The Mares XR Aluminium Backplate is a lightweight harness plate built for technical and Hogarthian-style configurations. Cut from 6061 marine-grade aluminium alloy and anodised for corrosion resistance, it gives you a clean, no-frills foundation for a backmount or sidemount rig without the bulk of a jacket-style BCD.

Aluminium keeps the plate light, which makes it a sensible pick for divers who fly to dive destinations and watch every kilo of baggage. For divers in colder or low-flow conditions who want negative ballast on the plate itself, Mares also offers a stainless steel version; the aluminium is the travel-friendly choice.

The plate is laser cut with multiple slots so you can thread a continuous one-piece webbing harness, mount a wing or backmount donut, and add a single tank adapter or doubles bands. It works with the wider Mares XR component system, so you can build the rig around your own diving rather than a fixed configuration.