Armadillo capacity?

Has anyone used an Armadillo with:
drysuit
2x 95s
2x Al80s
2x Al40s

Of all the commercial SM rigs I have seen I like the Armadillo - just not sure its going to work for all the gas/cylinders the cave requires.

From the ADM Article - ADVANCED DIVER MAGAZINE

WARNING: The Armadillo only has 32 pounds of buoyancy. Make sure you can obtain positive buoyancy with all cylinders and equipment. To obtain additional buoyancy, wear either a thicker wetsuit or a dry suit.

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You can get the Nomad with up to a 60lb wing.

Dive Rite TV channel, diving videos, dive gear videos, training videos: Dive RIte Scuba

nwbrewer:

From the ADM Article - ADVANCED DIVER MAGAZINE



You can get the Nomad with up to a 60lb wing.

Dive Rite TV channel, diving videos, dive gear videos, training videos: Dive RIte Scuba

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I know the lift, but "working" is more than just lift. 2 users on TDS told me the Armadillo is fine though.

Had a transpac once, hated it, sold it, not buying one again.

Greetings rjack321 you might want to try on the SM forum or on CDF.
I do know that I could answer you in a few months as a good friend will be putting one through the testing mill.
I use a Nomad with Faber LP 85's, single AL 80, and single AL 40 of O2 and I have about 30-35lbs of lift right now.
These dives are all dry and if I added another Al 80 I would have to change wings to have the proper lift.

I will message my friend and see if he has give it a go yet.
I have heard great things about the Armadillo and look forward to checking it out up close.

Good luck, and safe diving.
CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!

If anyplace will get you an answer, this one will!

rjack321:

I know the lift, but "working" is more than just lift. 2 users on TDS told me the Armadillo is fine though.

Had a transpac once, hated it, sold it, not buying one again.

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Curt Bowen was diving a pair of HP119's up in Nootka Sound with his Armadillo ... didn't seem to have any issues with them ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

You will not be able to do that dive comfortably....

Filling a drysuit to compensate for lack of lift in a wing is no fun when you have to get an extra 15lbs of lift...

My dive buddy has the armadillo and he uses it for what it is designed for... exploratory cave diving.

Big push (dual stages or more) dives he switches to the nomad to get the lift needed...

Tegg:

You will not be able to do that dive comfortably....

Filling a drysuit to compensate for lack of lift in a wing is no fun when you have to get an extra 15lbs of lift...

My dive buddy has the armadillo and he uses it for what it is designed for... exploratory cave diving.

Big push (dual stages or more) dives he switches to the nomad to get the lift needed...

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With 18/45 in everything except the dropped 40s for deco? This should weigh about as much as 2x 95s/119s of nitrox which seems reasonable for 32lbs. But this is why I ask. So far its about 4:1 that the Armadillo will work for my purposes.

It's not a popularity contest and an ad-populum argument is not the best strategy for making a decision.

I have heard conflicting reports about the Armadillo, but the general consensus of the divers I have talked to is that the Armadillo works fine for snug caves with two bottles of reasonable size and buoyancy, but is not well suited to heavier tanks or to adding multiple stages, deco bottles, etc.

One thing to also consider is that there have been a few iterations of the Armadillo, so opinions may also vary depending on who dove what when.

Personally, I'd call Edd Sorenson and talk to him about what you plan to do and what system might make the most sense for your particular needs and plans. He knows more about sidemount than most people and the answer he gives you will be very well informed.

Edd Sorenson
Cave Adventurers
5211 Limestone lane
Marianna, FL 32446
Cave Adventurers | Located on Merritt's Mill Pond, Marianna, FL
850-482-6016

I ended up going with an Edd Sorenson modified Nomad. After you strip all the padding out of it, modify the inflator, and remove the extra D-rings, you end up with a good system that is not quite as bulky yet still offers enough lift for a stage and deco bottle when you need it without having to augment the lift with a dry suit.

DA Aquamaster:

It's not a popularity contest and an ad-populum argument is not the best strategy for making a decision.

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Maybe not, but by asking around I now have someone willing to loan me one to try for myself.

Funny how you had to strip all the BS off the transpac, that's why I sold mine.