Diving Tips and Tricks: Fitting Your Backplate
Something borrowed, something new: Guy Shockey shares some tricks on fitting a borrowed backplate to make sure your straps and D-rings are in the right place.
Instructor Trainer Guy Shockey goes over how to fit your backplate. He also shares some tricks on how you can use the H’s on Halcyon webbing to make sure your D-rings are in the correct spot.
Fitting Your Backplate
- Adjust proper height
- If you can touch the top of the plate, you can reach your valves.
- Make sure the plate is squared to your back.
Method 1: Using the crotch strap
- Stand on the crotch strap
- Fold the webbing over and pull up.
- Arm straps will then align
Method 2: With Halcyon-brand webbing
- Make sure the H’s are equidistant from the center grommet hole.
- Count the H’s to match adjustment of straps and D-rings.
Want more tips and tricks? Watch more here.
Guy Shockey is a GUE instructor and trainer who is actively involved in mentoring the next generation of GUE divers. He started diving in 1982 in a cold mountain lake in Alberta, Canada. Since then he has logged somewhere close to 8,000 dives in most of the oceans of the world. He is a passionate technical diver with a particular interest in deeper ocean wreck diving. He is a former military officer and professional hunter with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in political science, as well as an entrepreneur with several successful startup companies to his credit.
Diving Tips and Tricks
Diving Tips and Tricks: Save-A-Dive-Bearded Edition
You showed up to dive but forgot to tame your inner Wookie. No problem. GUE’s Rich Denmark’s on the job with some face saving tips. Got your “Save-a-Beard” kit handy?
by Rich Denmark
Love your beard, but not how it breaks the seal on your mask? Well, bearded diver, Rich Denmark has a few tips in store for you on how to prevent your beard from interfering with your next dive.
His recommendation? Use a mask with a short skirt and carry a “Save-a-dive” beard kit that has all of the tools you need to groom with before a dive.
The kit includes:
- Leatherman
- Razor with a single blade on top
- Silicone lubricant (no petroleum aloud!)
Richie has been creating content with GUE since early 2009 and has been a GUE diver for over 5 years. At a young age he fell in love with the lakes, springs, and oceans of Florida and now, with 10 years experience in HD video production, is proud to combine his passion and skills for GUE. Rich is the creative drive behind many GUE HQ video projects and also excels at photography, graphic design, voiceovers, video editing and effects, and much more. His primary goal within the organization is to use his diverse media skill set to bring our global GUE community and the general public closer together. When he isn’t working for GUE or out diving he regularly films with ESPN and other national TV shows, as well as for local artists and businesses.
