Scuba Etiquette: Tipping?

[sibermike7]

It is a little awkward, (I know how stressful it is for foreigners to know how much to tip), but I have even asked the DM or Captain himself, what is usual. That may sound weird, but I have been surprised at the candor and honesty that I have encountered. I have never had them say more that what was the "going rate". I suspect that to do so would be so obvious that they might be afraid that I wouldn't tip at all!

Have any of you on the "receiving end" ever been asked, or am I the only one brave/stupid enough to do it and just haven't gotten around to you yet?!

Let me just say that I am an American, but I live overseas so much, that I have lost touch with what is now "normal" Stateside, and that is why I ask. I have found that many folks seemed surprised at my question, not because I asked, but rather that I cared enough to make sure that they weren't "ripped off".

 

[cvchief]

My first 2 "real" dives were with this operator. I asked her, but she was to polite to really give me a good answer. We have two days of diving left. I am leaning towards the 20% number. Thats only like 14-15 dollars a day. Seems about right to me, I guess.

 

[Firefyter]

The op I dive with in Cozumel is excellent about giving as much or as little help as you want. I require nothing more than a ride to the dive site and a bottle of water or two, and they accomodate me wonderfully. Once I enter the water, they leave me alone. Other divers require a lot more assistance, and the DM's cheerfully provide it.

I always tip at least $5 per tank. I usually tip more if I have the same DM all week (which is often) and we have been doing some aggressive diving (deep profiles, deco diving, extended BT's, etc.). I realize that these guys dive all the time and that this type of diving takes a toll on you.

I was there 2 weeks ago and it really pissed me off to see a family of 3 tip the DM $3 per trip. That's only .50 per tank. This particular family required a moderate amount of assistance and took up a lot of space on the boat. A tip that small almost seems like an insult to me. There were a couple of us on the boat who made a point of showing how much we were tipping, but these folks either never got the hint or were just cheapskates to begin with. Either way, I felt the DM and the Capitan were slighted.

Let your heart be your guide on tipping, but remember that these guys work hard so you can enjoy your vacation. What's an extra ~$50-$100 per person when you've already spent good money to get there?

 

[Web Monkey]

I am glad I live in a country where tipping is not part of the culture! It sounds stressful to be trying to figure out who gets tipped and how much!

So if you get a haircut that looks like it was done by a 12-year-old with a chain saw, do you pay the same as when it looks like you could get a front-row seat at the Oscar Awards?

Terry

 

[scubadada]

I appreciate the work the divemasters and captains do to ensure I have a good trip and great dives. I generally tip 10-20% of the charter price based on the quality of the service. I tend to be loyal and return to operators that have delivered superior service. The tip is part of the complex interaction that generates the relationship. I have received numerous substantial benefits from the relationships I have forged with operators over the years.

Good diving, Craig

 

[Sas]

So if you get a haircut that looks like it was done by a 12-year-old with a chain saw, do you pay the same as when it looks like you could get a front-row seat at the Oscar Awards?

Terry

I do not go to hairdressers... but I have not heard of others tipping one's hairdresser.

Generally if someone is better at something here they charge more already and if not, I still do not tip. It is just not part of the culture. The minimum wage here is high enough so that people can live off just that and there are also other social security measures in place which mean that people are not dependent on tips.

Occassionally cafes will have "tip jars" that are shared between staff at the end of the day or towards a charity that the cafe supports but it is not expected at all for people to put money into them.

 

[MMM]

Nicest Dive boat I have seen in Coz.
Rick (the new diver-> )

Hi Rick. Not wishing to digress too far from your question but with less than 24 dives under your belt (and in a subsequent post from you it sounds like a LOT less than 24) how do you know this op has the best boat in Coz? Sounds like you ar being hyped by crew/op. That said, I go about 15% of total cost. If you are new divers and getting a lot more service and attentin than other diver on the boat, jack that up a bit. Your 20% might not be far off. But recognize that in Coz they get a lot of divers from other countries where tipping is not the norm. They know that so will be happy with whatever you decide. I think that family tipping 0.50 cents/tank that someone referenced was a currency misunderstanding. Just one suggestionthough - as you gainexperience and dive with various ops you'll have a better understanding of superior. Fortunately for you, in Coz the bar is high.

 

[marcaumarc]

We generally tip 20%, but we also mostly dive with shops we really like. If we had an experience that was mediocre (or, heaven forbid, bad) we would probably tip less. For us, though, we're usually diving for a week and hanging out with the staff, so we're really happy to give a generous tip at the end. If you're not happy to give a tip because the service isn't good, you should dive somewhere else if possible. If you're not happy to give a tip because you're cheap, you should try to work on that. I think in many (most?) cases, tips aren't just extra money, they're a big part of the modest living that DMs make.

 

[RJP]

I think in many (most?) cases, tips aren't just extra money, they're a big part of the modest living that DMs make.

Beyond "a big part" they tend to be 100% of what a day boat DM makes.

On liveaboards the crew members I've spoken with get paid around $100 a week from the boat and the rest is tips. So that's ~$15 a day in "base salary" for working roughly 16hrs a day.

 

[damage]

Hi Steve

Usually in Mexico, the tip splits between the crew (DM, captain, even guys in the shop) usually 10 usd per trip is considered a good tip, if you had a very nice service, you can add an extra 5.

We usually gave the tip to the DM.