Dive Rite Nomad Ray

[Twiny]

Why would you ever want that? You can't dump gas from your suit in that position either.
I use a homemade sm rig and I didn't put a dump valve on the lower part because I wouldn't use it.

In case of a malfunctioning inflator with a stuck button inflating the wing, you will immediately find yourself in a head down position and you really need the low purge to avoidca fast ascent and skipping your deco stop !

 

[berndo]

In case of a malfunctioning inflator with a stuck button inflating the wing, you will immediately find yourself in a head down position and you really need the low purge to avoidca fast ascent and skipping your deco stop !

A stuck inflator doesn't fill the bc that fast. Why would I find myself 'immediately' in a head down position?
If any of this was true you would also need dump valves on both ankles of your drysuit.

 

[Twiny]

A stuck inflator doesn't fill the bc that fast. Why would I find myself 'immediately' in a head down position?
If any of this was true you would also need dump valves on both ankles of your drysuit.

If you are sure of your allegations, good for you then ... until the **** hits the fan !

 

[grendel_cave]

I've had a chance to look at one of these last night. My conclusion is that it could be a good BC with a harness replacement, but stock I wouldn't have much use for it. ..It is interesting in some respects, but in other ways I was unimpressed. Keep in mind, I'm a technical diver: full cave, deco, sidewinder CCR, etc. 1st impression, the existing harness would have to be completely swapped out to support a sidewinder or gemini CCR. Stock, there is no webbing spine strap to place slides to hold the CCR canisters. I don't know if this was intentional, but I suspect it may have been given Dive Rite wants to push the Choptima. Second thought, Dive Rite cut some corners and went with some cheap hardware for the price of the BC. For example, the clasp for the belly bungee is plastic trash. A nice stainless steel double ender or sump UK clasp would need to replace it. Stock it also does not appear to be able to take a butt plate. Instead they give you a crotch strap slide with ears to clip gear. Given this is dead center of the BC, it may give those with short arms some difficulty clipping off reels and spools. My conclusion is that this could be a good BC with a new harness. Stock, I wouldn't have much use for it.

 

[lostsheep]

It looks like it’s got a pronounced hump when fully inflated.

I’d like to see more pics , videos, or actually see one in person. I’m interested but not sure if I’m interested enough to swap from my k2.

Well, looks like I might be getting my hands on one after all.

In the mean time anyone got an update on theirs? Any pics of a Ray in the water?

 

[stuartv]

I got a Ray and was finally able to dive it this past weekend.

Prep before diving:

Took it out of the package and adjusted the length on the shoulder straps a little bit, then adjusted the position of the shoulder strap D-rings. Also adjusted the length of the crotch strap.

Took a couple of measurements and then adjusted the position of the rigging on my tanks (LP85s) to match.

In the water:

I was co-teaching (Intro to Tech) and diving with my fellow instructor at my shop who teaches TDI Tech Sidemount. After the first dive, she said that my tanks were sitting perfectly in the water. So.... setup complete.

I do agree that the plastic hook thingie for holding the belly bungee is janky. I will probably replace it with a small bolt snap. That part seems like a cheap-out on DR's part. I'm not sure at all why it doesn't just have a bolt snap there from the factory.


Compared to my Katana 2, the Ray feels a LOT lighter. But, that could be partly to do with having the Hollis butt plate attached to my K2. Regardless, after 2 open water dives (i.e. not a hardcore test) I am very happy with the Ray.

As my shop is a Dive Rite dealer and not a Hollis dealer, I expect to have my K2 up for sale in the near future.

 

[rddvet]

I handled a ray at a dive shop last weekend. It was ok. It didn’t wow me. It’s just another xdeep/armadillo/razor clone. There were some things I thought were good. Some things I didn’t see the point of. My final assessment is if I was buying a new sm harness today it’d stil, be the xdeep.

 

[lostsheep]

I handled a ray at a dive shop last weekend. It was ok. It didn’t wow me. It’s just another xdeep/armadillo/razor clone. There were some things I thought were good. Some things I didn’t see the point of. My final assessment is if I was buying a new sm harness today it’d stil, be the xdeep.

Are you insinuating that the Xdeep/armadillo/razor are somehow the same thing?

Those 3 are pretty damn different from one another.

Edit : Xdeep / K2 inspiration is evident but you completely lost me with the armadillo / razor clone accusation.

 

[rddvet]

Are you insinuating that the Xdeep/armadillo/razor are somehow the same thing?

Those 3 are pretty damn different from one another.

Edit : Xdeep / K2 inspiration is evident but you completely lost me with the armadillo / razor clone accusation.

Yea they are all clones. Razor and armadillo were out first. Both were different than the typical sm bc’s of that era. The stealth is just xdeeps interpretation of that style of sm rig. The k2 is a clome as well. It’s generally acknowledged at least here in florida where we have a long history of sm that the razor/armadillo/stealth all are very similar in design and therefore are referred to as clones of each other. That doesnt mean they all look alike and have the same features. But at the end of the day they all share similar dna.

 

[lostsheep]

Cool story brah

By your logic, what isn’t a a SM clone?

What you see as cloning I see as convergent evolution.