Nomad BC System by Dive Rite

Sidemount isn't just for cave divers anymore and neither is the Dive Rite Nomad system. Worn with backmount single tanks and doubles, as well as sidemount primaries and rebreathers, the Nomad is a complete harness, butt plate and wing system. Utilizing the harness and butt plate hard points, tanks are attached with a strap and bungee system that allows primary, stage, deco and bailout tanks to ride closely at the diver's side, yet not be jammed under the arms. The very compact design, that minimises lift at the neck, also makes the Nomad perfect as an extended range diving harness and wing for use with doubles and rebreathers.

Streamlining is achieved by integrating the special Nomad wing with the TransPac® harness through wing keepers that hold the wing low across the back to reduce drag. Proper trim comes from the longer wing and a Gusset Control System (GCS) cord that is woven through tabs on the front face of the wing. The GCS cord is positioned on the upper portion of the wing, forcing the lower part of the wing to inflate preferentially, keeping lift around the divers hips where it is needed.

The Nomad wing dual upgrade incorporates two bladders to provide back-up inflation. The dual option is ideal for technical divers who dive wet and do not have a drysuit as alternate buoyancy, or for any diver who wants to ensure their backup buoyancy has the same lift capacity as their primary. The Nomad's unique bladder design allows a single bladder wing to be altered (at the factory) to become a dual bladder wing at a later date, or it can be initially purchased as a dual bladder wing.

The Nomad system is popular with technical divers for its trim characteristics as well as open water divers wishing to transition into technical diving down the road. The Nomad BC system is available in your choice of two different versions: the modular Nomad XT or the one-piece Nomad EXP. The Nomad XT is a versatile modular system assembled from separate components: standard TransPac Harness, Nomad XT butt plate, and Nomad XT wing. The Nomad XT wing features the SuperFabric® technology for maximum abrasion resistance. The Nomad EXP is functionally equivalent, but constructed as a single one-piece harness with butt plate and ballistic nylon wing. The one-piece ballistic nylon construction of the Nomad EXP offers a value price for a complete sidemount BC system.

Nomad Tank Mount Configurations

Backmount Single Primary - Thread two standard 36-inch Dive Rite stainless steel cam buckle tank straps through the strap slots on the harness soft backplate to dive the Nomad with a backmount single tank. If you prefer you can also use a single tank adapter with the standard TransPac doubles mounting plates. Tank straps and single tank adapter sold separately.

Backmount Doubles Primary or Rebreather - Use the standard TransPac doubles mounting plates to attach manifold and banded double tanks or rebreathers with standard 11-inch centers bolts. TransPac mounting plates for doubles sold separately.

Sidemount Tanks - Use stage straps, nylon cord bungees and optional neck chokers to mount primary, deco or bailout tanks on each side. With the sidemount system, the base of the stage strap is clipped to the butt plate and nylon cord bungees with stainless steel clips together with optional neck chokers are used to secure tank necks to the harness. The sidemount bungees are available in 11, 13, 15, 17, 19-inch lengths and a choice of medium or extra-large snaps for cold water use. The typical length when sidemounting tanks with a stage strap and choker is 13-inch for an 6-foot, 225lb man. The typical length when using the bungee without the choker is 17-inch. Petite individuals may opt for 11-inch and 15-inch respectively. Broad individuals might prefer 15-inch for stage strap and choker or 19-inch for sidemount using the bungee without the choker.

Single Tank Mounting with Backplates

• If you occassionally switch between doubles and singles, you can configure your backplate (including the soft backplates of the TransPac and Nomad) to attach to a single tank by adding two tank straps threaded through the tank strap slots of the backplates. Note that when a traditional metal backplate is off the tank, the wing will hang loose on on the straps. This is cosmetic and does not otherwise cause problems, but if you wish you can use two plastic assembly screws to hold the wing against the backplate. Omitting the STA also reduces weight.
  
  
• If you frequently switch between doubles and singles, you may prefer the speed and convenience of adding the straps using an optional single tank adapter mounting plate. Using an STA means the strap buckles never have to be unthreaded and re-weaved plus the STA also holds the wing in place with the plate when off the tank and adds weight to the rig. All modern backplates include provisions for tank strap slots, but if you have an older backplate design without the tank strap slots then you must add straps using a single tank adapter.

We are often asked if the tank mount would be more stable and secure using the STA, as opposed to threading the cam straps directly through the backplate. We've tested several configurations and discovered that threading the straps through the backplate is at least as stable as when using an STA. Using an STA sets the tank farther away from the backplate and allows the tank to rock slightly by pivoting from side to side on the bolts. Using the straps threaded to through the backplate snugs the tank and wing up very tight against the backplate and does not allow the tank to rock.

Harness Sizing with Nomad

The harness is available in a wide range of sizes. While weight and height are a good starting point for determining your size, a perfect fit requires addtional information. Please carefully take the actual measurements explained below to make sure you select exactly the right size. Be sure to allow for exposure suit thickness. Keep this in mind if your measurement is near the higher end of the range for a particular size. The Nomad EXP system is designed using a standard size backpad for the Medium, Large, X-Large, and XX-Large size. A smaller Nomad system is available built using a special small modular Nomad aircell with the small size Transpac.

• Shoulder to Waist Length -- To ensure proper shoulder strap length, measure from a point at the top of the shoulder to a point immediately below the waist, as shown in the accompanying diagram. Be sure to allow for exposure suit thickness.
  
  
• Torso Length -- The Standard lumbar backpad and soft backplate is the size that most often fits average build men with back-of-neck measurements greater than 17 inches.
  
  
• Waist -- TransPac harnesses come with a padded cummerbund whose length is adjustable across size range that is in proportion to the length of the shoulder strap. The top edge of correctly positioned cummerbund will just cover the navel, not rest on the hips.

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