Newbie Boat Diver Tipping-Etiquette Question

[geogator]

+1 for the $5-10 per tank tip for diving here in Florida. However, I have a question. What do you tip if you're a snorkeler? (ie: a trip with both snorkelers & divers on the same boat) Snorkelers don't have nearly the amount of gear & other dive prep needs as scuba divers. I'm taking the wife & 2 kids on a charter in the keys this summer where they'll be snorkeling the reef sites while I'm diving & am wondering how to tip for them.

 

[TMHeimer]

wow......i must be the cheapest diver on the boards. lol i wish i could afford 5 or 10 bucks per tank.

i agree with the above two posters.

i have always had the same thoughts on tipping for all services, not just scuba diving. if you are performing your duties as required, why should i give you a tip (i know, i know.....what a p***k). i work 9 hrs a day and make an average salary. and nobody ever gives me a cent in extras. and i am responsible to keep some peoples business up and running. and i don't expect anything. if you feel you are not being paid a fair salary for the job you do, get another one that does. i have never believed that anyone deserves a tip simply for doing what they are paid to do.

that being said......if someone conducts themselves or offers a service that i consider to be over and above what i should expect, then i think it is a great idea to show appreciation by leaving a little something extra.


**********

Well I sort of agree. Agree totally that tips should be given based on the service given. You must also consider that with some jobs (minimum wage or well above) tips are simply not given. Bus driver, snow plower, doctor, cop. Others receive tips--waitress, bus boy... Those that usually receive tips are usually paid a salary that may well be below minimum wage because the employer (is allowed to?) figures in tips as part of the salary. With that in mind, it is interesting to note that in MANY places I have heard about, Divemasters on charters get no salary at all--our shop is one such place--though DMs are paid for assisting with courses. Many DMs assist with courses without pay as well, which is another can of worms. On a boat obviously the Capt. and crew get some pay from the shop and the DM may also IF he/she's part of the crew. That's why I make sure to give the tip to the DM and tell him "it's for you guys". The service must still be good as you say, however.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

geogator's quetion on snorkelers tipping has not yet been answered, so I will give my view. If it's a "snorkel boat," a dollar or two per person is appropriate if you feel the service was good. If you want to tip more, my response will be "thank you." There is some assistance offered to snorkelers, and the more you need/ receive the more you should consider tipping, but the DM to snorkeler ratio is a lot higher than for divers, and less is expected (or hoped for).
DivemasterDennis

 

[geogator]

Thanks for the input Dennis. Since it's a 2-tank charter (1 tank/site) I was thinking between $3-5 per head total, depending on service/extra attention received. My wife & kids (age 8 & 11) have snorkeled a good bit before (they've even done the drift trip down Rainbow River here in Fla. as well as w/Manatees in Crystal River) so they're not newbies to the sport, however, it will be their first experience snorkeling from a boat in the open ocean environment, but I'm confident they'll do well & have a blast. Furthermore, since I've now gotten some dive charter experience myself, I can educate them (stories/pix/vids) ahead of time about what to expect overall, as well as help them organize/stow gear, etc & generally not be a hindrance to those around them. Obviously still, the personal attention/interaction received by my kids (& my wife too) from the crew matters a lot to me.

I have the same philosophy in restaurants too - if the staff treats my kids respectfully and as "real" customers vs. "just kids" (which, BTW re-enforces getting good behavior from them) and generally helps make the visit a positive experience, you'll get a much better tip out of me. It's a 2-way street in my book.

 

[wrybosome]

11) I told you what a great diver you are and how I wish every group I led was as easy as you guys.

Now my disillusionment is complete. I'm just going to keep believing this one.

When people whine about how unnecessary tipping is I always assume they've never worked for tips.

 

[Nwcid]

I have been both tipper and tippee. Some people are good tippers, others don't tip at all. There is no hard and fast rule. Factoring in service, good or bad, is appropriate. If I was your DM on a day boat in Maui, here is what I probably did for you.
1) I topped off your tanks to be sure you got a full tank;
2) I loaded tanks and other stuff onto the boat;
3) I probably loaded you gear onto the boat;
4) I got weights for you;
5) if you asked me to, I set up your gear for you. If you used our rental gear I did set it up for you;
6) I made sure your air was on and checked you over before you entered the water;
7) I dove with you and made you more comfortable knowing that if you could see me, you weren't lost;
8) if you asked, I took your picture or made a short video of you looking cool under water;
9) I made sure you got back on board safely;
10) I may have retrieved a piece of gear you dropped, or loaned you gear if you had a problem with yours, or put a bandaid on a scrape;
11) I told you what a great diver you are and how I wish every group I led was as easy as you guys.
12) after the dive, I cleaned up you mess, found the item you left on the boat and secured it so when you went to the shop, it was there, and then I off loaded the tanks, rinsed your rental gear, and then went home. The shop paid me just about minimum wage for my time. You tell me, what kind of tip is that worth?
DivemasterDennis

I am also a new diver and have only been on one boat dive (BTW I did tip it was a great experience).

My question is when paying for a boat dive 1 tank/2 tank dive what exactly is the person paying for? When I booked my trip and when I do another the things in red are the things I expected I paid for. I expect to be on a boat with a full tank since that is what I paid for and taken then guided to the dive site. If I also paid to rent gear I would assume that included instruction/set up (we had all our own minus tanks). If that is not what I am paying for what then what am I paying for?

Yes I 100% agree that all the extra stuff you do (not in red) should result in tips.

Is my thinking/understanding wrong on this?

 

[USFpsychDiver]

I find that a $20 bill is easy and convenient and I've never had anyone complain about getting one.

 

[rick00001967]

I am also a new diver and have only been on one boat dive (BTW I did tip it was a great experience).

My question is when paying for a boat dive 1 tank/2 tank dive what exactly is the person paying for? When I booked my trip and when I do another the things in red are the things I expected I paid for. I expect to be on a boat with a full tank since that is what I paid for and taken then guided to the dive site. If I also paid to rent gear I would assume that included instruction/set up (we had all our own minus tanks). If that is not what I am paying for what then what am I paying for?

Yes I 100% agree that all the extra stuff you do (not in red) should result in tips.

Is my thinking/understanding wrong on this?

i think you are correct in your thinking. i would agree with you.
i might also add.......if there are shops out there that truly have crew that makes their whole living only on tips, or if they are paid so little (keeping in mind that different countries would have substantially different standards of living/wages) that they rely on tips to "top up" their wage (like waitresses in canada that make less than minimum wage because of tips - which i also disagree with but thats a different subject) then perhaps they might consider doing what many restaurants do. they can add a 10-15% gratuity fee to each customers bill. then they can distribute that money as they see fit to the crew. i actually completeley disagree with restaurants that do this but alot of them do it anyway.
has anyone ever used a shop that has tried this ??