An AL40 tank weighs about 20lbs (their production weight goal) and costs about $125. You could get a harness instead of a BC for about $50. And with some practice, you could last 60 mins @ 35ft. So, safety issues aside, I'm not sure what the advantages are? The fact that it's rechargeable vs. having to get a fill? $800 extra would buy a lot of fills...
Hi bmorescuba, In some cases that would be true. I am a gold diver like "Bering Sea Gold" TV show but in rivers in CA gold country. Now that think of there is a new show "Gold Rush WhiteWater" that is exactly the same type of diving as I do. Checked and can give a link. Here is their first show in HD
Between Craziness & Insanity | Gold Rush: White Water
The terrain is the same, I have even cabled across the river when it's too high, but no control lines simply a pulley and momentum, which was scary and probably will never do again as over 50 now. The only difference is I dive between the white water not in it. Have to say when watch that show feel like am there, it is quite realistic, great video work.
For this type of diving practically no one uses SCUBA. You often dive 6-8 hours a day. Its all hookah, but an engine and compressor (50-100 pounds) and carrying in gas it is a 2 man job. With this Nomad which I am going to buy its 1/5 the weight, and you can carry 2lbs of batteries for another hour, but that is not what am going to do. I will use solar, two 2x2' panels would allow me to go all day and weight maybe 4 pounds and electricity is basically free after you buy them.
But another type of diving do is in Cabo Pulmo area of Baja, you can get a refill if you drive to town but so much easier to use an inverter on your car or plug into any outlet to recharge the batteries instead of tanks. And I tend to move around on East Cape so you can recharge while you drive and can go anywhere so five 30 min dives at different places in wilderness area could be done on just 1 set of batteries easy.
Back to gold diving there is nothing like Nomad in terms of prospecting in rough terrain, where you see a 20 foot hole and want to check the bottom out 20 mins for crevices and testing. This is a breakthru for that type of diving/prospecting. And think the same for any area that does not have a scuba tank refill center within a mile.
So that is why am going to get one.