Nomad with BM Doubles

My instructor teaches his tech classes in BM and SM and I am considering doing the class in SM after talking to him about it. I understand that there probably isn’t any perfect BCD for everything, (Singles BM, Double BM and SM). If I decide to do the class SM I will probably get a Nomad and I was wondering how well they are for BM Doubles if I decide to change it up in the future. I know the nomad is capable of BM doubles but I cant find too many reviews/opinions/pictures of people using it in that configuration. I don’t want to buy a nomad just so I can turn around in a few years and have to get a BP/W set up for BM doubles. My instructor says that he will let student do SM all the way through trimix. He did show me some pictures of divers using trimix in a SM configuration and with their bottom gas and 1 to 2 deco gasses and argon bottle it seems like alot. If I ever get to that level of diving I think I would want a few of those cylinders on my back.

The right tool for the job. If you plan on going tech in any way the cost of a BPW down the road will be the least of your worries. If it is that big of a deal don't even begin to start down the tech path. I have 4 bcs for now(2 BPW's a Zeagle Express Tech and a jacket). I have been considering sidemount and if I do I'm not going to let a few hundred bucks keep me from doing it the proper way. Especially since I run a waterjet and can make a harness similar to the one Steve Bogaerts uses for about 50 bucks. Just need to add some type of bladder.

Jim Lapenta:

The right tool for the job. If you plan on going tech in any way the cost of a BPW down the road will be the least of your worries. If it is that big of a deal don't even begin to start down the tech path.

Click to expand...

What Jim said, different tools different jobs.
BP/W is so cheap in the grand scheme of things if this is giving you heartburn I'd reconsider if you've got the money for tech diving right now.

All I am asking is if anyone has and experience dive BM doubles in a nomad.

I've dove my Nomad with doubles a fair amount, 50 ish dives?
What I like
With the wing wrapped in, you feel a lot more stable from rocking
Buttplate! This is AWESOME, it takes all the junk from your front D-rings and sticks em on your butt, light included. You're a lot more streamlined, and with everything clipped to the butt D-rings and rails, you lose a lot of entanglement hazards since your tanks are in front of all of it anyway.
A lot of people use the normal Transpac with either Rec or Classic wings, and the overall wing design is similar, transpac is the same. Only difference is the wing is tied into the waist, and the buttplate. The wing is easy to undo, but isn't necessary unless you want to, and the buttplate can also be removed, albeit with a bit more effort. I keep both on for ease of use, and I can only see one real disadvantage of diving with a Nomad over just a normal Transpac... Sitting down
With the butt plate, especially crap clipped to said butt plate, sitting down is not all that easy. If you can get to the edge of a table or truck bed it isn't bad, but you can't really stand the rig up once everything is clipped in. If you undo the sex bold on the butt plate it will flex a lot more though and fold all the way up if you need to. This is how I travel with it.

I used to go back and forth between my Nomad and my BP/W and found my muscle memory was causing me to reach for my Nomad inflator and exhaust. I really had to think about where everything was in my BP/W. I started diving my Nomad with my doubles and love it. It is very stable (get the stabilizer plates) and streamlined. There's nothing wrong with having 2 or more sets of gear, but it's not always necessary. The Nomad is definitely versatile enough for sidemount and backmount.

I've done it before, it worked fine :/

DUI_Diver:

All I am asking is if anyone has and experience dive BM doubles in a nomad.

Click to expand...

Yes, I do - my double HP 130s with my Nomad ('original' model). It works fine. I use the stabilizer plates, and recommend them. My personal preference for BM doubles is still a BP/W, but only because I have far more dives and experience with that configuration.

I use a Nomad for both SM and BM no probs. There was a period of time when I drove down to the dive site not knowing if I will be diving BM or SM - I had the tanks for both in the car and with the Nomad in hand I was ready to dive either one, depending on the buddy on the day.
I thought it worked great. The stab plates are essential for BM and I like to use the padding with BM too, just makes it that little bit more comfortable.
I too like the buttplate and being able to clip stuff off to it... although as mentioned, the rails are not ideal when trying to sit down on the edge of a small rocking boat for example.

If you need extra lift you can always let the sides of the wing loose, in which case you have a 60lb wing ready to go. Just don't forget to clip it back in before a SM dive, from experience I can vouch that it will make for an uncomfortable dive.