I understand the problem, and I apologize if I did not express the concept more clearly, risking of confusing new divers.Right. But there is a clear line between a dive that requires staged decompression and one that does not, whether you call it tech or European style rec.
So we all need to be careful in implying that "significant modifications to the original plan [involves] no other consequences than some longer deco stops."
You made that statement in the new divers forum. In my opinion, that is a very dangerous implication.
The whole point is: planning a dive with deco stops is safer than planning a dive within NDL.
Most "underserved" DCS occur to divers planning dives within NDL, and exceeding the NDL limit. If the dive was planned with deco, it had been less dangerous...
If your certification agency calls this "tech", I have no problem: I recommend to all new divers to extend their training up to the point where they can plan and perform deco dives safely. That for me is the minimum level of training for making diving truly safe.
Which bring us back to the original topic of this thread: the Nitrox course.
For moderate depths, say 36 or 38 meters max, Nitrox gives a good advantage over air, allowing a larger NDL. But it is wrong to think that using Nitrox, as the dive now is within NDL, then it is safer. Actually, I consider it less safe, as you are not anymore taking the precautions and equipment required for a dive with deco.
In fact, if I get Nitrox for a dive at moderate depth, I use it happily, but I keep my plan as if I was diving air (or, using the computer, I do NOT switch it to Nitrox mode). I will make my planned deco stops, albeit probably unneeded, and exit water safer and happy...