Dive Resort Etiquette

[vinegarbiscuit]

Folks at dive resorts work for tips, make no mistake about it. Chances are, they'll take you to Mars if it's going to produce happy divers that are more likely to tip, so generally, very little encouragement is needed for them to show you the 'best' sites.

Bear in mind that the 'best' sites may not be diveable in certain conditions, and they'll probably make their site selections accordingly. Again - happy diver = good tips. Not much point in driving folk to a stellar dive site that happens to have bad viz/awful currents/whatever, as it will produce unhappy divers (and possibly injured divers, depending on their level of experience). Far better to go to a site that may be less stellar, but ensure good conditions for all.

These folks work tirelessly for very little money, so the best incentive you can give them to go that extra yard for you is to treat them well (which I'm sure you'd do anyway). Give the boat captain, crew and your DM the utmost respect. Listen attentively to the boat and site briefings, be conscientious about your gear and other folk on the boat (i.e., keep your gear stowed and out of other people's way etc), and generally just enjoy the sh*t out of your diving. Of course, it goes both ways: if they treat you poorly by fiddling with gear; tossing cameras around; taking divers to weather-crummy sites because that's what's on the schedule instead of listening to what Poseidon has to say; or forcing people to lick the side of the boat in order to slake their thirst because there's no bottled water and snacks on board, then you may choose not to be so generous with your tips.

 

[Kilili]

Most of my diving is in western Pacific, primarily Indonesia. My experience is that money doesn't talk as loudly as you might think. Sure, it's appreciated, but respect, thoughtfulness, and such count for more. Treat the staff as equals, as you would want to be treated. Be friendly, outgoing, but not intrusive. I don't smoke, but much of dive crew does, so I bring cigarettes along for them. They're also appreciated and expensive for them.

You will be remembered for who you are and how you act, not for what you do/don't give them. Do it right, and they will remember you when you come back 1,2,3 years later.

If I dive with one guide exclusively for many days, I will give him money at the end, and maybe something he might appreciate, like for his children. I consider this a gift of special consideration. Everything else I give goes iinto the "Christmas fund", which the staff will decide how to best apportion. Many people contribute to the success of your trip, some of whom you never even meet.

 

[RJP]

Most of my diving is in western Pacific, primarily Indonesia. My experience is that money doesn't talk as loudly as you might think. Sure, it's appreciated, but respect, thoughtfulness, and such count for more.

Treat the staff as equals, as you would want to be treated. Be friendly, outgoing, but not intrusive.

Ding, ding, ding!

We have a winner!

In fact, worse than "not tipping" would be thinking "I can treat these folks like crap...because I'm tipping them."

 

[jkbonner]

Thank you all for your response. I'm starting to wiggle my way into the dive community and want to make sure I'm doing things correctly, according to expectations.
Thanks again!
Have a great dive!

 

[ReefHugger]

In addition to all the excellent advice (esp. kilili's), I would suggest that you sharpen all diving skills. Be as good as you can be (at whatever level you are) and then be disciplined and responsible in your diving, respecting the habitat and fellow divers.

Frequently, the 'best' sites are a little more challenging. If you are not controlling your buoyancy (say) and exceeding the planned depth (or floating up in unplanned ascents) then you may not be taken on a superb wall. You may instead be taken to a flat, shallow bottom in an attempt to keep you safe.

Most of these resort DM's are professionals and it is part of their job to assess divers, albeit unobtrusively. And they are doing this every day. Your familiarity with the equipment, kitting up, and body language are all part of this assessment. Your job is to impress them with your skills and attitude, that you are capable of handling the more challenging sites. If not, you'll be taken to the 'best' sites (in their judgement) for your capability.

Mix in Kilili's with the above (humour and tips won't hurt either) and you'll stand a pretty good chance of getting to the 'best' sites.

 

[vladimir]

What is the most polite, effective manner to encourage and reinforce a resort Dive Master to lead me or my group to the best dive spots in the area?

By asking.

Do a little research in advance and, if possible, know where you'd like to go. Divemasters would like you to enjoy your dives, so they will usually take you where you want to go if you and your fellow divers are qualified and conditions are favorable. They themselves may get tired of diving the marquee sites day in and day out, but since you're not diving there every day, yes, you probably do want to go to Blue Corner, the Elbow, Devil's Throat, the Washing Machine, or whatever it is called--its name is familiar for a reason. Of course, you might prefer Generic Site 12 to Blue Corner if one is empty and the other has 50 divers on it--I know I would--but that's another thing to sound your divemaster out on. Avail yourself of his local knowledge.

 

[DeputyDan]

By asking.

Do a little research in advance and, if possible, know where you'd like to go. Divemasters would like you to enjoy your dives, so they will usually take you where you want to go if you and your fellow divers are qualified and conditions are favorable. They themselves may get tired of diving the marquee sites day in and day out, but since you're not diving there every day, yes, you probably do want to go to Blue Corner, the Elbow, Devil's Throat, the Washing Machine, or whatever it is called--its name is familiar for a reason. Of course, you might prefer Generic Site 12 to Blue Corner if one is empty and the other has 50 divers on it--I know I would--but that's another thing to sound your divemaster out on. Avail yourself of his local knowledge.

So true- We dove with an operator for a week in Kona Hawaii, and got to know the DM's pretty well. After the manta ray night dive (Which was great) a DM confided with me that it gets old after 200-300 times!

 

[diver 85]

"Tips?
Buying extra stuff at the resort?"......

.......Answer(s)..... IMO, find another resort/destination.....

 

[Scared Silly]

Folks at dive resorts work for tips, make no mistake about it.

Not start the whole tipping debate but it all depends on country/culture/etc.

As for the OP question. As said do your homework, ask questions, etc.