@DevonDiver
1. I was not criticising PADI or any other agency. If it came across that way then I apologise.
2. I'm in agreement with everything you wrote, I was being deliberately provocative. I fully understand ( a point you have made numerious times) how the current commercial model has been driven by market forces i.e. the customers wanting to pay less and train for less time
That said, I believe my point is still valid, that
Single tank Deco is (or should be) within the realms of the rec diver. People should be introduced to it in theory at least, rather than teh current model of No Deco, where people get into a tizz if their computer shows 2 or 3 mins of deco
Certainly within the current model it would require an extra course and training with some established limits.
Personally I think that putting a label on Deco as being a Technical activity - devalues technical diving.
Single tank deco, at depths above 30m and cavern certs etc are not a tech qualification (in my mind) But some will suggest they are because they involve overheads. However they are certainly Advance Rec
For the record, I don't consider myself a technical diver, I still use the definition of technical as Below 40m, Cave, Adv Wreck, He, CCr etc.
Encouraging people to consider themselves a technical diver because of the course name, rather than just an advance rec diver to my mind at least is more troubling.