Question New to scuba diving, is it a bad instructor?

[Outbound]

She has no responsibility to say stop that sheet now?

It would perhaps have served her well, but no, the responsibility to act properly rested with the instructor, ethically, likely legally (depending on local laws), and PADI-wise.

Professional Conduct - PADI Pros

In our ongoing series on quality and risk management issues we try provide information that can minimise the risks to divers and make diving as safe as possible. Safety includes not just physical safety but also emotional and mental safety. One such risk of emotional and physical harm is that of...

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[DiveProKoko]

Hi everyone, I recently completed my PADI Open Water course and I'd like to share my experience with you. I believe my instructor's behavior was inappropriate, but as a newcomer to scuba diving, I'd appreciate your thoughts on the matter.

Instructor here....I'm not with PADI, but I do know that within my agency and PADI, nothing about these "techniques" is normal, nor do they sound appropriate. Report him here: Consumer Protection | PADI.

 

[Pearl0123]

She has no responsibility to say stop that sheet now?

As mentioned, the instructor told me it was to control my buoyancy & to get comfortable in the water. This exercice lasted about 15-20 minutes each days. I did not knew that it was not a proper exercice. I trusted him as an instructor & he had lots of good review. I trusted he was knowing what he was doing. The contact was not straightforward. It was subtle & I was scared and concentrate on the breathing part. I realized on the last day it was not okay. But was not sure the entire time. Either way, he was in a power position, I was the student. It's his actions not mine. He could've chose to not repeat the "exercice" but he did not.

 

[DiveProKoko]

I don’t mean to be inflammatory, but if a women was subject to aggressive pursuit in a sexual manner, did not object at the time, left the situation voluntarily, and then returned two more times over a series of days and receiving similar responses, how is a man to understand that his actions were unwelcome?

It doesn't matter....as a dive pro you are NOT to use your position as diving instructor as a "hook up". Especially when you deviate from standards in the pursuit of said "hook up". You okay with your daughter's college professors using their position to hook up with them? I didn't think so.....

 

[Pearl0123]

You can report the incident to PADI at QM@padi.com.

I wrote an e-mail to PADI. Will keep you updated. Thank you everyone for your comments I really appreciate it!

 

[johndiver999]

It doesn't matter....as a dive pro you are NOT to use your position as diving instructor as a "hook up". Especially when you deviate from standards in the pursuit of said "hook up". You okay with your daughter's college professors using their position to hook up with them? I didn't think so.....

I said his actions were unprofessional. Her actions were childlike. I don’t see a criminal situation. I expect people to act appropriately and not misuse their authority.

 

[johndiver999]

It would perhaps have served her well, but no, the responsibility to act properly rested with the instructor, ethically, likely legally (depending on local laws), and PADI-wise.

Professional Conduct - PADI Pros

In our ongoing series on quality and risk management issues we try provide information that can minimise the risks to divers and make diving as safe as possible. Safety includes not just physical safety but also emotional and mental safety. One such risk of emotional and physical harm is that of...

pros-blog.padi.com

She has no moral responsibility to respond to an unwelcome sexual advance? We disagree, I think a woman should be secure enough to convey her wishes. I’m not defending the instructor’s actions in this situation in any manner.

 

[Youssef]

I said his actions were unprofessional. He actions were childlike. I don’t see a criminal situation. I expect people to act appropriately and not misuse their authority.

Sexual harassment is a crime. It’s not that complicated. If I go on public transportation and grope women or come up and grind against them, I am sexually harassing them whether they subsequently complain about it or not. Now imagine the same thing but the victim is underwater in a hostile environment she is unfamiliar with being taught a ‘skill’ she has no idea is routine or not by an apparent expert in this field.

Yeah she should have stopped him but that’s a lot easier to say in retrospect and changes nothing about the legality of the act.

 

[Outbound]

I said his actions were unprofessional. He actions were childlike. I don’t see a criminal situation. I expect people to act appropriately and not misuse their authority.

Depending on local laws, fondling or unwanted sexual touching can indeed be a criminal offense. Certainly in the US and Canada it is. Not sure about OP's situation because we don't know on what Caribbean island these incidents took place.

His actions go well beyond "unprofessional." Unprofessional conduct would be things like berating students, yelling at them, demeaning them, etc. Rubbing your genitals against someone's buttocks without their consent is WELL past that.

You are essentially victim blaming. You are saying "Well, OP didn't say or do anything to stop it, so the predator might have gotten the impression it was okay to keep going." BS. This instructor knew full well what he was doing was wrong. But he also knew that the way in which he was doing it - pretending that it was part of a skill to be taught, checking her buoyancy, etc. - could give him some amount of "cover." That is absolutely predatory, with malice of forethought, and smacks of someone who has done this many times before.

I'm sorry, but I will not simply agree to disagree on this point. This was 100% on the instructor.

 

[johndiver999]

Sexual harassment is a crime. It’s not that complicated. If I go on public transportation and grope women or come up and grind against them, I am sexually harassing them whether they subsequently complain about it or not. Now imagine the same thing but the victim is underwater in a hostile environment she is unfamiliar with being taught a ‘skill’ she has no idea is routine or not by an apparent expert in this field.

Yeah she should have stopped him but that’s a lot easier to say in retrospect and changes nothing about the legality of the act.

Groping women in public is different than a women putting on a bathing suit and willingly entering a pool in private session after she has previously been aggressively sexually pursued. Someone might assume implied consent in one situation and certainly not in the other.