How much to tip dive masters and boat crew in Cozumel?

[cvchief]

but in many cases the DM is the dynamo and the Capitan is THE problem. IN that sort of situation I'd quietly slip the money to the DM.

Can you say "left floating"?

---------- Post added July 6th, 2015 at 10:34 PM ----------

Personally, I'd prefer that tipping were illegal

Even if it were, its Mexico. It would still be more of a guideline.

 

[mmmbelows]

A family of three divers to arrive in Cozumel for the First time.
Any good guidelines for best practice when it comes to tipping dive masters, boat crew and waiters in Cozumel? USD or MXN?

There is no correct number, but you got some good ideas of what some tip.

If you just tip anything at all you'll be greatly appreciated, because you're going to see that tippers in real life aren't as prevalent as they are on scubaboard. Most of the people here are really into diving, many are regulars to cozumel and really into making sure those that make their dive vacations what they are get appreciated.

 

[MMM]

I don't like the "per tank" notion because it doesn't take into consideration additional costs such as nitrox nor the extra services valet ops offer. (Yes, part of that is factored into the dive cost, I realize, but would you tip a high end salon that gives you scalp massages, wine and other benefits the same $ amount as one that just cut your hair and sent you on your way because both gave you hair cuts?) So I subtract taxes from the total (since I don't want to tip the government) and then do 15-20% of my total remaining bill.

Because I am there for so long and dive regularly, and because crews DON'T rotate continually with the guy I dive with, I tip at the end of my trip. That means they get a big chunk of change all at once. Since I have dived with them for so many years, service doesn't suffer one iota as they know it will come, eventually.

Almost always the owner lets me know if there will be a crew alteration the day before I dive, so that I can individually tip the "fill-in" capitan or DM on the day. And then I deduct that from my total tip. That may not work for everyone but seems to work for me. Yes, I keep a log of each dive day so I can figure all this out at the end of my winter stay.

 

[gopbroek]

It is a guide line but I believe the low ball rate is 100 peso's a bottle as a minimum floor. I tip about 12 K (Pesos) a year but supplement it with gifts. Go a head you cheap bsta#@ds and justify not tipping while then justify your personnel wage scale.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Wasn't in Cozumel but I recently had a very awkward situation. The captain was amazing, took extra care of me, dropped us right, argued in patois with the dm when he was taking me back to the same sites, etc etc etc. The dm was a jerk and not much of a guide either. When it came time to tip at the end of the week, I was nonplussed.. in the end, I gsve the tip based on what the captain deserved because I couldn't figure out how to do it differently (well actually I could have but I was leaving and they were still going to have to work together). Fortunately, the captain had admired my sunglasses. So he got a pair of polarized sunglasses that he couldn't buy there. Pretty sure he was happy.

 

[Siljesyl]

Thanks for help! Much apreciated! Coming from the Nordics where tipping is unusual, its good to get some advice!

 

[Centexbear]

A family of three divers to arrive in Cozumel for the First time.
Any good guidelines for best practice when it comes to tipping dive masters, boat crew and waiters in Cozumel? USD or MXN?

$5-10 per person per tank per dive.

Waiters: 15-20% on the final bill total with good food and service. I tip 20% unless it's bad service/food.

 

[Skittl1321]

And it has been quoted as such for almost 20yrs... even as the cost/price of everything else in the world has tripled or quadrupled in the same time frame.

I wasn't diving 20 years ago- so what was done then really doesn't mean anything to me. I tip that much because $10 for 2 tanks works out to near 15% (actually more than 15%, by a bit, based on what I paid my last trip, a little less than 15% for the trip before that with a more expensive op).

Note- The word I used was MINIMUM. Unless I felt like the DM was trying to kill me, just doing their job I would give them $5 a tank. It's not so much a tip as a mandatory service charge, IMO. (If I thought they were trying to kill me, I would probably skip the tip.)

When the DM is really great, I give them more, depending on what it is they did for me or to make my diving experience better than normal. But I think 15% is perfectly sufficient.

 

[Zman96]

As others have stated the tipping is based on the diving. If I dive with a valet op the tip is more since I receive more service. If I dive on a big boat where they are doing the minimum that is required by the Park I tip less. I also have tipped more when having a DM take me out with only 1 other person on the boat. As far as tipping in USD vs MXN you can do either.

 

[jfcl01]

Currently, 200 Pesos equals $12.64 USD.

P.S.-this is not a response specific to the poster above who mentioned tipping 200 Pesos. I am mentioning it to highlight the significance of the variability in the currency exchange rate. For those who tip in Pesos, and are interested in tipping consistently from trip to trip-sometimes, 200 MXN really is "almost 15 or 20 dollars", and sometimes it's not.