I started swim lessons with my DD at 6 months and the instructor did the same thing - took her off me and dunked her - and my DD was so unhappy and cried the whole lesson. After that every lesson was a nightmare because the instructor was always trying to force my DD to do things, which just made her cling to me ever more and cry. I tried talking to him about the fact that my DD wasn't ready for dunking and being apart from me and he told me that she just had to get used to it and that she'd be afraid forever of the water if she didn't get used to it at that age.

After that I stopped swim lessons but then decided to try another swim school when my DD was 18 months and it is so much better!! The first lesson my DD was afraid to get in the water but at the end of her first lesson she didn't want to get out of the pool! The instructors don't dunk kids or take kids off parents. The whole lesson is centred around having fun in the water and learning skills along the way. She loves the lessons and so do I. It's much more relaxed and fun. As it should be at this age I reckon!

If you are in Melbourne I can highly recommend them to you.