AIBU to wonder if my surfing instructor should offer me a lift?

[Sarnpark]

Question for instructors or students:

I’m a relatively new surfing student, doing a one-to-one course with an instructor at a place about 2.5 hours’ drive from where we live. I’ve discovered that my instructor lives literally 5 minutes from my house.

Would it be normal for the instructor to offer me a lift/share the journey, given that we’re going to exactly the same place anyway? I don't mind driving. Or would most instructors avoid this because of professional boundaries?

We’re opposite genders and he is older than me, although I’m not sure whether that makes any difference.

Our kit wont need to be transported as we are hiring everything.

From a student’s perspective, would you see a lift as a completely normal logistical thing, or would you assume the instructor was deliberately maintaining more distance by travelling separately?

AIBU to expect to share a lift (either me or him driving)

Or is driving together for 5 hours too personal in addition to the course itself?

They may well be friends as well.

Perhaps he doesn’t go straight home after your lessons. He probably stays later or even overnight to take advantage of the waves.

I wouldn't expect a lift. I might enquire if he'd be interested in splitting the journeys to save petrol and driving. I could see dozens of reasons why it might not be convenient for him though - he may teach someone else after you, or want to stay and surf by himself, visit someone afterwards, love solo drives, etc. Or he might just not enjoy spending and extra five hours each time in close proximity to a relative stranger.

No, how entitled of you. You don't know what else he's got going on, other than your expectation of him chauffeuring you around.

I can't think of a reason on the planet why he should