Do you tip your instructor?

[Superlyte27]

Why? You think a tech class is even remotely comparable to 4 year university degree?

Some people keep saying x or y class was hard and when you asked why, it's always that they had issues with some basic stuff. I started cave with 800 or 900 dives or so when I was in my mid 20s. Thought the skills were all pretty basic stuff.

I know the next question:
Before someone now wants to know If I have ever 'been in the water with gue diver' (I know, I know because they (think) they're so much higher level). Yes, I have, more than once. I was just diving with a hardcore DIR fan C2/T2 not too long ago. Still don't see what's supposed to be so hard to learn. There are other sports that are much harder to get good at, I think.

How much time did those 800 or 900 dives take to master your skill before you became a cave diver? Say 4 years? Lol

 

[Superlyte27]

Giving someone money for showing that you appreciate him/her is truly sad in my view.
If someone would attempt giving money to me for that reason, I would not appreciate it.
But we are not all equal.
I really condemn this tipping culture.
It is a form of meritocracy, pleasant people get a prize and less pleasant people are not rewarded for their work.
Meritocracy is one of the worst things in our modern society.
The sad distopic world described by Young in his book "The rise of the Meritocracy" is becoming true, and people even think it is a good thing...

Lol, that’s not really the way it works. I’m one of the most unpleasant people I know. Yet I get amazing tips. Why? because I’m great at what I do. I can convey what I do to students in a manner that they can absorb, I don’t sugar coat, coddle or give anything that’s not earned. People appreciate awesome.

 

[berndo]

That's truly wrong. Please note that I am both a diving instructor and a full professor at the university.

Lol, what? C'mon, Angelo. I had to study really hard at university and some of the tests were really hard to get through. I can't believe you're, as a university professor disagreeing with me on that.
You had to work as hard and put as much time into becoming a scuba instructor as you had to put into becoming a professor?

I can tell you that much, If my doctor told me, his dive training was harder than getting his medical degree, I'd look for a new doctor for sure.

How much time did those 800 or 900 dives take to master your skill before you became a cave diver? Say 4 years? Lol

I don't know. I was just paddling along for fun. I did work as a instructor for some time, but I didn't put any work into diving itself. I think you get better as you go.

I mean you do need some practice, but I honestly can't think of any skill in scuba that I would call hard to master.

 

[berndo]

Tipping is bad.

That is a very italian thing to say.

 

[berndo]

Tipping is bad. It is not just offensive, ...

Philosophically, I agree with the point you're making, Angelo. But when you're in the US or in my beloved Canada and you don't tip your waiter or bar keeper you are cutting their pay, essentially. If people don't tip them, they make (almost) no money. That's how their system works.

 

[VikingDives]

I've had a few meals picked up as an instructor. A drink or two along the way. As a DM, typing wasn't unusual.


These days, my DMs get paid about half of what other shops pay their instructors. I'm not sure if they are getting tipped

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I’m one of the most unpleasant people I know.

I think I can speak for everyone here that no one believes this!

 

[JMarc]

And wealth earned belongs to those willing to earn it. I.E. the best ones in a particular area.

LOL. There is little correlation between earned wealth, quantity of work and quality of skill relevant to the work. Familial factors play a far bigger role, by providing the initial capital, by providing the education, by providing the social network, by providing a safety net allowing to take risks. Having skills valued by the society also help (and relevant to this thread, teaching skills aren't valued enough IMHO).

And note that I've written only about earned wealth. The part of purely inherited wealth among the wealthy is quite high as well.

 

[JMarc]

Philosophically, I agree with the point you're making, Angelo. But when you're in the US or in my beloved Canada and you don't tip your waiter or bar keeper you are cutting their pay, essentially. If people don't tip them, they make (almost) no money. That's how their system works.

There is the opinion we can have on aspects of a society. There is to way we behave withe the people living in that society. When aware of the usages, I'll act according to them as long as they don't conflict with some core values.

That's where this subject lies. Tipping instructors is far to close of corruption for my taste (obviously circumstances matter, if they aren't acting as my instructor and they won't in the foreseeable future, I'll tip them according to their role)

I don't put things like taking up the cost of a shared meal or drink in the same bucket. Some gift whose value is not so much monetary than personal aren't either.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Philosophically, I agree with the point you're making, Angelo. But when you're in the US or in my beloved Canada and you don't tip your waiter or bar keeper you are cutting their pay, essentially. If people don't tip them, they make (almost) no money. That's how their system works.

I agree with both you and Angelo. Tipping is built into the compensation system in the US (Canada, too, eh?), and it is a terrible alternative to simply paying people their market-rate value, but it is so deeply ingrained in the US that changing the system is nearly impossible. So it is expected that we tip our waiters, barkeepers, etc., 15-20 percent of what we are charged. It is unfortunate that we (Americans) have spread the idea of giving such large tips around the world, including to places where employees receive their market-rate value in wages and benefits.

Returning closer to the original topic, if we agree that dive instructors are not similar to university professors, can we also agree that dive instructors are not similar to waiters and barkeepers? I think dive instructors are in a fairly unique position. If the question of whether it is okay to tip dive instructors were as simple to answer as whether it is okay to tip divemasters (dive guides), it would not have been the topic of this thread. Yet we see this same question being asked now and then over the years. It does not seem obvious to me that developing a culture of tipping persons who certify others is a good practice.