plate.

I'm about 6' 0", but have shorter legs and a longer torso.

DSS has a couple of different length plates, but they're sized according to the hight of the person, IE. The tall plate says for 6' 3" - 6' 8", which is 3" taller than me.

FredT also has a number of different sizes, and I measured according to the directions and came up with 18", which puts me into the X-Long plate. Since I'm not a basketball player and there are lots of people taller than me, I'm not certain the X-Long plate would be the right one, although it seems to be, according the the measurement directions.

Anybody have any idea how I can figure out which size plate to get?

If I get a too-long plate what kind of problems would it cause? How about a too-short plate?

Or am I making something out of nothing, and should I just order the "regular" size?

Thanks!

Terry
 
I guess I'll just take a guess and see what comes in. :cool:

Terry
 
Call Tobin at DSS or ask him in the DSS forum in the manufacturers section. He'll help you get the perfect fit.
 
I use a long plate from DSS, but I'm 6'7". For me, a long plate makes all the difference in the world. My guess would be that you will be fine in a standard plate.

Have you tried on any brand of regular plate and did it feel OK? Two big pluses of the long plate for me are that it sits better on my my back, and the distance from the top of the webbing to the bottom is a couple of inches longer. That makes it easier to chicken wing my longer arms in and out of the harness.

Unless you have a problem with the standard plate, I would start there.
 
I am somewhere between 5'11" and 6'-0" and have a regular plate. No size issue whatsoever. I think you will be good with a "regular" size plate. FYI my plate is a DiveRite, but I also have a Zeagle backplate...both fit just fine.
 
Call Tobin at DSS or ask him in the DSS forum in the manufacturers section. He'll help you get the perfect fit.

Thanks!

I just sent him a PM.

Now that I think about it, I probably should have posted a regular thread, since it's probably a useful question.

I'll have to see if I can do something about it later.

Terry
 
Thanks!

I just sent him a PM.

Now that I think about it, I probably should have posted a regular thread, since it's probably a useful question.

I'll have to see if I can do something about it later.

Terry

Tobin is great. He spent 45 minutes talking me through setting up my doubles rig. It's really a great set up. Whatever you go with (if it's not DSS), you'll wish you had DSS :eyebrow:
 
I have an OMS SS backplate and found that it was too small for me. I'm 6'4" but my torso isn't that much longer than usual, but found it was still too small. So I ended up ordering the DSS plate you were talking about. Will see how it fits hopefully this week sometime when it arrives.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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