How much to tip Cave diving staff ? Florida and Mexico (Playa, Tulum etc)

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Olariuas

Contributor
Messages
174
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27
Location
FRANCE
# of dives
100 - 199
Recently 2 interesting threads full of debates are available about tipping.

How much to tip dive masters and boat crew in Cozumel?
Tipping
and some more...

I (european citizen) am not used about tipping someone (it's not our culture) - but I am not categorically stubborn to refuse to tip as in any case as a foreigner rules and laws (and local customs) must be followed. I am nevertheless very grateful and I understand perfectly the effort provided and the need to be rewarded.

Alright that being said - I do plan to be cave trained: Cavern/Intro2Cave in France and Full Cave in Mexico. And currently if I do a diving trip in Florida / Play / Tulum etc it would only be for Cave diving and Wreck diving.

And I have the feeling that even if local customs / tipping are highly integrated into boat-scuba diving culture I have no clue about Cave instructors and co-workers' and staff point of view about it.

What is your typical day when preparing for a full day of cave (or cavern) diving ?
What is your reaction if the diver care of his own gear / tanks and stuff to help you (and still give tips) ?
Do you include a percentage 'tips' inside your daily rate ?
What do you expect as a tip ?

Thanks :)
 
If I hire a guide or sherpa and the service is good I will tip 15 to 20%. I generally don't tip a dive shop employee unless they go way above and beyond. Remember in Mexico the wages are low for the locals. A good job in Mexico for the locals pays $10 usd / day. I tip liberally there as most of the locals you encounter out and about there can really use a few extra dollars / pesos
 
It is rare that I guide any more. When I used to do it, I charged $250 per person per day. We could do one dive or as many as you wanted. I never expected tips and rarely got one. Most of the time, in fact probably every time, the diver picked up the check at lunch and dinner.

Teaching in Florida, tips ranged. Sometimes nothing. Sometimes $50-$300. The best tip was a custom $2400 drysuit. I have a friend that was tipped a 7 or 9 day diving trip out of the country. But Jim can tell you about that story.
 
I'm not cave trained (yet) either, but I have done some of those guided cenote cavern dives in the Tulum area. It seems correct to me that if you hire a guide who works for himself and is not a dive shop employee, then you pay him whatever his fee is and do not add a tip. That's what I did. Also, some of the guides are not Mexican nationals but rather expats. My guide was from England. I am certain he was not surprised I did not add a tip on top of his fee.
 
When we dive cenotes arranged through the same dive shop that handles our open water dives, we tip the dive guide the same as we do for open water dives ($15 USD per person per two tanks) unless there are extenuating circumstances on the cenote dive (such as the guide handling the tanks up and down treacherous access for both dives, etc.) and then we'll add another $5-10 USD to the tip.
 
Recently took a cave class in Mexico. I think I paid $275/day for the training (includes transportation, entry fees, tanks/gas, and 10-12 hours a day of personal attention). Tipped around 20%. For guided diving the daily rate is lower but the tip percentage is the same. The expectation (unless you're specifically hiring porter services) is that you'll deal with your own gear.

Where I did the class, I know a portion of that tip gets split between the instructors (which generally goes into the fund for cave exploration and project work) and a portion goes to the hard-working Mayan guy who does everything else to keep the shop running (he doesn't make much, and a little goes a long way to helping him support his wife and children). Happy to contribute to both.
 
These last 2 days I spoke with few divers / instructors about tipping and indeed this is interesting 'concept'. I changed my mind even if I was not in the beginning agaisnt tipping this is just it is not on my culture. It would be the same for a japanese citizen who would feel insulted to get a tip. It might be hard to explain him and understand why he felt insulted.

I will consider 15-20% tipping in my budget on the daily rate now. I have no idea but do you (cave/guide instructor) build up some relationiship (or mentoring or coaching) with divers who would have the opportunity to come back with you ?

I kinda follow that idioms : "Short reckonings make long friends" as soon as mutually deals are agreed all fine. You can help him back to save for a exploration or project etc etc.

Now 110 dives outside training course - 85 dives mixed shore diving and where I do refuse that DM/instructor touch my gear. I already got someone turned my 'open valve' to a 'back 1/4 turn'
and I am happy to be trained with 'do not trust anyone touching your gear' except during courses. So Im kinda sure that I want to care of my own gear and tanks in cave diving tour I made had no clue of orientation and stuff but Im perfectly fit to follow.
 
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Where I did the class, I know a portion of that tip gets split between the instructors (which generally goes into the fund for cave exploration and project work) and a portion goes to the hard-working Mayan guy who does everything else to keep the shop running (he doesn't make much, and a little goes a long way to helping him support his wife and children). Happy to contribute to both.

Okay, in THAT case it makes sense to me. More generally, though, I wouldn't tip an instructor for teaching me what I directly paid the instructor to do. I might even just ask the instructor if tipping her assistant would be okay.
 
I might even just ask the instructor if tipping her assistant would be okay.

I will found really weird if this instructor do refuse his assistant to be tipped. It would indeed be polite to ask. Probably not in front of the assistant to offer him also a surprise.
 
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http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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