There are arguments on both sides, Guy. Safety stops are optional, but less so as the dive becomes deeper and longer (note the PADI "mandatory" safety stops from certain pressure groups!). If I had a dive buddy clog a dip tube and come to me for gas, I'd rather do the stops, if my buddy is calm. If he isn't, I may have trouble just keeping the ascent rate under control! I plan for enough gas for the stops, and either take a bigger tank, or muti-level the dive so that I'm always within limits. It's not that hard to do, nor does it impact one's dive much, except in the case of deep, square profiles done on single tanks. Errol Kalayci has an eloquent post here on SB about doing the reef dives off West Palm Beach (which are often deep) on a single tank -- the numbers are daunting.
One of our local divers has a nice rock bottom calculator HERE. Or you can work your way through the problem -- figure one minute at max depth to sort out the emergency, and then whatever ascent profile you usually use (the calculator uses the GUE profile).
One of our local divers has a nice rock bottom calculator HERE. Or you can work your way through the problem -- figure one minute at max depth to sort out the emergency, and then whatever ascent profile you usually use (the calculator uses the GUE profile).