Halcyon BP; One size fits all?

Okay GANG.. Question Time for a newbie!!

First of all.......Thanks to everyone who share thier experiences and do some serious mindsharing on this SCUBA-BOARD... For a long time, I have been shadow lurking, reading, learning, sampling, and comparing.

Ready to make a switch from my florescent orange floaties to either a DiveRite TranspacII with rec wings or a Halcyon with SS BP and Pioneer wings(27# or 36#). Wanna make a serious change, as my floaties are starting to show distress wear and tear, trying to lift and keep afloat, this 6'4" 320 pound swimming suit that I normally wear. (Honest...its the suit...it really is)

At my LDS, I can get my hands on a XL TP-II for fit and test but there are no available Halcyon Dealers close by to test and/or try.

Question(s): is the Halcyon SS and/or AL BP's all the same size; thus one size fits all? Does the metal BP rest right next to your back with no additional padding?

I've surfed the WWW tring to find info that assists one to a fuller understanding. NOTTA

Ohhhhhh GRAND-PUH-BAH's of the SCUBA-BOARD float me in the right direction.... I'm not worthy!!

Here you go:

Are backplates universal?

Incidentally, yes - the backplate does sit against your back, however, it really is more comfortable than it sounds. In many ways, it's no different than a lot of BC's which have a plate in them anyway, in that respect.

I can wear my bp/wing in a t-shirt without it feeling uncomfortable, and they really do disappear once you get in the water if it's sized properly.

(To be fair, I've only gone snorkeling in mine - I get certified TOMORROW! But I - ahem- digress...)

yes, it is "one size fits all" although i could see a small child having a problem wearing it

the backplate rests right on your back and you can get the "MC storage pack" to bolt it on the inside. In theory it gives you some extra padding when you dive without wetsuit (i didn't try it without wetsuit so i wouldn't know)

but the backplate is smooth and doesn't have any wierd angles, edges that could sratch you so you really don't need any extra padding.

you can adjust the size by adjusting the webbing. it is all one piece webbing so it will fit a person no matter how big the person it as long as you get long enough webbing...

The crotch strap can be too short on particularly tall individuals.

Halcyon will make up custom length straps (we've got some at my LDS).

Alternatively, its easy to make your own.

Where are you located?

Tall folks, or to be more accurate folks with long torsos will find a "standard" length plate can be made to work, but it places the "waist strap" up against the bottom of the ribs. I find this not really optimum for comfort or stability.

Alternately folks with short torsos will find the bottom of the plate resting on bone at the pelvic arch and the plate uncomfortable out of the water.

The other variations are the width of the straps at the shoulders and the weight of the plate.


I manufacture plates for both tall and small divers along with the "standard" size, in weights from 1 pound up to 19 pounds negative. All have at least 3 different angles the straps can cross the shoulders so you can adjust the harness to what suits your body style best.

PM me with your e-mail address for details.

I'll throw in a blatent plug for the FredT plates; they are not only less expensive than the "H", but made of better material.
Additional holes & slots allow for a WIDE range of different wings, etc to be used.
(even a Rec Wing)

Scott Koplin also makes BP's in three sizes. I believe his are distributed by Oxycheq. The quality of his work that I've seen has been outstanding.

And if I ever needed any more, he's who I'd turn to.

Roak

Plates are also not universal in terms of the 'angle' at which they are stamped/bent. Take an OMS, a Halcyon, and a FredT plate and try to stack them, any 2 at a time. You'll note they do not lay flat against one another - they're bent at slightly different angles. When these bp's are attached to the same set of doubles (w/out wing) there are varying distances between tanks and outer plate edges.

I'm not sure it matters much, unless perhaps you want to store some larger type of surface marker device between your back and the plate. If so, you might want to go for the deeper plate.

FWIW, I've got a 1/4" FredT. If I ever need another plate, it will also be a FredT.