As a courtesy to those who helped with all those very useful advices, this is an update on how this story has progressed. Based on the many responses, it appears that the instructor has not really been out-of-line. So, we continued with the program. One advice is for me to have a talk with my buddy (wife) whether she felt pressured into accompanying me into diving. This I have also done. Anyway, she is not the type that can be forced into anything, at least by me. It is clear she wants to try. Some points:
- The instructor may have been a bit impatient during the first OW. He has been very patient since then with all the other dives. Took a couple more of sessions though for my buddy to trust him.
- I completed the OW in about 4 dives. My buddy took 11 dives over a 3-months period to complete hers but she did not give up. Being new to the ocean and the fear factor slowed the process.
- There were actually 3 known diving fatalities in the Longdong Bay (NE of Taiwan) just the summer of 2012, one of them, a training fatality. Maybe my telling my buddy those reports really scared her. But, I was scared myself at the start.
- Anyway, she now can do a dance and smile underwater.
- Believe that going ahead to buy our own equipment that fits better also help made things easier.