I need some feedback on travel plates please.

[Eric Sedletzky]

Hello fellow scubaboarders and proud owners of my experimental light travel Freedom Plates (in both thin stainless and aluminum).

A while back I made a half dozen or so “light” stainless plates out of 14 GA and 16 GA material. The plates were about half the weight of the regular plates, the 14 GA were slightly more than half the weight.
I have not heard a peep from anyone about them, if they are working ok, not working. Are they holding shape, distorting, are the slots holding up? How about the webbing, how is it holding up being used on such thin material, any cutting or excessive chafing problems on any webbing or cam straps or the wings?
There were also a dozen or so aluminum plates that went out that were also experimental. How are those holding up?
I expect that the 5052 grade aluminum is probably getting a patina being exposed to salt water. But beyond that, how are the top slots holding out with the weight of the tank pulling on them on land and being swung around on boat decks, donning doffing, etc. Any distortion or cracking? That was one of my main concerns.

I need feedback of any kind please to help make any improvements before I send the order to my laser cutter for flat stock.
I don’t get to travel much to warm water spots so I need to live vicariously through all of you that get to dive in the most wonderful spots around the world.

Thank you, much appreciated.

 

[lowviz]

AL 453, here. I would love to see you make something in SS5052 that is even lighter in gauge. At this level, AL vs. SS means nothing. Claim the high ground on light and durable.
You make it, I'm in...

IMHO, claim the 'high ground' in featherlight and 'just won't die'. Search on Ithica Featherlight Model 37.

Edit:
Slanted shoulder slots.

 

[KDAD]

Eric, I have #449. I am not sure if it is considered a travel plate or just a size small aluminum. The plate is fine, the finish did oxidize, possibly after being dove in salt water. Not that it is a real issue and I can polish it up if I wanted to but otherwise everything is great with it.

It is mated to a HOG 23 wind and cam bands. My 12 yo daughter dives it with no larger than AL80s so not much stress on it from, say double 120s.

 

[KDAD]

I reread your post and looked closer at the plate. I don't see any cracking or warpage, especially on the top slots but I can see how they could of subject to greater stress than we give it. Since my daughter dives it I tend to help her getting it on and off even carrying it, by the tank, down to the water for donning so we aren't the best test subjects.

Oh, she only adds 2# of weight, even in salt water. Yeah, I'm jealous of her set up. She better be good in her teen years else I may take it over.

 

[-JD-]

Hi, Eric. #444 (14gaSS if my email from you is correct).

I dive mine with HP100s and HP120s in cold water. (Warm was planned, Covid- Grrrr.) To give you a sense of total loading: decked-out, my HOG 32 will just keep it all afloat with lead on it.

No evidence of distortion anywhere, including any of the slots. No noticeable wear on the cambands or the shoulder straps.

There is significant evidence of wear of the webbing at the waist slots, BUT I am using an unusual attachment method which uses even thinner tri-glides and the waist-belt gets occasionally (a few of times) used on a Dive Rite thin/LW stainless plate (16ga Stainless Steel XT Lite Backplate | Dive Rite) for HP100 doubles too. So it could be the thin SS plates or the way I'm attaching with the tri-glides. I'm also not boat diving with it, so I could be lugging my rig around for 5-10 minutes out of the water at the quarry round trip.

Don't make any inferences from the current position of the wear immediately above since it was just all torn down and put back together during the picture session in the roll-call thread moving the worn area out into the open.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Hi, Eric. #444 (14gaSS if my email from you is correct).

I dive mine with HP100s and HP120s in cold water. (Warm was planned, Covid- Grrrr.) To give you a sense of total loading: decked-out, my HOG 32 will just keep it all afloat with lead on it.

No evidence of distortion anywhere, including any of the slots. No noticeable wear on the cambands or the shoulder straps.

There is significant evidence of wear of the webbing at the waist slots, BUT I am using an unusual attachment method which uses even thinner tri-glides and the waist-belt gets occasionally (a few of times) used on a Dive Rite thin/LW stainless plate (16ga Stainless Steel XT Lite Backplate | Dive Rite) for HP100 doubles too. So it could be the thin SS plates or the way I'm attaching with the tri-glides. I'm also not boat diving with it, so I could be lugging my rig around for 5-10 minutes out of the water at the quarry round trip.
View attachment 598153

View attachment 598154
Don't make any inferences from the current position of the wear immediately above since it was just all torn down and put back together during the picture session in the roll-call thread moving the worn area out into the open.

This is great.
You’re probably loading up and carrying it around at the very top of the abuse scale, so if you're not seeing any cracking, bending, or distortion I don’t think anyone will. That news makes me pretty confident. I’m assuming the plate contour is holding it’s shape too? I found that the design just by the way it’s compound shaped with two opposing curves is pretty damned strong even in the thinner materials.
Of course you have the 14, the 16 might be a different story, but probably not.

 

[-JD-]

This is great.
You’re probably loading up and carrying it around at the very top of the abuse scale, so if you're not seeing any cracking, bending, or distortion I don’t think anyone will. That news makes me pretty confident. I’m assuming the plate contour is holding it’s shape too? I found that the design just by the way it’s compound shaped with two opposing curves is pretty damned strong even in the thinner materials.
Of course you have the 14, the 16 might be a different story, but probably not.

FWIW, the Dive Rite plate is spec'd at 16ga. Admittedly the hard bends along the spine make for a very stiff structure, but it is also expected to carry twins, not only singles. Even with all of the cutouts, there is not any permanent deformation or notable felt flex on the wings that I've seen so far.

 

[Soloist]

I have both, an aluminum Contour (#450) and a thin stainless Contour (#440). I also have a classic SS Freedom Plate (#303) I use for diving dry, but who’s counting! Sadly due to the “Wuhan Coronavirus” I haven’t been diving the aluminum or thin stainless plates lately. Our trips to the Caribbean have all been cancelled, so we have been relegated to diving our drysuits at local quarries in preparation for our trip to Monterey this fall. Oh wait, that one was canceled too, damnit!

I have logged around 60 dives on the aluminum since receiving it Spring of 2019. The plate is ridiculously light and rigid. There are no signs of wear, distortion or flexing from HP120’s and slinging pony bottles. Oxidation of aluminum is inevitable, however, with some light sanding the plate looks new again. Unfortunately my wife ordered a MEDIUM for me instead of a LARGE.

After 500+ dives I am accustomed to the position and fit of my LARGE Freedom Plate. This prompted me to investigate the possibility of a lightweight stainless Contour. You graciously let me have the plate you made for yourself. Thank you! It’s a narrow top 14 GA with detachable rails. Fortunately, I did get an opportunity to dive this plate in Cozumel last February before the virus outbreak. The plate is light, rigid, robust and absolutely beautiful. It’s a bit heavier than the aluminum at 2.17 pounds, but it is also usable weight. Like the original Freedom, this Contour will be around long after I’m gone. Unless I decide to be buried with them...

For years I have used tubular webbing, plastic tri-glides and D-rings over the harness between the lower rear slots on all of my backplates. This keeps the harness in place and provides attachment points for slinging bottles. Moreover, it prevents the harness from chafing at the contact points, so I can’t address the question about wear.

So between the aluminum and the thin stainless which do I prefer? Both plates are extremely comfortable, perfect for warm water diving, lightweight for carryon luggage and a pleasure to dive. However, the corrosion resistance of the stainless is a huge factor for me and I know the stainless will stand up to the years of unrelenting abuse it will see on dive boats, shore diving and travel. I also polished the plate as soon as it arrived, so it’s nice to look at...especially since I can’t dive it!

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Stainless is winning.