How much should you tip a dive operator?

[KrisB]

halemano is spot on with what I understand to be acceptable (and tell my divers) when diving from a boat: $5/tank for an acceptable job, $10/tank if you had an "above average" time, and then scale up to whatever you feel like giving them if you had an exceptional time.

Of course, there is the option for less than $5 if you had to save a crew member's noob-a$$...

On Maui, most of the time, the diver guides are also the crew -- so tipping the boat is shared between everybody (captain, crew, dm's). I suspect it's easy enough to tell whether your provider is the same as the boat company to decide whether you need to tip twice or not.

 

[cuddlefish]

The tipping "policy" varies with the operator. Once you choose a shop to dive with, it might be worth calling them and asking how they deal with tips. I know that at Jack's Diving Locker in Kona, everyone that works at the shop shares tips...captains, guides, instructors, tank "slugs", counter help, etc. Everyone is considered part of the team that makes the entire day work. But most shops do not handle tips this way. Tipping is entirely up to the discretion of the clients. Most people tip...some don't. When I go diving with a shop on another island, I would typically tip about $10 or so (maybe more, but typically not less).

 

[Black_3000psi]

Tipping is a way of saying thank you for going the extra mile to make my dive experience one I will always remember because of the way someone treated you. One thing I can tell you is when someone has done enough for you to tip them you wont need to ask how much, because even though the money comes from the pocket, it starts from the heart.

 

[DivinHawaii]

A few operators actually own their own boat, there is one tip jar and it is shared by the entire crew. These are unique because everyone works as a team to provide you a safe and quality dive.

 

[Universal Diver]

Nobody has touched base on tipping for a course. Any takers here? All of my certs have been in other countries and the value of the buck went a lot further. For my wife's referral open water course, I was able to tag along and be her buddy for her first two open water dives. At the time I was just a divemaster so it was good experience.

I watched how the instructor was with my wife and his other students, his professionalism and his overall performance. He was tough but fair. When my wife finished her course, I was very happy to tip him $50. Even in Cozumel, $50 goes a looooong way for a local. He smiled from ear to ear.

I didn't mind giving him a $50 tip because he helped my wife and took care of her throughout her two days of diving with him.

Chris

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Nobody has touched base on tipping for a course.

I tried!

Tipping an instructor happens more at the resorts than on boats and at dive shops, but if your training dives include a decent dive made pleasurable and educational by the instructor (not just skills), or the instructor goes above and beyond in classroom or pool for you, the above tipping rules could be applicable ($5/$10/more per tank/session).

 

[goldenbear01]

Tipping is a way of saying thank you for going the extra mile to make my dive experience one I will always remember because of the way someone treated you. One thing I can tell you is when someone has done enough for you to tip them you wont need to ask how much, because even though the money comes from the pocket, it starts from the heart.

I agree with the sentiment, but I also know that there are industries in where the workers rely on tips for a living, in fact it is sometimes even built into their payscale so that they are not even paid minimum wage (e.g., the wait staff in a restaurant in the US). Being a conscientious guy, I wanted to make sure that I don't end up stiffing anyone by accident, especially those folks who rely on tips to make up a significant portion of their income.

As a result, I wanted to know how much is expected, how it's calculated (e.g., flat fee, per tank fee, or as a percentage of the costs of the dive), and if it is to be paid individually or divided among everyone. Additionally, since I've read that not all dive operators own their own dive boats, I was unsure if the tip paid to the operator is divided with the boat crew or if they are tipped separately.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[goldenbear01]

A few operators actually own their own boat, there is one tip jar and it is shared by the entire crew. These are unique because everyone works as a team to provide you a safe and quality dive.

So for the dive operators who rent space on boats, should I tip them per tank and then tip the boat crew separately? Is the boat crew expecting a tip? If so, how much should I tip the boat crew?

Thanks again!

 

[Universal Diver]

Halemano, oops, I guess I just cruised over that one. I'll try to read more carefully next time.

But overall, yes, everyone, please tip your dive guide/instructor. (I gotta keep the thread's theme).

Chris

 

[torqd]

Alright, another opinion on tipping as a student.

When I was going through my certifications, I normally tipped the instructors doing my open water dives. My reasoning was simple: the instructors were all taking time away from their families in order to complete my certifications. I also knew that that profit margin was low for diving certifications and that the instructors didn't really make a lot of money (in the form of a paycheck) for the classes they taught and they were teaching because they loved to see the success of future divers.

Now, how much is a matter of opinion, but I recall tipping about $20 for a weekend of dives, which works out to be about $5/tank, and is in line with typical tipping as a certified diver.

Lastly, who you tip depends on the boat and how the seats are booked. The best suggestion here is to follow that recommended by others: pick a shop, set up arrangements, and then ask the shop before you get to the boat. If the shop buys seats on a boat owned by someone else tip twice, even if that leaves a little less in each groups pocket. This way, everyone gets covered and no one gets missed.