Dangerous Scuba Instructor

[Lou PS]

Hello all!

I am writing to both inform and enquire about my recent PADI dive master experience in the Caribbean.

This Summer I had two months to complete my PADI divemaster, my instructor, who certified me earlier in the year as PADI Advance, said that this would be plenty of time to complete the certification.

However, after three weeks of waiting for new students, the instructor insisted I start to dive alone. I only had 35 dives under my belt at this point. When I told him that I felt nervous about diving alone, perhaps one of the girls could come with me, he told me he wanted me to learn ‘independence, self reliance’ then later in the conversation he told me that he hardly trusted me alone in the water. So why would he send me?!

This conversation took place after an incident that could have led to my death. The instructor indirectly peer pressured me to dive alone, and so I did.

He told me after four weeks of being under his instruction that I now had to dive alone in order to complete the course.

I have been in regular communication with PADI, who have failed to give me any detailed explanation after two and a half months, they have simply closed the case. I thought that insisting a relatively new diver to dive alone would be enough of a case to have the instructor reprimanded. I feel strongly that his teaching methods will be the cause of serious injury in the future.

While living onboard his boat, I also witnessed the following:

2) The PADI instructor has been known to have a few casual alcoholic drinks and will then lead beginner students into a dive even though they also have had a few drinks. This said student was still studying the PADI Open Water course at the time.

3) One of the students was taken to a 30 meter depth dive site for a period of 40 minutes, 4 hours before her flight schedule. The instructor said it would be fine because the navy SEALS state 2.5hours as a minimum time.

4) Another of the students mentioned she had narcosis side-effects. She was on her second dive ever without any certification and it was a deep-dive at The Rhône, BVIS. A witness saw her under the surface looking panicky and being dragged through a wreck by the instructor at 70f.

5) In a separate scenario, a potential student had questioned whether she should dive after a serious concussion and brain hemorrhage she had undertaken five months previous. She was still experiencing side effects from her head injury. The instructor didn’t know an immediate answer but after the student received a red flag from her doctor, the instructor still told her it was totally up to her. The instructor would have clearly ignored the doctor’s advice. The student felt pressurized to join.

I have evidence to back my claims about this instructor. I would like to understand how this instructor is allowed to continually operate under PADI’s licensing.

 

[Stoo]

You lost me at your doing DM training with 35 dives under your belt. I am proud to say I don't have a single PADI certification, but I'm pretty sure that that's not Kosher.

And then stuff kind of goes downhill from there. Did PADI acknowledge that this clown was actually one of theirs? If so, and they aren't yanking his card, that's rather baffling.

The one thing there that sounds a little off, is the person suffering "Narcosis side-effects" at 70'. I suspect the person was suffering from anxiety or CO2 buildup or similar. Narcosis at 70' would be unusual.

I also suggest you vacate his boat, go do a a bunch of diving, then restart with a legit operator.

 

[northernone]

Sounds like a complex mess. My first red flag is it is impossible to begin a dive master training program with 34 dives. Have you confirmed he is actually a padi instructor in good standing? Seems there should be fair oversight in the British Virgin Islands.

Cameron

 

[JackD342]

My first reaction is to wonder if he is even a PADI member. Do you have a card from your Advanced certification? If not, uh oh.
If so, type the member number into this app to verify.
PADI Pro Chek
If you are satisfied he is a legit PADi member, contact the office again and be persistent. They are very protective of their brand, and the brush off you described sounds very odd.

 

[flyboy08]

I’m not taking sides, but in the future, if someone...anyone tells you to do something you know is bad or wrong, it’s up to YOU to not do it.....whether it’s diving or not!

 

[falcon125]

Today, You became a member and started a thread to trash talk someone. This should be entertaining.

 

[TMHeimer]

From what you say, a mess indeed. I don't know what "diving alone" has to do with completing any DM course, internship or the standard type. Solo cert. or not, I have noticed that DMs often dive alone, such as on charters when they go down to secure the boat's anchor--or for OW courses setting the training buoy to it's mooring. It probably isn't something that you should be concerned about if you're ready to take the DM course. But as I said, I can't think of any part of the course I took that involved solo diving.

 

[Lou PS]

Hi guys! Wow, an hour in and so many replies - thank you!

To fill in the gaps:

1. Yes, the instructor works under a PADI instructor license. As I mentioned before, I have already sent a witness report to PADI.
2. @Stoo - yes, ‘narcosis side effects’ was only the student’s opinion. The serious point to be taken here is that the instructor took down the beginner diver to a deep dive, on her second ever dive in her lifetime. This is something that is taught on the PADI advanced course, not a second dive! It was afternoon and the currents at the surface of The Rhône were super strong, around half a knot to one knot and a significant amount of white horses. There was no granny line. The instructor had told me I was to lead as the divemaster, leading two other certified advanced divers. I gave a talk about the dive site and what to expect. Quietly, he also asked one of the people in my group to be divemaster, without telling me anything!
3. @cameron. Thank you. Yes, it is a complex mess. I was working on the EFR theory and practice while gaining dives towards the DM. After three weeks of living on this boat, it was becoming a pressure for the instructor to deliver, because those new people who visited the boat decided against diving with this said instructor. I told him that I felt uncomfortable with such little experience, and I asked if one of the girl's could be my spotter, and he said 'no', I must learn to be 'independent'. Crazy.
4. @flyboy08 - Yes, I agree, we are responsible for our own actions and this is why I left the boat after this incident. When we are discussing 'teaching practices', this instructor is not a role-model and is, frankly, dangerous.
5. @falcon - I would like to get some serious open discussion about what is acceptable practice among instructors. I just find it so difficult to believe that PADI wish to simply close the case, the safety of its students don't seem to be of any real importance.
6. @TMHeimer - It was only four weeks into the course when my instructor started requesting that I dive alone in order to gain the 90 hours practice for DM qualification. He had never even mentioned this before the first four weeks. Later in my diving career with a lot more experience, I wouldn't be opposed to diving alone, but naturally at 35 dives, I was apprehensive, like I imagine most people would be.

I had completed the theory for the EFR and was working on the theory for Divemaster while the final 'dive alone' incident happened. When I said to my instructor that I felt uncomfortable diving alone twice a day ongoing, he then threw me off the course and asked me to leave the boat that day in The Caribbean. He requested that he kept all the theory books showing I had passed. There was no written contract involved. I just have three witnesses who were there during the Summer time and also witnessed the instructor's malpractice.

Again, thank you for your replies, it's great to hear your opinions. One questions though still remains, how may rules does a PADI instructor have to break in order to be reprimanded? Does anyone have real experience on this or heard about disqualified instructors? I find it hard to believe that PADI will let this instructor continue working where he clearly runs a dangerous operation. He would continually joke about PADI being a farce when it comes to regulation, unfortunately he has currently been proven right. All I can find as concrete grounds for expelling an instructor is abandoning students while on a dive.

 

[oly5050user]

Hi guys! Wow, an hour in and so many replies - thank you!

To fill in the gaps:

1. Yes, the instructor works under a PADI instructor license. As I mentioned before, I have already sent a witness report to PADI.
2. @Stoo - yes, ‘narcosis side effects’ was only the student’s opinion. The serious point to be taken here is that the instructor took down the beginner diver to a deep dive, on her second ever dive in her lifetime. This is something that is taught on the PADI advanced course, not a second dive! It was afternoon and the currents at the surface of The Rhône were super strong, around half a knot to one knot and a significant amount of white horses. There was no granny line. The instructor had told me I was to lead as the divemaster, leading two other certified advanced divers. I gave a talk about the dive site and what to expect. Quietly, he also asked one of the people in my group to be divemaster, without telling me anything!
3. @cameron. Thank you. Yes, it is a complex mess. I was working on the EFR theory and practice while gaining dives towards the DM. After three weeks of living on this boat, it was becoming a pressure for the instructor to deliver, because those new people who visited the boat decided against diving with this said instructor. I told him that I felt uncomfortable with such little experience, and I asked if one of the girl's could be my spotter, and he said 'no', I must learn to be 'independent'. Crazy.
4. @flyboy08 - Yes, I agree, we are responsible for our own actions and this is why I left the boat after this incident. When we are discussing 'teaching practices', this instructor is not a role-model and is, frankly, dangerous.
5. @falcon - I would like to get some serious open discussion about what is acceptable practice among instructors. I just find it so difficult to believe that PADI wish to simply close the case, the safety of its students don't seem to be of any real importance.
6. @TMHeimer - It was only four weeks into the course when my instructor started requesting that I dive alone in order to gain the 90 hours practice for DM qualification. He had never even mentioned this before the first four weeks. Later in my diving career with a lot more experience, I wouldn't be opposed to diving alone, but naturally at 35 dives, I was apprehensive, like I imagine most people would be.

I had completed the theory for the EFR and was working on the theory for Divemaster while the final 'dive alone' incident happened. When I said to my instructor that I felt uncomfortable diving alone twice a day ongoing, he then threw me off the course and asked me to leave the boat that day in The Caribbean. He requested that he kept all the theory books showing I had passed. There was no written contract involved. I just have three witnesses who were there during the Summer time and also witnessed the instructor's malpractice.

Again, thank you for your replies, it's great to hear your opinions. One questions though still remains, how may rules does a PADI instructor have to break in order to be reprimanded? Does anyone have real experience on this or heard about disqualified instructors? I find it hard to believe that PADI will let this instructor continue working where he clearly runs a dangerous operation. He would continually joke about PADI being a farce when it comes to regulation, unfortunately he has currently been proven right. All I can find as concrete grounds for expelling an instructor is abandoning students while on a dive.

Sounds like you are not yet certified as a rescue diver, so should not start divemaster. Just inform PADI of that and it will be investigated. Also you need minimum of 40 logged dives to start DM course ,which you do not have. As to diving solo and nervous about it, should not do this, but realistically starting a DM course and uncomfortable in water, you are not ready to be a dive leader .

 

[kelemvor]

You lost me at your doing DM training with 35 dives under your belt. I am proud to say I don't have a single PADI certification, but I'm pretty sure that that's not Kosher.

Me too. IMO, that's about the point to start thinking about AOW.

I guess maybe someone out in the world is exceptional enough to advance that quickly and be competent. However, I'd wager that's a rare person indeed.