Why a butt plate?

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NeedABiggerBoat

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Location
Kitchener On. Canada
# of dives
100 - 199
I'm just an average diver but I am very interested in side mount. I'm pondering making a SM rig out of my Transpac, and was wondering about the reason for the butt plate. I usually sling a pony, and clipping it to my chest D ring and waist D ring keeps it in a position much like side side mounted tanks. Does the butt plate just pull the tank a little tighter to your body or what?
 
whole lot of reasons but the biggest thing is the wing needs to be clipped to the waist belt so it doesn't fold back... with AL80's you don't really need a butt plate
 
Why not?
 
with the 80's they have to get moved forward to the hip d-rings when they start getting floaty which is rather quick so you can just leave them on the hip d-rings a la stage bottles as long as the necks are tucked up nice and tight. If they stay on the butt plate they tend to stick their butt way up and that's bad.
YouTube - Dive Rite Nomad Sidemount Equipment (cylinder trimming)
as shown here
 
I love my butt plate for a lot of reasons. Not only do I clip my tanks to it, but all of my hardware (reels, etc) gets clipped back there. Very convenient. :D I use the one made by Tobin:

40011_IMAGE_LARGE.jpg


DSS Sidemount Tail Plate



.
 
Does this attach to a standard back plate? What size is it? How do you keep the wing from tacoing? Got a photo of your setup? Thanks.
 
That tail plate is the sh!t. I actually have one on my Nomad's butt plate as well because it's easier to clip stuff. That goes on the crotch strap actually and the only way to keep the wings from taco'ing is to tie them into the waist belt somehow.
You shouldn't use a standard backplate for true sidemount because it doesn't flex so it can get caught up on rocks if you're squeezing thru stuff and you may not be able to get back out which would be bad.
That tail plate actually weaves into any 2 inch webbing though, some people use them under the counterlungs on breathers, but I like it as a tailplate. Especially on backmount because I hate junk clipped to my hips, it's irritating
 
I'm just an average diver but I am very interested in side mount. I'm pondering making a SM rig out of my Transpac, and was wondering about the reason for the butt plate. I usually sling a pony, and clipping it to my chest D ring and waist D ring keeps it in a position much like side side mounted tanks. Does the butt plate just pull the tank a little tighter to your body or what?

It's doubtful your pony is position properly if you are only using a waist d-ring. The purpose of the butt plate is to hold the cylinder higher up to it is even with your body rather than breaking below the lower plane of your body. A waist d-ring can't be positioned far enough back to do that.
 
with the 80's they have to get moved forward to the hip d-rings when they start getting floaty which is rather quick so you can just leave them on the hip d-rings a la stage bottles as long as the necks are tucked up nice and tight. If they stay on the butt plate they tend to stick their butt way up and that's bad.
YouTube - Dive Rite Nomad Sidemount Equipment (cylinder trimming)
as shown here

Even when they are clipped to the waist strap they get bottom floaty -



Adding weight to AL80s makes it so this isn't an issue.
 
Butt Plates, especially the longer slides, cause pendulum swiing with tanks - recommend using d-rings, and when confident, switch to low profile d-rings. Good Luck!, cheers, Martin.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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