Gratuities

[bdbrown4764]

Kinda lost here, what would be a reasonable amount to tip the help on the boat....It's easy with just a couple of people, but I went on a dive 2 weeks ago that had 1- Captian (of course) 1-deck helper 3-Dive masters for 12 people...All the help helped everyone, so how would you go about tipping in this case so everyone is taken care of without having to use all of next weeks dive money?

 

[RJP]

I may be a bit biased - being a mate on a dive boat - but I say "tip early and tip often"!

But seriously, DMs/mates typically ONLY get tips. If you had a good time and appreciated the help, etc. $10 would be about the minimum I would tip, I usually give $20 for a two-tank dive. Remember, the crew gets to the boat before you do to get it ready and stay after your gone to clean up after you. If you rented tanks, gear etc they probably also had to lug that from somewhere.

Think about it this way. If all 12 people tipped $10, that's $120 split four ways or $30 each. Barely covers $2/hr after the crews' tank fills and gas/tolls to get to the boat.

The tips are usually pooled, but just ask one of the crew if they do pool them before you tip. We don't have DMs on the boats here in NJ in the sense of leading the dives; but we do have 3 crew.

Captain doesn't get tips, since he's the only one actually getting paid.

 

[Rainer]

Do the NJ DMs get to dive for free?

 

[SteveC]

Do the NJ DMs get to dive for free?

I sure hope they don’t charge them to work

Here is my take on the tipping. First keep in mind that your paying good money for this boat ride even before you tip. But with that said, I would only tip one person, be it the captain or head DM, and let them worry about dividing it up. Only they know who is getting paid and who is not.

 

[Rainer]

I sure hope they don’t charge them to work

That wasn't my question. I want to know if the NJ DMs get to dive on the charters they work. DMs in MA don't typically dive on the charters they work. All work is topside.

 

[SteveC]

On the few that I have been on everyone gets in the water except one. But they are not actually “fun” diving, they are working.

 

[RJP]

Do the NJ DMs get to dive for free?

As mentioned above we don't "DM" in the sense of leading dives.

Typically we do each get one dive in, though that dive will usually involve tieing in or untying. On a recent trip the crew member who tied in burned through 2000psi dragging the chain up current to the wreck, and had to surface right after tieing in to avoid a significant deco obligation.

So, yes he did get to do that dive for free.



Recently my "free" dive was 7min going down to 130' untieing the chain and coming right right back up. I got to do that one for "free" as well.

 

[texasaubiefan]

There are alot of posts about this and opinions vary. So a couple of guidelines I adhere to, both as a diver, and when I am DM'ing. These are for US-based dives. When you travel, there are differing expectations but how I rate the service doesn't change, but the amounts I tip do.

1. If all the crew does is take you to your site, make sure you safely get in and out of the water - they're doing their job and exactly what I'm paying for. I don't tip.

2. If the crew meets my needs, gets the gear on/off the boat, helps me setup my gear, provides great briefings and information about the dive to make it more enjoyable - it's worth $5 per tank. They're providing additional services that help me enjoy the dive more.

3. If the crew does #2, provides in-water tours, has snacks/water/juices available, interacts with us to make it more fun, rinses my gear after the dives - basically pampers me, it's worth at least $10 per tank. And I tip even more if they really customize what they do for me and do it for every diver.

Notice I said the "crew". Most operations split the tip money as it takes everyone working together to pull off 1st class dives. For example, if the DM's are in the water, you don't see the captain cutting up fruit or preparing the drinks for you while you dive. You don't see the 1-2 hours on either side of the dive prepping the boat, making sure all the supplies are loaded, etc..

There's also a common mis-belief that the divemaster's role is to show you everything and be in the water with you. Not the case. They're there for your safety. Everything they do above that makes them great divemasters. And for the folks that say "they're working and getting to have fun" - you're right. But there's a huge difference between working a dive and being on a dive. The work part is that you don't get to relax and you've got to be on your game the entire time. You're constantly assessing what can go wrong so you can respond to it. While I may enjoy doing the dive - I am at work.

So while divemastering is alot of fun (that's why I do it in addition to my day job), the tips if I've helped make a dive enjoyable and safe are definitely appreciated - mainly because it says job well done. Trust me, nobody's getting rich off of diving except maybe the dive shop owners!

 

[pir8]

I really doubt the the DS Owners are getting rich.

 

[texasaubiefan]

Fully agree - I was being a little sarcastic. I haven't met a whole lot of folks in this industry getting rich at all. I do know this - none of the instructors or DM's I know are! It's all about the love of a great sport, great people, and great places!