Boulderjohn, I totally agree with you, and in that, I think the CMAS system is better than ours.
When I did OW, I know I came away with the idea that deco was an extremely bad thing that I could only hope never to have anything to do with.
Deco does raise the risk of the dive by a certain (but often unknowable) amount. But the only real major issue of a deco obligation is that you have to do it -- you have to have the skills to hold the stop or stops, and YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE GAS TO DO THE TIME. Many recreational divers flunk the skills test (I know I did for almost a year after getting certified). MOST don't have the information to know how much gas is needed to satisfy a deco obligation. Often, they are not carrying enough gas, or have not maintained adequate reserves. (If you respect rock bottom calculations, as long as your buddy doesn't run out of gas, you're likely to have enough to satisfy any deco obligation you "inadvertently" ran up -- this may not apply if you're just being obstinate or overconfident and STAYING where you shouldn't be.)
People do deco all the time and go have a beer afterwards. Knowing a little bit about that is a safety thing; to that degree, I think classes like Fundamentals and Peter's Techreational Diver class, classes that introduce technical level skills and technical attitudes toward gas planning and reserves, are a highly desirable education for people whose SAC rate, tank size, and diving environment make coming nose to nose with a deco obligation a foreseeable possibility.
When I did OW, I know I came away with the idea that deco was an extremely bad thing that I could only hope never to have anything to do with.
Deco does raise the risk of the dive by a certain (but often unknowable) amount. But the only real major issue of a deco obligation is that you have to do it -- you have to have the skills to hold the stop or stops, and YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE GAS TO DO THE TIME. Many recreational divers flunk the skills test (I know I did for almost a year after getting certified). MOST don't have the information to know how much gas is needed to satisfy a deco obligation. Often, they are not carrying enough gas, or have not maintained adequate reserves. (If you respect rock bottom calculations, as long as your buddy doesn't run out of gas, you're likely to have enough to satisfy any deco obligation you "inadvertently" ran up -- this may not apply if you're just being obstinate or overconfident and STAYING where you shouldn't be.)
People do deco all the time and go have a beer afterwards. Knowing a little bit about that is a safety thing; to that degree, I think classes like Fundamentals and Peter's Techreational Diver class, classes that introduce technical level skills and technical attitudes toward gas planning and reserves, are a highly desirable education for people whose SAC rate, tank size, and diving environment make coming nose to nose with a deco obligation a foreseeable possibility.