Plates designed for Single Tanks ?

[ronscuba]

Curious about back plates and if there is any benefit to a plate specifically designed for single tanks.

I currently dive an aluminum plate and singles wing with stabilizers. No STA. Works great. However, I've been reading that the backplate was originally designed for double tanks and was modified for use with singles by adding a STA and now further modified my eliminating the STA with wings that come with stabilizers.

Seeing the recent threads on the Freedom plate and all the glowing reviews makes me wonder why there are not more plates and designs for single tanks. The teardrop shape looks like it would be more comfortable and allow the shoulders to move easier. I believe this design and shape is actually very old and there were single tank plates with that shape many many years ago.

For dedicated single tank use, is there a plate shape that works better ? Teardrop, rectangle, something else ?

 

[spectrum]

The Freedom plate and older back packs have the benefit of lowering the center of gravity. I have a number of vintage "teardrop" packs that I wish I could find the time to play around with!

For my double hose I have a flat inline VDH plate that is as comfortable as anything.

As you note the majority of the plates out there have designs centered around doubles.

Pete

 

[ronscuba]

There are so many more single tank divers. If a plate specifically designed for singles has a real benefit over the current standard plate, sounds like a nice opportunity for a manufacturer.

I wish I could dive the Freedom plate just to see/feel if there is a big difference.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

There are so many more single tank divers. If a plate specifically designed for singles has a real benefit over the current standard plate, sounds like a nice opportunity for a manufacturer.

I wish I could dive the Freedom plate just to see/feel if there is a big difference.

The reason there are no other backpack style plates out there is because they are very labor intensive to produce out of stainless, especially 10 GA. which is 1/8" thick.
All the compound curves make for a manufacturing nightmare. There isn't a big enough market for somebody to have expensive dies made to slam out that type of shape in a giant machine (like how auto fenders are made out of flat steel).
Conventional plate are bent in one dimension only and can be bent using a simple press brake.
I have to shape each and every one of these by hand one at a time by working them on an special anvil that I made just for making Freedom Plates. That's why I can only make so many per year and when I'm out I'm out until I decide to make another run.

That's why I say "Nobody can even come close", and that's because nobody is willing to go through what I have to do to make these.
I wish they would, it would only help me out more by validating what I'm doing and making me relevant.

BP/W of any kind will never be mainstream until the big boys like AL and Sp decide to make it mainstream. But for now there is too much money in jackets so I wouldn't hold your breath.

 

[skankpile]

The Golem stream plate is darn cool. http://www.golemgear.com/p-243-golem-stream-backplate.aspx

 

[ronscuba]

I have an Oxycheq Ultra light soft plate on order. It is a teardrop shape similar to the Freedom plate. Being a soft plate, I'm not expecting it to be as stable as my aluminum plate, but it is much lighter and packs a lot smaller for travel.

Very anxious to see how it dives and compares to a standard shaped hard plate.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The Golem stream plate is darn cool. http://www.golemgear.com/p-243-golem-stream-backplate.aspx

I've seen that before.
All that is is a regular plate with the sides cut out to save weight. It's still a channel type one dimmensional plate that is press braked.
It's still straight from top to bottom and doesn't follow the curve of your back like the Freedom Plate..
I see they pressed in a couple ridges where a single tank can rest. At least it's a step in the right direction, it eliminates the need for any roll control device on the wing.

 

[Rich Keller]

Before back plates were invented for scuba, commercial divers were using these for a single tank. I have seen them sell used on ebay in the $25 to $75 range. You would have to attach your own wing but this will give you the lowest profile available in the water.



I use the larger of the two for full size tanks. I just attached cam bands and a wing to it and it works as well as any back plate on the market today. The smaller one I use for a 30 cu/ft tank as a bail out for surface supply diving or shallow shore dives.

 

[ronscuba]

Rich, nice looking minimalist setup. What wing did you go with ?

I just got the Oxycheq Ultra Lite plate in the mail. I like that is uses a single piece of webbing and the tank band slots are in the same location as a standard plate. It is designed with loops at the waist so tightening the waist, tightens the shoulders which gives an easily adjustable but comfortable snug fit. It weighs nothing and the teardrop shape is more comfortable than my rectangular plate.

I'll get it in the water in a few weeks, but so far it looks like a winner and really fits my travel needs.

 

[eelnoraa]

I wonder how would one change the current plate to single tank only plate. Yeah, I know the freedom plate. Can there be a better design single tank plate ?