SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
When I dove HP130s BM on my Nomad, I did it without a plate or any additional support. It seemed fine, but it was only for a few dives.
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I am using the OMS setup with the Tesseract Wing and their addition. On my last trip, I started in Backmount doubles, then went sidemount using the OMS sidemount system and then removed that and put on an STA for a round of single tank dives. I found the system worked well for all three. I have an aluminum BP.
The OMS sidemount system is a bit bulky to pack compared to other systems but seems to stay secure to the wing and worked well in the water.
FWIW Sang I know a few guys using the transpak and not adding the plate and they dive double LP95s. It works fine for them but I personally have not tried it.
Yes.SangP:R your referring to these plates? Dive Rite Stabilizing Plates reviews and discounts, Dive Rite
Kevin Carlisle:I know a few guys using the transpak and not adding the plate and they dive double LP95s.
Good points. I have used the stabilizer plates for BM doubles since I got the TransPac, simply because it was recommended, and I have never actually tried the harness without them, for BM doubles. Sounds like you can get by without them.SuPrBuGmAn:When I dove HP130s BM on my Nomad, I did it without a plate or any additional support. It seemed fine, but it was only for a few dives.
True. I was referring primarily to other horseshoe / lobe wings a Halcyon Explorer, for example. With the Nomad there are two features that dampen the tacoing effect: 1) the bungees, which stretch across the wing lobe, from the back of the harness to a D-ring in front, and which would work for any wing that you might substitute, and 2) the tabs sewn into the Nomad wing casing near the bottom of each lobe, through which the waist strap is threaded, thereby holding the bottom lobe tips in close to the body. Without that point of attachment, there might be a tendency toward tacoing, which would have to be addressed somehow.SangP:Why would another bungee wing like the recon or sms100 wing taco? If I'm using a single tank wing like the eclipse I would place it in front of the transpac so it is less likely to taco.
I may be misunderstanding your comments, but it sounds like you are looking for a rig that is similar to some backpacking systems, where the weight of the pack while hiking is supported by the hips, rather than the shoulders. It would seem that this shouldnt be a particular issue for a scuba harness since, in the water, you are horizontal (for the most part) and weight distribution, other than for trim, shouldnt be a primary concern. (Yes, carrying BM doubles on land, if you have a significant distance to travel between car and dive site, might be a concern.)SangP:I would really prefer the straps be around the hips similar to the armadillo which allows a lot of weight to be supported by the hips instead of around the midsection.
You are experiencing one of the exciting things (for me at least) about the current state of sidemount equipment development. While the rapid introduction of commercial SM rigs (Nomad, Razor, RECON, Armadillo, PROFILE, etc) has increased the accessibility of SM to a broader audience of divers, the development is in some ways still in its adolescence, and there is a lot of appeal to gearheads (I say that positively, as I fear I am one) people who want to tweak their set up, refine it, experiment with it, etc. I did a presentation on sidemount diving last night to our scuba club, and had a conversation afterward with a member who is a very enthusiastic vintage equipment diver, about the similarities between vintage and SM in this regard. For the vintage folks, a bit of engineering goes on, because parts and specific equipment may no longer be commercially available. For SM, a bit of engineering goes on, because what is available may not suit everyone and it is fun to try different alterations. So, we benefit from the years/decades of tweaking and refining that people like Lamar Hines and Steve Bogaerts have done on their own gear, but still find ways to try and improve commercial rigs to meet our own individual needs.SangP:Couple more questions before I decide on either getting the Nomad or making my own.
I am curious. Why wouldn't the resort let you sidemount? Was it just because they didn't want you / anyone using doubles in general?EzeeDiver:I just returned from a dive trip, and used my SMS100 in a single tank BM config (they wouldn't let me sidemount, ugh, resort operators :/).
Are you referring the the PROFILE system - the soft plate and buttplate - or to the whole rig (harness, wing, and soft plate)? What was it about the system that seemed bulky? (I am not looking for a way to disagree with you, just trying to evaluate the pros and cons of the OMS rig.)The OMS sidemount system is a bit bulky to pack compared to other systems ...
1. can I use my eclipse wing or some other wing on the transpac harness for rec diving?