Gratuities

[fjpatrum]

As for Oahu Diving, they are mostly guided dives and your DM is not only a DM but normally an instructor.

This is an interesting comment I see a lot on scubaboard, especially about HI DM/instructors. Unless I'm taking a course with the person I don't give a rat's ass if they are an instructor, DM, or good old deck hand with no diving experience.

I tip based upon my experience, not the potential experience I could have had based on someone else's qualifications.

 

[fjpatrum]

... husband and wife were with, she was a neurosurgeon, he was a software engineer at a BIG company. They were both generally obnoxious and at the end of the days diving, they gave the DM $10. I was like, come on! You can definitely do better than that! These are folks that make probably 5-6 times as much as I do in a year. It makes me nuts that they don't know how to tip right.

Kristopher

Not to take away from your post, but being a software engineer at a "BIG company" doesn't mean you make a lot of money. Neurosurgeons generally do, but you have no idea how much debt she was still in from school or malpractice or any other of a number of issues. Just because people have fancy titles doesn't mean they have money.

That said, being a cheap bastard is just annoying no matter what. If you can afford for two people to dive for a day or two, you can afford the extra $30-50 in tips.

 

[Downing]

Hmmm.

Neurogsurgeon and software engineer vacationing in Playa del Carmen and diving cenotes. Generally obnoxious. Tipped a measly $10.

They're cheap bastards. No doubt about it.

 

[coolhandcarter]

Typically $20 for 2 people for a 2 tank charter. Usually the tips are split by the crew behind the scenes and there fore there is no reason to tip everyone on the boat. If there is a tip jar on the boat then put your tips there but if there is no tip jar then you should give the tip to the person who did the most for you during the dive. Usually the DM that guided you around the site.

 

[rdbean]

This is an interesting comment I see a lot on scubaboard, especially about HI DM/instructors. Unless I'm taking a course with the person I don't give a rat's ass if they are an instructor, DM, or good old deck hand with no diving experience.

I tip based upon my experience, not the potential experience I could have had based on someone else's qualifications.

I mentioned it because it is relevant when an OW Diver shows up to do a 80-90 foot dive and their only experience is in a local quarry and have never dived in the ocean before.

I know what you're thinking..."require aow then". Nice concept but not the reality of it on Oahu or many other resort style locations.

If one dive charter op chooses to enforce that, then they will just lose business to the others.

Trust me, you won't get every operator on the island to abide by it.:shocked2:

So it makes sense to use instructors as DM's.

Cheers from Warm and Toasty Perth!

 

[Scubagolf]

We generally tip 20% of the trip cost for a day trip, and 20% of what we think the dive portion of a land-based vacation is. That ends up being more $$ in some locations and less in others depending on the cost of diving. Of course, that assumes good+ service, which is typically the case.

 

[vladimir]

.....

 

[fjpatrum]

I mentioned it because it is relevant when an OW Diver shows up to do a 80-90 foot dive and their only experience is in a local quarry and have never dived in the ocean before.

I know what you're thinking..."require aow then". Nice concept but not the reality of it on Oahu or many other resort style locations.

If one dive charter op chooses to enforce that, then they will just lose business to the others.

Trust me, you won't get every operator on the island to abide by it.:shocked2:

So it makes sense to use instructors as DM's.

Cheers from Warm and Toasty Perth!

rdbean, thanks for the clarification. I will never be one of those people who thinks "advanced certs are required" for anything beyond 60 fsw so I understand the benefit of the DMs also being instructors. I still don't understand, however, making that a factor in my tip.

 

[knfmn]

Not to take away from your post, but being a software engineer at a "BIG company" doesn't mean you make a lot of money. Neurosurgeons generally do, but you have no idea how much debt she was still in from school or malpractice or any other of a number of issues. Just because people have fancy titles doesn't mean they have money.

That said, being a cheap bastard is just annoying no matter what. If you can afford for two people to dive for a day or two, you can afford the extra $30-50 in tips.

You do have a couple of points. 1. I don't know how much he makes, but I'm willing to bet it's more than I make as a sys admin at a non-profit. If not, that speaks to a total lack of ambition on his part. I also don't know how much debt she has, but I know beyond a shadow of doubt that the worlds poorest neurosurgeon makes more than I.

2. Being a cheap bastard rides on my nerves horribly. I didn't tip in what I felt was an extravagant manner, but I tipped an experienced professional based upon what he did, which was take his experience and use that to show me a beautiful new world. I felt they could do the same. I completely agree with you that if you can pay for a couple people to dive, you can definitely afford the 30-50 in tips.

Kristopher

 

[=C=]

10% in the US, more if the Guide was entertaining or awesome (for some reason I didn't have o-rings or they find me a DIN tank or I get a really good fills) and in countries with low earning power I leave about the price of a meal in a restaurant. The rest of Europe I don't worry about it too much unless it was amazing service... people who work in the EU have health insurance and other basics taken care of that much of the world currently lacks.

Working an teaching in Czecho I've never been tipped.

I'm also not looking for a guide when I dive for fun... Take me to the site, explain it to me, fill my tanks, and leave me alone...

Also, if your shop rents me gear and the gear is crap this impacts gratuity as well.