Backplate for Petite Women

[thmoose51]

My wife is about 5'-4" tall and weighs about 110 lb. Have any of you ladies about that size used a standard backplate and how did work for you? Also, does anyone have experience with the OMS single 32lb lift wing?

 

[booth22]

well, FWIW, my wife is 5'2 and uses an Oxychecq small BP and it works like a charm. Fits her well with a continuous webbing harness. Can't help on the wing, we use DR Ventures and Oxycheq Mach Vs

 

[Rainer]

My gf is the same size as your wife (5'4" and 110lbs). She uses the DSS medium backplate with no problems.

 

[TSandM]

I'm 5'4" and 120 (used to be 110, but I was younger then ) and I'm using a standard backplate. I have a DSS small in the Kydex, but it's actually just a tad bit small, judging by the guidelines for how the plate should sit and how the waist belt should run.

You could PM Tobin George, the owner of DSS, at cool_hardware52, and ask him what his experience with women of that stature is. He'd be somebody with enough data to give a meaningful (rather than anecdotal) answer.

 

[suthnbelle]

Rainer, I'm about the same size (5'4 and 119) and I use the Dive Rite alum bp with the Venture wing (30 lb lift). I love the way my set-up fits. I also use the single webbing harness.

 

[Rainer]

You could PM Tobin George, the owner of DSS, at cool_hardware52, and ask him what his experience with women of that stature is. He'd be somebody with enough data to give a meaningful (rather than anecdotal) answer.

And he'll most likely recommend the med backplate, seeing as that's what he suggested for my gf (again, who is the same size).

 

[realdiver7]

My wife is also 5'4" and the Medium plates are too long for her because they dig into her hips. The Medium was recommended for her just as others have posted, but it was still too long. Oxycheq has a Small stainless plate that is highly recommended. If she needs aluminum or kydex (plastic), then you'll need to shop around a little.

I used the OMS 32 lb. singles wing for a couple of years, and liked it a lot, but I did notice some drag while the wing was deflated. However, the Oxycheq Mach V is a much better and much more narrow, streamlined wing. My wife and I both dive the Mach V with BP and single piece (Hog) harness, and have found the perfect setup for us.

 

[Rainer]

Given the above, you best bet might be to borrow a plate and try for yourself (seeing as my gf has no problems with her medium plate but rd's wife does).

 

[TSandM]

It IS somewhat individual. I helped a local diver trying to figure out what size plate to use. She's absolutely tiny -- I would guess about 5' and 95 pounds -- and I was sure (and so was Tobin) that she'd need a small plate. But it turned out her height is in her torso, and the medium was a better fit. Sometimes you can't be sure until you try it.

 

[chickdiver]

I'm 5'3", and I must have a long torso- becuase I have 2 standard plates that fit me just fine. One is an old AUL aluminum (I've had it for 10+ years) and the other is a Halcyon steel plate.

I would suggest measuring with a dressmaker's tape and comparing the measurements to the plate measurements for several sizes and go with the closest for starters.