Question Re: Tipping DM's

[boulderjohn]

We tipped the boat captain and the DM each their own tip. We gave our boat captain $10 per day he was a really cool guy. We tipped 5 per tank for the DM's.

I tip both DM's and taxis. This is the best way to be sure your money is going to the people doing the work without most of it going to the owners.

BTW, I am not really ripping the owners. In many cases, they are doing all they can to keep their business going, but you will not believe how little of what you pay for a dive gets to the "grunts."

 

[loudives]

ScubaSherry has a new picture! Hope you had a good time! Where's the report?

Tips---- always just like restaurants 20% standard or more, less for bad service. Everyone on the boat shares the tips just like waiters and bus boys back home.
If the owner is the divemaster tip the captain and the others directly and tip the owner separately.

Don't forget the maid. $2 per person per night gets you lots of towels and shampoo. Leave it on the pillow every morn.

 

[ggunn]

Tips---- always just like restaurants 20% standard or more, less for bad service.

I don't want to start a fight, but no 20% for me, ~15% is plenty. It's pretty much always been that way, and restaurant price inflation gives waiters more of a raise than I get, especially since it's expected now and not really an extra. Of course, for above and beyond the call stuff, I'll tip more, but my base is 15%. YMMV.

EDIT: I tip more (%) in cheap places and less in more expensive ones.

 

[Christi]

I tip both DM's and taxis. This is the best way to be sure your money is going to the people doing the work without most of it going to the owners.

BTW, I am not really ripping the owners. In many cases, they are doing all they can to keep their business going, but you will not believe how little of what you pay for a dive gets to the "grunts."

Sorry John...I have to very respectfully disagree with you, considering that I know exactly how much it costs me on any given day to send my boat out...and I do take good care of my crew. I know you clarified ot ALL shops...but I am always amazed with this mindset.

Basic expenses just to send the boat out go FAR beyond fuel, tanks, and crew salaries. Insurance, maintenance, permitting and licensing fees, marine park fees, lights, phone, internet, social security and medical benefits for employees, taxes out the rear, marina fees, and I cold go on and on. When you do the math, it's more of a break even business, particularly for the smaller shops.

It's not a "get rich living in paradise" business...but that's ok, I knew that going in and I have no complaints or regrets...I just wanted to clear that very common misconception up.

 

[scubasherry]

ScubaSherry has a new picture! Hope you had a good time! Where's the report?
.

It will be comming soon. I promise. I want to try to do a very detailed one so that I can also have it for myself as somewhat of a journal of what our trip was. Got back home and its been nothing but overtime at work and trying to catch up on laundry, trip to the grocery store - gotta eat... and all that good stuff. And now I feel a bit of stomach illness comming on.

I will say that we had wonderful weather. We ate at some fabulous places. We made friends with some wonderful people. The diving was bad good and excellent.
Bad - being my own issues with fear.
Good being that I succeded in putting some of them to rest and
Excellent in that I saw under the water some of the most beautiful creatures on this planet

Cozumel was everything we expected and more. We want to live there someday.

On the ferry boat back to the mainland I choked down my last Sol with tears streaming down my cheeks. It was hard to leave. Cozumel has a special place in my heart and I can't wait to return.

That picture was taken last Wed at Punta Molas lighthouse on a tour with Adrian. We got to tour Especias during construction. Its going to be just fabulous when he reopens.

 

[boulderjohn]

When you do the math, it's more of a break even business, particularly for the smaller shops.

It's not a "get rich living in paradise" business...but that's ok, I knew that going in and I have no complaints or regrets...I just wanted to clear that very common misconception up.

I think you misunderstood me. My fault, really. I am often a poor communicator.

I fully agree with you, and I intended my original post to say the same. I intended to say that it's not the owner's fault that DM's aren't making a ton of money, because the owner has all the expenses you indicate.

 

[Gdog]

What is your take on the proper tip amount, Christi? We tipped $5 per tank, or $20 for the wife and myself on 2 tank boat dive. We tipped $20 for our single tank night dive. Sondro and Hector from Deep Blue were great, as was Chono the boat capitan. Just want to make sure what we tipped was acceptable....

 

[Christi]

What is your take on the proper tip amount, Christi? We tipped $5 per tank, or $20 for the wife and myself on 2 tank boat dive. We tipped $20 for our single tank night dive. Sondro and Hector from Deep Blue were great, as was Chono the boat capitan. Just want to make sure what we tipped was acceptable....

There have actually been some great answers here. $5 per tank per diver is a good baseline. Whatever you give the divemaster gets split among the crew...unless you tip them each individually and make it clear that that is their tip.

Some tip at the end of the week, some tip daily...it's really a personal preference.

Scubawife made a very good point...these guys work MUCH harder than any waiter or waitress out there (and I was a waitress/bartender for 5 years or so back in my youth) and they have alot more responsibility. So, if you feel it appropriate to tip your waiter 15 to 20%, then why not your boat crew?

Start with $5 per tank as a baseline and go up or down from there based on how you feel the service was.

Hope that helps.

John, no worries and I do appreciate the clarification. As I'm sure you know, many people have a very skewed conception of this business...so your comments are much appreciated

It's past my bedtime! Night, night!

 

[Fin59]

We just got back on Jan 28. Business is pretty slow right now for a lot of shops, I guess maybe a lot of people are waiting for more of the hotels to open and the airlines to have more flight schedules to choose from. That will happen, but until then, anyone going please make sure you tip these guys. A lot of the shops are running fewer boats right now since they don't have as many customers and the divemasters and boat captains are taking turns which means fewer tips and that is a big part of their income. Same thing goes for the waiters and maids. We can all do with a few less t-shirts to tip more.
The taxi drivers though.........we paid $5 from the square to the International pier each way where Dive With Martin is located. UNLESS cruise ships were in.....then they try and charge more. The rate is $5 (2 people). We sometimes do tip the taxis, but no way am I going to when they do that.
We went to Miss Dollars 2 nights for dinner. It is a few blocks back from Prima and seems to be a local spot and our waiter was really pleased with the tip. The food there was great, along the line of Casa Dennis.

If you are planning a trip and trying to wait until your favorite hotel is open.....don't. There are plenty of other hotels to choose from and these people need our business now. Have fun!!!!

 

[Giggi]

We visit with our LDS who procures a privately chartered op for the week we're there. At the end of the week, we pass the hat around and present tips to the crew. Everyone usually throws in a $20 or a bit more for about 5 days of diving.

As for taxis, usually a dollar or two will suffice. After a couple of visits, we've gotten into the habit of making sure we have lots of singles when we visit. They are great for tipping.

One thing I remember seeing here a few months back was a thread about tipping hotel staff with items (such as CDs or candy), instead of cash. We've always been partial to leaving $1 or $2 on the pillow every day, and seem to have gotten excellent service, including those cute little toilet paper roses.

Any opinions or ideas on what to tip if items are not monetary? (I realize Cozumel is probably not a good dumping ground for all of those old Tears for Fears CDs that even the kids won't listen to.)