No. But I would like to see experienced, competent instructors willing to tailor a class to the student rather then a one size fits all approach. I know Tec 40 does not require doubles and I am not aware of any requirement from TDI either. Think it through. If a student can meet the course requirements without the use of doubles, why should they not be allowed to do so? Perhaps we should bring in the opinion of a few sidemount divers...
I think you may be missing some points. TDI Deco Procedures (DP) certifies you to 150 ft, with (single-gas) deco using up to 100% O2. Tec40 does not; you stay within recreational depths, and deco (max 10 mins) as if you were using air, even though you may use up to 50% O2. Neither Tec40 nor TDI requires doubles, but
redundancy IS required. The TDI requirement is rather loosely stated, but many instructors want to see doubles (or sidemount) as the best-practices kind of redundancy. The Tec40 statement requires an H/Y-valve (and two first stages, each with one second stage) or a 30cuft pony as minimum redundancy, so it is NOT a standard recreational rig.
Here is the major point: you can achieve what it sounds like you want to achieve (minimal equipment requirements beyond recreational) with Tec40, but you also have minimal deco allowed and non-accelerated deco times. If you want to go beyond that, you go to Tec45 or TDI DP, remove some depth limitations, remove some deco gas limitations....and up the equipment requirements.
And this is not forcing you to do things other than the course requirements; those ARE the course requirements.
---------- Post added January 14th, 2014 at 03:20 PM ----------
First of all, there are classes that are part way between technical diving and recreational diving. For example, there is a PADI distinctive specialty called TecReational Diver. Not many people are certified to teach it, but it exists. There are other such classes.
Next, some instructors offer classes that are completely flexible--you pay for time with them, and they teach whatever is appropriate to your needs.
(I do both of the above.)
Finally, different technical instructors will impose different levels of requirements on the introductory courses, as long as they meet the minimum requirements.
I doubt, however, that in any case any instructor will teach true accelerated (multi-gas) decompression procedures outside of a formal class. That is because it is, frankly, a dangerous process. They will want to make sure that you have fully mastered the skills required to do it safely. If an instructor teaches a little bit about such decompression and then has a former student go out, have a problem for which the student was not adequately prepared, and die, then the instructor has potential liability.
I agree with most of this, especially the part I've highlighted in red.
Note the many in-between recreational and technical classes, including the oft-mentioned TecReational Distinctive Specialty (not promoted or sold by PADI, but approved by PADI) do NOT actually train you to do deco, even 10-minute deco, nor do they give you any in-water practice with it. [TecReational talks about deco, from a someone off-center point of view, but the others do not even talk about it.] Those transitional classes are mainly about equipment and gas planning; you would get some of this in the Solo/Self-Sufficient Diver classes, too.
If you want to do deco (or are afraid you might have to do it inadvertently), you take a deco class and do the relevant in-water training. Tec40 is the entry level, and you may take it without doubles but not in pure recreational gear, and if you do it that way then you will have some catch-up work (and dives) to do before you can enter Tec45, should you choose to.
