Dive masters work for TIPS!

[seadoggirl]

They carry our tanks. They make sure that we get off the boat with air turned on. They make sure that we get back on the boat without getting hit in the head by the boat or ladder. They do search and recovery when we lose fins, knives, watches, etc overboard. They tie us up to the Oriskany so all we lazy divers have to do is pull ourselves down the anchor line. They have saved lives locally and they make me a better diver everytime I'm around one. Their service has value!

AND THEN YOU DON'T TIP THEM!

Some of the local captains will remind passengers that the Dive Master generally is not a paid employee in this area of the country. Most of them work for tips. They have other things that they could be doing on a weekend other than carrying my heavy @#$^, like being with their children or friends, but they are there... smiling, cutting up my pineapple, making sure I get back to the dock in one piece. Often despite my attempts to drop something on my toe or cut off my thumb. They make sure I don't forget my camera or speargun. They look after all of us. I know I'm ranting but I really appreciate our local DMs. I'm not one and don't want to be. However, I really respect the efforts that these folks make every dive and I know that I've given a lot more for a lot less service. Make sure you remember your dive master next time you are out.:no

Thanks, Beth, Brian, Shane and Mike at DownUnder - Marcie and Steve at H2O - Brian at Gulf Diver - Eric at Dive Pros. And anyone else that has helped my lazy butt have a little fun. AND for you other divers - TIP YOUR DM!

 

[snepdiver]

When I went diving in Cozumel I was the only diver on the boat. The other 5 people were snokling. I felt like I had to tip the dive master more than usual since I got such great one on one personal service.

I think that you have recently been on a dive trip where someone did not tip at all. I have been there. People do not realize that the DM is not usually a paid employee. Or maybe they just play ignorant.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

And sometimes, people are just damn rude, inconsiderate, and ungrateful. I won't go into the group of idiots that I had the displeasure of sharing the boat with, in Cozumel. They didn't tip the dive masters at all. The rest of us were pretty pissed about it.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

If my broke *** can tip, everyone else damned well better.

 

[616fun]

I don't get off a boat unless my wallet is $20 lighter. Most of the people working the boats are living the life I wish I had the intestinal fortitude to give up my day job and go for. Least I can do is supplement someone living the dream.

 

[mwhities]

My first boat dive, I tipped the first mate 60 bucks. The dive was 80 bucks. I think that was a good tip. The boat captian was the DM. (He said to tip the first mate since she wasn't making much, if any on the boat.)

Michael

 

[grazie42]

I don´t have anything against DMs (I´m in training to become one).

Personally I don´t want anyone to carry my tank, fiddle with my valves or cutting pineapples for me. If their service has real value then they should require payment for it (from those who are willing to pay for it).

This thread seems to be about someone who wants others to subsidize a service they utilize, it seems the OP can´t imagine that there are quite a few people out there who place no value on the kind of "service" she raves about, this post is an attempt to cure that ignorance. I think people, like those in this thread, who appreciate the service provided so much should step up and pay the REAL price for that service and stop expecting others to do it for them.

When I start working here my LDS will "pay" me with a free boatdive for every dive that I DM and perhaps some free fills etc (the real pay will be the verbal/non-verbal appreciation of the people I´ll be able to help not financial compensation). I can choose to accept that arrangement or not. If a DM accepts work for "free", then that is what he/she should expect to earn.

ymmv

 

[ClayJar]

You know, grazie42, it certainly sounds like things are significantly different in Sweden than they are here in Deep Dixie. You *completely* failed to understand what the thread was talking about.

The boat crew (call them dive masters or whatever) on the boats around here work exclusively for tips. They set the anchor (or tie off to the wreck) and provide other services, and it is customary to tip.

I always tip decently, even though the only "service" of theirs that I usually use is mooring. If I'm feeding the fish with vim and vigor and they're kind enough to get some water to me, all the better, and if I've pulled up an anchor (or two, as I did last time) and they help me haul them onboard, I'll gladly thank them with a larger tip. In this area of the world, it's just common courtesy.

I understand that things are *quite* varied throughout the world. (If you leave a tip in a restaurant in Japan, they're likely to chase you down to return the money you forgot and left behind.) In Deep Dixie, tips are part and parcel to acceptable behavior.

 

[Walter]

I carry my own tanks. I make sure my air is turned on before I enter the water. I make sure I don't bump my head on the ladder. If I drop something, I look for it. Sometimes I even tie to the wreck, although I've yet to dive the Oriskany. I've yet to be rescued. I tip anyway, if they aren't pushy when I politely decline their offers of service. If they try to force me to accept their services, they get no tip.

 

[divad]

They carry our tanks. They make sure that we get off the boat with air turned on. They make sure that we get back on the boat without getting hit in the head by the boat or ladder. They do search and recovery when we lose fins, knives, watches, etc overboard. They tie us up to the Oriskany so all we lazy divers have to do is pull ourselves down the anchor line. They have saved lives locally and they make me a better diver everytime I'm around one. Their service has value!

They don't do any of these things for me. I tip them anyway. I thought they did it for the free dives. Actually, I prefer it when they aren't there. It's less distracting.