Looking for advice for my first backplate and wing purchase

[purbeast]

I was referring the the excess after threading the buckle. You don't need a lot, but it can lay all the way over to the left hip D-ring without being in the way if you want. I think mine is a few inches shy of that. You can raise the back plate by loosening the waist belt and shortening the shoulder straps, while lengthening the crotch strap. The waist belt will lie above your waist, but the crotch strap will still secure it. It just looks too low on your back the way you have it now. It will be interesting to see what other posters have to say.

Okay I will play around with it a bit more later. It "feels" okay the way it is but then again I don't know what "okay" is supposed to really feel like lol.

Hard to see from the last set of pictures, but can you move the shoulder straps around 2-3 inches off your shoulders without the crotch strap attached to the belt? The crotch is what should be locking down your shoulder straps to your body.

Also, just loop your crotch strap through the slot and use the slider beneath the plate to fix the return flap. Only the material of the crotch strap is going through the slot on the plate.

When you say move off my shoulders, you mean like just pull forward? If so I'd guess like 2 inches maybe.

As for the crotch strap, that is all that I have going through the slot on the plate. I just have it hooked up a bit different than what I've seen.

The ways that I've seen thus far is like this video here:


However, as I mentioned, doubling back is REALLY tough with the sliders I have and if I don't HAVE to do it that way I'd prefer not to. But if that is "the way" to do it then I'll figure it out.

 

[rongoodman]

Okay I will play around with it a bit more later. It "feels" okay the way it is but then again I don't know what "okay" is supposed to really feel like lol.

Look at the picture of where the plate is on your back and then imagine where a regulator/tank will be when attached. You won't be able to get anywhere near the valve and that will be a problem for you under the best of circumstances with your build. In addition, the tank is going to hanging down well past your butt unless it's something like an LP95.

 

[blake7]

When you say move off my shoulders, you mean like just pull forward? If so I'd guess like 2 inches maybe.

Yeah, pull it up or forward. The shoulder strap should not be snug to your body with the crotch strap released.

If you are not using soft webbing, getting the crotch strap doubled up through the slider will be impossible. The DiveRite video you linked is what I meant, but you will only be able to do that with soft webbing.

For a rough idea of the position of your plate:

The ultimate test/adjustment is in the water to make sure you can reach your valves. The plate location is much more important with doubles where you cannot slide the tank up or down like you can with a single.

 

[purbeast]

Yeah I am not going to be doing any doubles at least any time soon.

I saw that pic of that guy from the other link someone posted. Thing is, I have big traps and that guy doesn't really have any. As you can see, my straps on my shoulders go "out" a bit more because of this.

I will play around with it some though and see if I can get it sitting up higher somehow. I won't be able to do it until tomorrow most likely though but I'll let you know if I can figure it out.

As for the crotch strap, I ordered "standard" nylon from Piranha (the softest of the 3 they offer) and even that I am having huge trouble doubling back in the loop I made for the crotch strap. The webbing I ordered for my harness was their "stiff" one, not the "stiffest" one they offer.

 

[stuartv]

I thought it all looked good in the first pictures. I would not have tightened it. It should not be tight, or even snug, until the crotch strap is fastened.

Look at the picture of where the plate is on your back and then imagine where a regulator/tank will be when attached. You won't be able to get anywhere near the valve and that will be a problem for you under the best of circumstances with your build. In addition, the tank is going to hanging down well past your butt unless it's something like an LP95.

Having the plate low does not mean the tank has to be low.

@purbeast You made the crotch strap too complicated. The webbing should only pass through the BP once, not twice like you have it. You’re depending on that plastic tri-slide not breaking to keep the crotch strap from pulling through and being loose. Just pass the webbing through the BP slot and then use a metal tri-slide and D-ring to make your butt D-ring and hold the tail end of the crotch strap. That tri-slide is the only place that needs to hold a double thickness of webbing.

 

[purbeast]

@stuartv yeah the doubling on the trislide is very tough with this webbing and hardware. It was very difficult to do it for the loop, but if that is how I have to do it for the strap on the plate I'll have to figure it out. Adjusting the size after doubling it is going to be fun too lol.

I'm a bit uncertain how the crotch strap is supposed to pull the plate higher on the shoulders and make stuff snug too.

 

[Soloist]

I have broad shoulders too and experienced similar results with a hogarthian harness. If you think your harness feels uncomfortable now just wait till you are all geared up with a full steel tank. Once horizontal in the water the weight will transition from your shoulders to your back, so if you are boat diving it’s probably not a big deal. However, a large percentage of our diving is done from shore, so we do a lot of tromping around fully loaded down with gear. I know it is sacrilege and I will be summarily castigated for suggesting this, but a deluxe harness “may” be a good alternative. This orients your shoulder straps perpendicular to the ground for better weight distribution, eliminates pinching under your arms by providing additional space and it’s easier to don and doff. It is much more comfortable for me. The chest strap helps keep everything in place when you sling bottles too. Now, let the abuse begin!

 

[stuartv]

I'm a bit uncertain how the crotch strap is supposed to pull the plate higher on the shoulders and make stuff snug too.

The crotch strap does not pull the plate higher. It holds it down. It is what keeps the plate from riding up and the shoulder straps becoming loose on your shoulders.

There is not really a Right Way to do this. Whatever works for you is the right way to do it. And there are multiple ways to skin the cat. The way I do it is what works for me, but that doesn't mean that somebody else's way of doing things is wrong.

I am 6'1", currently 245, and a 49" chest. I have very sloped shoulders.

When I got my first BP/W, I started off just like you did, using the Internet guides on how to set it up and adjust it to fit. I could reach the top of the plate behind me. I could put a fist under each shoulder strap. And it all worked.

After some dives, I started feeling like maybe it wasn't as easy to don/doff as it could be. And it seemed like the shoulder straps wanted to slide off me. I thought maybe I was one of the unusual body shapes that needed a chest strap. I loosened up the shoulder straps and that was better for don/doff. I put a chest strap on. That made it where it didn't feel like the shoulder straps wanted to slip off my shoulders during a dive.

After some more dives, I kept listening to @tbone1004 and thought maybe my shoulder straps needed to be even more loose. So, I loosened them some more. It became even more comfortable to dive. Eventually, I decided to try it without the chest strap. It was fine.

That is where I have ended up. Shoulder straps much looser than when I started. No chest strap needed, now that the rest is adjusted better for me. The crotch strap is a adjusted to be a lot shorter than where I started.

You just need to get it in the ballpark (which you have) and then get in the water with it. Expect to continue to tweak and experiment with it for 20 or 30 dives. You'll find what works for you. Then you'll find what works even better for you. Then you'll probably find what works even better than that....

 

[Diving Dubai]

Agree with @stuartv - Darn that's twice in a month.. I need medication.

Seriously, I did exactly the same as Stuart. However I ditched my conventional DIR single piece webbing for a dive Rite Transpac for a variety of reasons.

LIke Stuart and others I used (then ditched the chest strap) - I only use it on the boat while walking around in my gear because my shoulder straps will slide down a shoulder as I have them quite loose. In the water it gets disconnected. I prefer my crotch strap to be "tight" - but then I spend a lot of time on DPV's

 

[eelnoraa]

For the few times I agree with Stuart, , this is one of the instances.

This Hogarthian type of setup takes at least a few dives to get sorted out. You just need to get in the ball part and go diving and make necessary adjustments after each dives. And after all, every may have their preference how to do things. Yours may be different than others, which is OK with one exception.

If your feature plan involev training in GUE or UTD or similar agencies, you may want to start with that in mind. If you develop we habits that don't comply with their requirements, it is not so easy to change habits. You may as well start with that by consulting a instructor. Most should be willing to do a few dives with you to sort out the bp/w set up.