Being the heart of a technical buoyancy system, all IST back plates are press formed individually and all edges on both sides are deburred and rounded to avoid cutting the harness. Apart from the 5cm (2”) slots for the harness and crotch strap, there are 10 additional perimeter holes for mounting equipment such as stage bottle, torches etc. There are also 3 sets of holes, each 11 inches apart, along the centre of the plates for attaching the single tank adaptor or twin tank bands. These attachment holes give the diver the option to fine tune the location of tank(s) according to according to their particular torso length.

The aluminum back plate is made from type 6061 aluminum for its strength to weight ratio, At 700g (1.54lb), this plate is ideal for warm water diving or travelling, when the lesser weight the better.