Tip the captain

[RonFrank]

So i would like to know your thoughts, on a boat dive is it customary to tip the captain, the mate or both
And what is considered good service?

Depends on the DiveOp, but often the tips are put into a pool and shared.

I would ask the DiveOp you are using what, or how they split tips.

 

[daniel f aleman]

You tip the boat crew the "normal" rate of the area. (Also, if you don't tip, you ain't gonna' get nothing out of the DMs the next time you go out on that boat).

 

[lorien]

At the end of a good day of boat diving I usually ask out loud "Where is the tip jar?" This lets people who may be new and not have a clue about tipping know that it is something that is done if chosed to do so. It allows they crew/DM's whoever to tell me where to put my tip. How they want to divide it I leave up to them. However, on one of my days on my trip to Hawaii I was told to just give it to the DM which I did. She then actually approached me and asked if it was all for her and was I giving more to the captain (I gave a $20 for a 2 tank dive). I was a bit taken aback on that one, never had that happen before or since. I usually give $20 for a 2 tank boat dive if service was good.
When traveling for a week of diving we usually tip at then end and pool the money from the group.

 

[scubadobadoo]

One problem with "tipping" is that 20% has become expected for even minimal service in the US and I hate that. The other problem is that leaving less than 20% to prove a point doesn't work because most people who do a bad job ALWAYS do a bad job and always assume everyone is a bad tipper. People will either give you good service or they won't. Tipping has nothing to do with it.

 

[Tigerman]

Tigerman: You listed the optimum situation for an OP. Doesn't happen that way. I've been on dives with only three or four people on the ( $200,000+) boat and nothing going out that afternoon from the shop in Keys where the property rent and land and building costs are some of the highest in the country. Lots of people rationalize not tipping. I'm not one of them. Have at it. Cozumel? I've never run across a situation like you describe and have never heard anyone else come up with stuff like that. Maybe there is another reason for your experience. Think about it.

Never ran across what kind of situation? More than 6 people on the boat? Paying more than 80 dollars for a 2-tank dive? The boats not being luxury cruise ships?

Oh, I get it.. Youre saying that I got ripped off? Or that I did infact not tip?
Sorry, dont think so really...

 

[DennisS]

They should just do away with tipping and add it to the bill as labor charge

 

[RonFrank]

Lets do some easy math here..
6 divers on a boat, paying 80 USD for a 2-tank dive. Thats 480 USD.
6 divers on a boat, paying 20 USD each in tips (10 per tank). Thats another 120 USD.
That makes 600 USD.
Im pretty sure you can pay 3 people for working 3 hours each on 600 USD...

Now if that boat goes out on morning, afternoon and evening/night dives thats 1800 USD a day, 12600 USD a week and thats with only 6 divers on the boat..

$80 is a bit steep for Coz. Most consider $5 a tank a good tip.

But I think your MATH is missing a WHOLE bunch of stuff!

$960 for a day is GROSS. I know of very few boats that go out three times a day every day, maybe twice a week. Many do not go out twice a day every day. Try and find an afternoon dive on Sunday afternoon in Coz.

In any event at a Gross profit of $960 for an average six pack, now start subtracting. Boat, maintenance, gas, insurance, slip fees, staff salaries, advertising, computer expenses, air fills, equipment expenses, building lease costs, utilities, building maintenance, taxes, accounting fees, software, the list goes on. So what is left out of the $960? Impossible to say, but 25% would likely be optimistic.

As I said before and wont hesitate to say again, its not called a TIP because its part of the BILL...

I've never had my TIP as part of the bill in the US, or Coz. In the US tips are expected because they don't pay staff squat, and so a tip is expected. In other places they just pad the costs 20%, and then no tip is required because they pay staff a reasonable rate. I think most bar tenders and wait staff in the US make around $3 an hour.

And yes, the tip IS optional, but I generally leave $5 per tank when diving, and between 15~20% for wait staff. Bartenders get less, but they do less. Pulling a beer out of a cooler, and opening it takes about 10 seconds, and that IMO does not deserve a 15% tip. I generally tip maybe a buck for a round, and that's plenty.

 

[Tigerman]

Of course Im talking gross, but its not like gas is 20 dollars a gallon in places like Coz either. Nor does the water bottle they hand you cost 5 dollar a piece either.
Yes, there is costs to run any buisness obviously, but there are limits to everything.
And if there are 3 people on the boat sharing a 120 USD tip for 3 horus of work, thats not what Id call crappy pay unless you live where I do..

 

[erparamedic]

I generally tip $5 per tank, or a minimum of 15%... whichever is MORE.

The dive ops that I have used have a tip jar or bucket sitting on the boat, and that's where the tips go.

 

[RonFrank]

I do $5 per tank. If I dive with an OP for multiple days, I often leave a few bucks more when I close out my tab. Last time in Coz Chrisi called and said I had a positive balance as they canceled a dive, I think maybe $25 bucks. I told her to split it between the DM's and Captain.