Confined Water Padi OW - Conundrum

[Chardy]

A friend of mine is due to go to the Maldives in 10 days and has been doing an OW course in the UK. She has gone deaf in one ear and has been diagnosed with a bleed/bruise in her middle ear - No diving for 6 weeks! I asked what her training consisted of. She did her confined water dives in a 5 Metre diving pool with no water shallow enough to stand up in, taken to the bottom even though she was having trouble equalising.

1. This is a breach of standards, that is not in question.
2. Do I tell her to speak to PADI or do I call PADI. I know I should as it is part of my agreement with PADI - ( I am a IDC Staff Instructor)
3. Do I put her onto the HSE as well.

Interested in comments from PADI Instructors..........

?????????

[Fathoms Down]

Thats a tough call.

If she has injured her ear during the pool sessions then an incident report should have gone in to PADI so they should be aware. If you report then its unlikely to make much difference as you don't have first hand information but if you get her to complain about her training and her ear then PADI should be able to link it to the report (or not) and take action.

[big kev]

As you didn't witness the incident then anything you tell PADI or the HSE will be hearsay and as such inadmissable as evidence of what does seem a standards breach.

If she feels strongly enough about it then yes, you should urge her to make a complaint.

Hope her ear clears up soon and that she's not been put off .

ATB,

Kev.

[Brian of Aquanauts]

Also am an IDC Staff Instructor, but i think you have to directly view something to report it, otherwise it could just be heresay. Therefore your friend could report it if she wanted to.

Personally i would speak to the instructor.

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by Brian of Aquanauts

Also am an IDC Staff Instructor, but i think you have to directly view something to report it, otherwise it could just be heresay. Therefore your friend could report it if she wanted to.

Personally i would speak to the instructor.

I wouldnt.

I'd advise her to report the incident to PADI ASAP.
Then I'd duplicate that information to PADI, setting out what was said and the
advice given to contact PADI.

Hearsay or not, your concience is now clear in that PADI have been fully
informed. After that it is up to QA to decide on any possible action.

TerryH

Edit: Just added the "I'd" in the above BTW. Makes more sense :-)

[Rod]

Originally Posted by TerryH

I wouldnt.

I'd advise her to report the incident to PADI ASAP.
Then duplicate that information to PADI, setting out what was said and the
advice given to contact PADI.

Hearsay or not, your concience is now clear in that PADI have been fully
informed. After that it is up to QA to decide on any possible action.

TerryH

I agree. She needs to contact PADI.

[PADI-Paddy]

I would first of all keep an open mind on all this.

You are innocent until proven guilty !!

There are always two sides to every story, as has been said before I would try and contact the instructor and if the student diver wishes, advise her how she makes a complaint.

my tuppence worth ?

[Rob Dobson]

Originally Posted by TerryH

I wouldnt.

I'd advise her to report the incident to PADI ASAP.
Then duplicate that information to PADI, setting out what was said and the
advice given to contact PADI.

Hearsay or not, your concience is now clear in that PADI have been fully
informed. After that it is up to QA to decide on any possible action.

TerryH

Y - wot he said.

If your friend does nothing then how many more students will suffer the same until it is sorted?

My sister ruptured both of her (outer) ear drums doing her OW in Thailand - she 22 students in her class with ONE instructor. She went with them because they were cheap (go figure).

Shabby operators need to be sorted out or closed down. Period.

I know nothing about your friends experience and it's not my place to pass judgement, but if she informs PADI QA then the folks in Bristol get to do their thing. If no one reports these things then no one looks into them and nothing gets done.

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by PADI-Paddy

I would first of all keep an open mind on all this.

You are innocent until proven guilty !!

There are always two sides to every story, as has been said before I would try and contact the instructor and if the student diver wishes, advise her how she makes a complaint.

my tuppence worth ?

Absoluteley not.

If she contacts the Instructor then its his (I know diving word) against
her novice reply. He could say anything to try and smooth it over if he sees
a problem. Even if an Instructor freind went along on her behalf, what's it
got to do with him?

On the other hand if she contacts PADI and makes a QA complaint, then
they will investigate. PADI arent dumb, they know when they are being
sold a pup and there questions will be based on standards. Not so easy to
fob off as it would on a novice.

PADI QA's job is to make sure standards are adhered to. Its not for the
victim or his/her mate to do the policing. Leave it to the professionals.

TerryH

[PADI-Paddy]

Originally Posted by TerryH

Absoluteley not.

If she contacts the Instructor then its his (I know diving word) against
her novice reply. He could say anything to try and smooth it over if he sees
a problem. Even if an Instructor freind went along on her behalf, what's it
got to do with him?

On the other hand if she contacts PADI and makes a QA complaint, then
they will investigate. PADI arent dumb, they know when they are being
sold a pup and there questions will be based on standards. Not so easy to
fob off as it would on a novice.

PADI QA's job is to make sure standards are adhered to. Its not for the
victim or his/her mate to do the policing. Leave it to the professionals.

TerryH

For the life of me Im trying to work out which bit you absolutely dont agree with

is it........... innocent until proven guilty
keep an open mind
there are always two sides to every story

at no point did I say 'she' should contact the instructor. please read before jumping the gun ??? it does not help your credibilty it looks like anger