Thalassamania:
Now I don’t think that people have become stupider in the two decades. It is not hard to teach/learn table use, unless you’re trying to cut the course down to an absolute minimum.
But isn't this exactly what the decision boils down to ... an attempt to make scuba diving more attractive by reducing the effort it takes to get into doing it?
Offer 20 people a choice to get certified either through a comprehensive 3-week class or a basic 3-day class and see which one the majority will choose. I think we all know the answer ... a few will choose the more comprehensive class, but the majority will choose "quick and easy".
I have no issue with teaching computers in OW ... but I think they should do it IN ADDITION to the dive tables. Diving's as much about mental approach as the activities involved, and dive planning is something that basic dive training is notoriously short on. Use of the tables provides a good way to show people not just how to approach dive planning, but why ... i.e. the relationship between how long you stay down, how long you stay out between dives, and the "payment" and "interest" that comes with these two choices. It has value as a practical exercise for the beginner diver ... even if that diver never looks at a table after the class is concluded.
Skipping that aspect of training isn't bad if the instructor chooses another method to include those concepts into their basic training ... but how many will, unless they are required to?
On the other side of the issue, too many divers use computers today without understanding what the numbers are telling them ... they know how to "ride" the NDL readout, but that's about it.
I see comments in this thread that tell me clearly that the people making them don't understand the basic relationship between depth, dive time, ascent rate, and nitrogen loading ... even as it applies to simple recreational dives. A good presentation on this subject would be of value ... both in general and as it applies to using dive computers.
As with every other topic covered in a basic scuba education, the effectiveness of any such presentation is going to depend on how the instructor approaches it ... and whether or not it's a rote exercise or one that emphasizes the concepts behind the topic. As with any topic, the measure of that effectiveness will depend on whether or not the student can apply it to their specific circumstance from dive to dive and understand why they are doing so.
Arguing the subject is silly ... a better discussion would focus not on whether or not dive computers should be taught, but how to do so in a way that enhances the learning process and provides a context in which a new diver can apply the knowledge to their everyday diving experience.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)