Tipping - how much and are we cheap

[RICoder]

First off, I think EVERYONE should be a bartender for AT LEAST a year of their life...its a good perspective broadener.

I was pretty vague in my earlier reply, but basically I START assuming its gonna be $10 US per 2 tank, and I let it go from there. Some people are cheap, and some dive operators suck...that's just life. I haul my own gear, I pack appropriately for the type of boat, I set up my own gear and check it, and I take care of my own weights...much like I figure a lot of the people here do. I also make it a point to chat with the DMs and be friendly with them, partially because I can appreciate that they usually have to deal with morons, and partially because I genuinely enjoy talking to DMs around the world. If things go well on the trip, $10 per 2 tank it is. If things go REALLY well, something above and beyond...well, its more. I also tend to talk directly to shop owners about their staff if it goes particularly well, to let them know that their staff is top notch...and thank that person directly as well. My point, I suppose, is that it goes beyond the almighty dollar too.

 

[Rafael]

I like to tip, $10.00 a tank, but well that it is just me, i been in the Food and Beverage business for along time and i learn to apreciate good service, and thank God i been getting terrific service from the guys i usually dive with, they always go above and beyond not only for me but for every one in their charters, i never seen them treating people diferent because they tip or not.

 

[gonetobaja]

This is true, but tis also true that anytime you feel too overworked and underpaid you are perfectly free to do something else. I hear Pizza Hut is looking for delivery drivers.

If you work in the dive industry you are underpaid already so its not an issue. There are few people who I know that actually make a house payment on diving. Most of us who work as full time guides enjoy a standard of living that is far different than our customers. My pay comes in the form of Whale Shark rides, Turtle sightings, Playing with a baby sea lion, and gazing on newly hatched pelicans in their nest at some island in the middle of nowhere. I will still see these things even with no tip. As far as overworked, when you do something you love you cant work that hard.

Maybe thats why divers tip less, they know that the DMs and others that work in the industry do it for the love of the job and not just the green backs. You know a waitress is doing it for the money, not because she likes to hear how you like your steak cooked.

Sometimes I have such a great time on a trip I feel like I should have paid my customers

And thats why no matter what people tip there are some of us who will never leave this type of work......

One other thing I would like to add....even when you are starring into a cave at a lobster or taking a pic of a pretty sponge there is a person in the close distance looking over you.....you are another person on his or her trips and they dont know you, yet they watch over you as if you were a friend they knew for ever. As they watch over you they are waiting to risk their lives to save yours if something should go wrong. There are alot of service industrys out there and as far as I know there are very little out there where your job description has "Rescue all potential victims in emergency situations" in it.

But for sure I can tell you that you can give me no tips for 3 years straight and Ill still work in the ocean....and Ill still be liftin tanks and listening to your story of when you dove the wall in Cozumel.

And Ill be smilin the whole time!!

 

[The Horn]

I say advertise a price and pay everyone. Tips are for above and beyond service. Work as a Bartender for a year and actually give good service...like to see it. Tipping seems more American. I do not think alot of Euro's would tip very much for service thats been paid for. Sorry DM's but if thats your wage....

 

[Bobby_M]

Wow, you can really support a family on $8.25/hr in luxury huh

Really has nothing to do with this discussion. You choose your profession and live by those consequences. Should I get out the worlds smallest violin?

 

[friscuba]

I agree with some of what you say, and even more so if you were doing this all for free. But boat trips are expensive in many areas, why I am not so sure.
You mention all the things you do for the customer, but it is not mentioned that the customer paid 50 bucks a head already for the boat dive. That is 500 bucks for a 10 people boat dive (more if gear is rented). Should that not pay for some service.

On wondering why boat trips are expensive... Try owning a boat and making a business out of it. $500 is nothing in most locales unless you're making it every day, 6 or 7 days a week. I don't see how some of the weekend charter operators actully make money, much less a living. That 50 bucks pays for the boat, a ride to the dive site, and a staff presence. It doesn't mean anyone is actually making an actual living. Service can run the gamut, good service may deserve a little reward.

 

[polysemous1]

I recently returned from Belize where I made 11 dives with/at Patojos Dive Center. The service was impeccable from always having our gear on the boats, to putting fins on our feet to taking our gear and sliding it on-board before we climbed the ladder to rinsing out everything at the end of each days diving. For this I paid $55/day (2 tanks). I also got to know the DMs and all were hard-working guys just trying to put their kids through (private) school and make a decent home. I tipped $100 at the end of the week split between the 3 DMs, all were appreciative. But we also tipped the woman who cleaned our room, our bartender and servers, you know, those of us in the US really are wealthy when compared to many in the Caribbean, and few dollars actually get to the local economy in many places, I'm more than happy to share the wealth, it may not be 30 billion like Jimmy's cousin Warren, but if we do what we can, we leave a better impression of ourselves and of divers in general and probably help the local folks who really need a bit as well.

 

[AlexMDiver]

On wondering why boat trips are expensive... Try owning a boat and making a business out of it. $500 is nothing in most locales unless you're making it every day, 6 or 7 days a week. I don't see how some of the weekend charter operators actully make money, much less a living. That 50 bucks pays for the boat, a ride to the dive site, and a staff presence. It doesn't mean anyone is actually making an actual living. Service can run the gamut, good service may deserve a little reward.

Ok, agree running a boat may not be too much in some/many locales. In other locales where boats are taking new divers out 7 times a week it can decent.

Weekend dive charters not making a good living from it is probably a fact. I very much admire that people still do it, absolutely.
But I don't see how not making a living and providing friendly and good service without expecting a tip have anything to do with eachother. I volunteered in a number of things also to do with people and worked hard to a high standard. I agree that exceptional service may deserve reward, but some posts here show real resentment to people that only tip 10 bucks or whatever.
Just because a business is not a gold mine and hard work does not mean that they deserve tips by right. There are many businesses where people hardly break even, that provide a personal service to customers and where tipping is not the norm. In most countries outside the US it is like this.
I am mainly talking about popular dive destinations, where boats are frequently packed, DM staff is more frequently fake friendly and expect high tips "because they helped someone out of their gear". Anyway, those rich divers taking a break from their lawyer or banking job can spare the bucks anyway.
I do not want to offend any hard working DMs that are not like this of course.

I guess I am arguing in the direction analogous to giving subsidees to many industries. Excessive tipping may be an unhealthy subsidee that hurts DM wages and working conditions more than it may help them.

 

[drbill]

Wait staff here in Avalon often express their feeling that divers are very cheap tippers. Of course their attitude could explain at least some of that.

I worked for tips on the King Neptune one Saturday because all the other crew was occupied. We had 30+ divers on board. The tips amounted to $105 to be split three ways. That's about $3 per person. Now I'm cheap, but I always tip at least $10 per day when I'm on a dive boat.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

10-20 a day is the norm for me. I usually throw in a little extra also because my fiance who is in a wheelchair goes along and the last trip I was on the DM's moved her in and out of the sun(1-2ft but hey), filled her cup with cold water and the captain on a night dive gave her a lesson in navigating by the stars. I took good care of those guys and will do so again. If you had a good time and came back safe, the dm gave good briefings, the captain put the boat in good positions, and you smiled for most of the trip, TIP THEM!! It never ceases to amaze me how people think they deserve something for nothing. Those dive fees pay for the boat and the resort owner's expenses. Those of you who say we who work or would like to work in this industry know what we are getting into are correct. It doesn't make you any less of a cheapskate when we bust our butt and are lucky if we get a thank you from your tight fist. I always leave a couple bucks for the maids also every day. makes it real easy to get extra towels, soap, shampoo, etc. If the weather is crappy is that the DM's fault or the captains? No. Sorry but it really gets to me when I see a non-tipper gripe about the DM seeing to it that I get a good seat, or the tank with a few extra psi's. Service gets good tips, good tips get good service.