Tipping divemasters: how much and when?

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plongeursousmarin

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Near Denver CO
# of dives
200 - 499
Hi,
I'm curious about what is customary when it comes to tipping DMs in a situation like when you've booked an entire week of diving with an outfit. In my case, Living Underwater, which is significantly more expensive than other Cozumel operators. For one thing, how much would be enough to show that you're a happy "customer", and for another, do you tip every day or do you wait until the last day?
Thanks for any input.
 
I tip every day 5-10 bucks each for divemaster and boat captain. Most dive operations i have dove with may switch you to different boats depending on experience of divers. So i tip daily.
 
plongeursousmarin:
Hi,
I'm curious about what is customary when it comes to tipping DMs in a situation like when you've booked an entire week of diving with an outfit. In my case, Living Underwater, which is significantly more expensive than other Cozumel operators. For one thing, how much would be enough to show that you're a happy "customer", and for another, do you tip every day or do you wait until the last day?
Thanks for any input.
Click to expand...

I usually tip $5 per tank per day. Then if the DM was good, I give him a bit extra at the end of the trip.

Last trip was with Blue XT~Sea, my dives were split pretty evenly between 2 DMs so they each got something extra at the end of the trip... so did Mago.
 
By all means, give them your tips after each dive rather than at the end of your trip. Otherwise, the folks on the boat may think that you are stiffing them. I usually give mine to the DM as he helps us off the boat with our gear.
 
I agree. Give it to them the day of the dive.

I've booked trips all week with a dive operator only to be on different boats or have different dive masters on the same boat on different days.

Is it standard for the divemaster to share his tip with the Captain? just curious....

For example: on a charter deep sea fishing boat, I thought you only typically tipped the mate, who normally works only for tips or about that, and not the captain himself. (on other trips, where there was only the captain, we tyically did tip the captain because they worked their butts off doing it all, driving the boat, lines, bait, etc).
 
We do the same as 'moodiejeff' $5 per tank, so $20 per day for 2 tank dives for my wife and myself.
at the end of week a little extra to the guys, if we use different boats and DM's throughout the week, we usually will see them at the shop on the last day and make sure they get taken care of.
I do believe the DM and captain split the day's booty, that's what I've been told anyway.
 
I was supposed to tip them??? Hmm, better take some cash this weekend......
 
On my last boat was a captain, a DM, and a mate. I never spoke with the captain or the DM on the entire dive, but the mate helped me fix a gear issue, gave some assistance when I surfaced with a mask full of blood, and chatted with me about some fish identification. I would have tipped the DM but as soon as the boat docked he was nowhere to be found. Captain the same. The mate I gave a $20.

When it works out I'm also a fan of taking instructors/DMs for food and drinks afterwards. For a steak and a few pints you show your thanks plus you get to hear lots of fish tales!
 
nategasser:
On my last boat was a captain, a DM, and a mate. I never spoke with the captain or the DM on the entire dive, but the mate helped me fix a gear issue, gave some assistance when I surfaced with a mask full of blood, and chatted with me about some fish identification. I would have tipped the DM but as soon as the boat docked he was nowhere to be found. Captain the same. The mate I gave a $20.

When it works out I'm also a fan of taking instructors/DMs for food and drinks afterwards. For a steak and a few pints you show your thanks plus you get to hear lots of fish tales!
Click to expand...

You never spoke to the DM? What was the point of having one along?
 
I have to agree with the others. We tip $5-10 after the dive trip. We went with "Diving with Alison" during our recent trip and it was the same crew the entire week. Alision refused to take a tip and directed any tips to her 2 crew members.
On our last day we tipped a little extra since we had a good time.
 
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