Nomad & back gas

[DogDiver]

Anyone try putting a small cylinder on your back using your Nomad with usual side mount cylinders. I was thinking using an overpressurized 45 or an AL 72 right in the middle to use as a stage tank. Your thoughts.....Ken

[chimie007]

Anyone try putting a small cylinder on your back using your Nomad with usual side mount cylinders. I was thinking using an overpressurized 45 or an AL 72 right in the middle to use as a stage tank. Your thoughts.....Ken

While I'm not sure why this would be something useful in a cave, Andrew did that in open water and posted about it on TDS

http://thedecostop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25837

[Slüdge]

Well, if the reason you're sidemounting is that you can't walk in doubles, I think it would be a good idea. If, however, you're sidemounting to flatten your profile... no good. :smt079

[Mike Edmonston]

Anyone try putting a small cylinder on your back using your Nomad with usual side mount cylinders. I was thinking using an overpressurized 45 or an AL 72 right in the middle to use as a stage tank. Your thoughts.....Ken

Hi Ken,

I have used my nomad as a 3 cylinder setup when traveling. 3 x 80AL's are sometimes all that is available in remote locations. Just put some camstraps through the slots. That's it. You won't be putting the straps through the wing because it's under the transpac, plus it will move a little bit, but otherwise it works out nicely.

I don't think I would use this setup as a stage, as there's no really easy way to isolate your gas. (I'm not that flexible).

You should also be able to mount doubles on it with transpac plates, although I have not tried this yet.

This makes travelling lighter when you don't need to bring a plate, or when no doubles are available.

Safe Diving

[contender]

Anyone try putting a small cylinder on your back using your Nomad with usual side mount cylinders. I was thinking using an overpressurized 45 or an AL 72 right in the middle to use as a stage tank. Your thoughts.....Ken

I have tried it, it works fine. Just make sure you put the back mount tank where you can reach the valve on it. I was going to mount a stage this way since I side mount for back injury and mobility reasons.

[Jerry]

Anyone try putting a small cylinder on your back using your Nomad with usual side mount cylinders. I was thinking using an overpressurized 45 or an AL 72 right in the middle to use as a stage tank. Your thoughts.....Ken


It can be a little tough to manage on land but in the water dives great; you put two 45/50s on the back in addition to the sidemounts. Simply get two short cam bands; run each one under each of the two pieces of webbing sewn down the back of the Nomad harness.

Lamar did this diving sumps in Japan and I toyed with it for a Mammoth trip. Dive the two on back; dump them and continue on the sides.

Jerry

[DaveB]

I have just started configuring the Nomad myself and have thought about this same option. I also am concerned about being able to reach the tank valve. What about mounting the tank upside down on the back. Would this make it easier to reach the valve and what would be the downside(s), if any?

Dave

[contender]

I have just started configuring the Nomad myself and have thought about this same option. I also am concerned about being able to reach the tank valve. What about mounting the tank upside down on the back. Would this make it easier to reach the valve and what would be the downside(s), if any?

Dave

I would not mount it upside down, if you can reach the valve in a rec bc then you should not have a problem reaching it in the nomad. If you mount it upside down, it can get in the way of reels, etc.

[FW]

I have just started configuring the Nomad myself and have thought about this same option. I also am concerned about being able to reach the tank valve. What about mounting the tank upside down on the back. Would this make it easier to reach the valve and what would be the downside(s), if any?

Dave
I dove for years with the valves down. I mostly dive in low visibility sumps, so it keeps the valves from banging into the ceiling. It also makes the valves easier to reach.

One drawback is trim. I had to get custom made BCDs, because most of the weight of a tank in the water is the valves, and regulators.

All in all, I think modern sidemount, and stages is much easier.

[aainslie]

As Raphael said higher, I did this while on holiday in Indonesia, where all that was available were standard Al 80's. I put one on my back, two on the sides and also hung one or two sometimes. It makes it easy to take 3 to 5 cylinders on a dive in open water at very low tech establishments. Oh - and if you do this take a bag of din-yoke adaptors and cam-bands with you.

But I'd never do that in a cave. I always drop my stages (except one ratehr dumb dive when I forgot to drop my O2 and carried it the whole dive... but that's another story). On your back it's non-droppable and it bumps on stuff. I wouldn't do it.

[OFG-1]

I dont know about a nomad, but I have had 2 95's side mount and a 104 backmount on my Armadillo. Dont try this without a good drysuit. I scootered to EOL in JB with this as a test dive. Worked fine, the 'dillo is full the whole dive. Real Full.

[Line Squirrel]

the 'dillo is full the whole dive. Real Full.

Was it squakin at ya? :-D

[mwenner]

Was it squakin at ya? :-D

Mike, You're funny!.... I remember driving up over the Rocky Mnts. in CO, with an air mattress in the back of my van, and wondered what that terrible noise was back there?! Image adding a couple wings, and you'd have a stringed quartet.