Tip Etiquette Question

[marine9]

Whenever I dive I've always given a tip to the local guide,
dive master or instructor who's been the leader of our dive
group. Also to the boat captain. They normally receive such
low pay, that I'm sure it helps. Plus it's a service to me.

Now the question!
I'm going to be diving with the owner of a dive shop.
I'm paying the owner to dive and for his services, as
I would on any other dive trip.

What do you think about tipping the owner?
Most business owner's (other than scuba) that I deal
with are not tipped! Most would be uncomfortable
being tipped as a owner. Is this the same, or not?

Should a owner of a dive operation also be tipped?

 

[Walter]

I never tip the owner.

 

[DeputyDan]

I have only tipped the owner once and that was the case of a one man show - everything was great and I thought worth a little extra.

 

[RJP]

I give tips generously when they are deserved, and to whomever deserves them.

Have been on boats in Florida, Hawaii, and California where I did both a morning charter and an afternoon charter under circumstances where either morning or afternoon should have been cancelled due to not enough people to meet the boats minimum/policy to go out. However, in these cases the owner took a smaller group anyway. Have also been other times where we went way off shore to accomodate a specific/desired dive that was not on that day's schedule (even as fuel prices spiked) or other circumstances where you just know the owner was cutting into his own margin - if not delving into loss. In any such case I will always throw a few extra dollars their way for "fuel" or "boat maintenance" or "the crew Christmas party" or similar.

 

[DeputyDan]

My situation was that the owner went out with just my daughter and I instead of the normal six guests.

 

[Louie]

It depends on how the tips are distributed. If the recipient of the tip is keeping the entire amount, then paying the owner may not be important. But where the recipient distributes the money to other staff and crew (this may include everyone from tank fillers, boat captain and maintenance staff), it would be good etiquette to leave a tip.

If in doubt, ask about the tipping system. It's your money and you want to spend it the way you feel fit.

 

[DandyDon]

Glad you brought this up. I've never tipped an owner, but then there were always crew to tip - some of them working for tips and free diving only. I've never been out with a small, owner operated boat, but will be soon.

My situation was that the owner went out with just my daughter and I instead of the normal six guests.

Well sure. Tipping for above and beyond duty always seems fitting.

It depends on how the tips are distributed. If the recipient of the tip is keeping the entire amount, then paying the owner may not be important. But where the recipient distributes the money to other staff and crew (this may include everyone from tank fillers, boat captain and maintenance staff), it would be good etiquette to leave a tip.

If in doubt, ask about the tipping system. It's your money and you want to spend it the way you feel fit.

Yep. I sometimes wonder if they distribute it fairly, but I guess that's not my place to question that. Wouldn't hurt to ask.

 

[DCBC]

If I go diving on a charter boat, I will tip the staff if the service they provide is deserving. I don't really care if the person I'm tipping has shares in the company or not. That certainly doesn't affect how I feel that I was treated. If I'm treated well, I will tip the people involved. If the dive is poorly run and it's a cluster ****, I don't tip anyone.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

I only tip the DM and captain. I figure the owner built his profit into the dive trip price.

 

[annasea]

I only tip the DM and captain. I figure the owner built his profit into the dive trip price.

What do you do when the owner is also the DM or captain? S/he's making a profit on the trip but is also leading the dive, for example.