Tipping - how much and are we cheap

[countryboy]

The local pizza delivery guy puts in about 20 - 30 minutes of effort tops (driving to your house walking the pizza to your door) and most people are more than happy to throw him / her $5.00... A no brainer, you stayed home, food delivered.

A dive guide / DM / Boat captain spends 4 - 5 hours total on a trip to ensure you have a good time. Ride out, 2 ~1 hour dives, Surface interval (snacks / beverages / water) ride back, help with gear, etc.. and people complain about throwing the crew $5.00 - $10.00 PER TANK (not total)... Gimme a break...

I typically start with $5.00 PER TANK, and go up from there.. Better service higher tip..

My typical experience is people that make more $$$$ tip less.. Many times, the people that are more demanding (take more of the crews time / attention) also tip less.

Each person should tip what they feel is appropriate, just try putting things into perspective. Each trip I have been on, I get great service. I tip each day, so the next day they "know" the type of customer I am.. If I don't have the cash available and will be tipping at the end of the trip, I let them know that as well.. I have also tipped the captain seperate from the DM.

Hey, whatever works for you...

 

[friscuba]

The local pizza delivery guy puts in about 20 - 30 minutes of effort tops (driving to your house walking the pizza to your door) and most people are more than happy to throw him / her $5.00... A no brainer, you stayed home, food delivered.

A dive guide / DM / Boat captain spends 4 - 5 hours total on a trip to ensure you have a good time. Ride out, 2 ~1 hour dives, Surface interval (snacks / beverages / water) ride back, help with gear, etc.. and people complain about throwing the crew $5.00 - $10.00 PER TANK (not total)... Gimme a break...

I typically start with $5.00 PER TANK, and go up from there.. Better service higher tip..

My typical experience is people that make more $$$$ tip less.. Many times, the people that are more demanding (take more of the crews time / attention) also tip less.

Each person should tip what they feel is appropriate, just try putting things into perspective. Each trip I have been on, I get great service. I tip each day, so the next day they "know" the type of customer I am.. If I don't have the cash available and will be tipping at the end of the trip, I let them know that as well.. I have also tipped the captain seperate from the DM.

Hey, whatever works for you...

I've actually worked both pizza delivery and on dive boats. Pizza delivery is better and more consistant tips.

 

[Lightning Fish]

I think about 10% is enough for a week of diving, and this is what we feel others from the US we've met on liveaboards have tipped. In Australia, the Aussies have warned me that they don't like the tipping method that Americans have and they don't want it started in their country. This included their restaurants as well as their diving. I was told that the employees make enough without the tip. One needs to remember not to insult those that live in the country you are visiting.

I haven't read the whole thread and am not about to, but perhaps it is not us that is cheap, but the employers. If the employees made a reasonable wage for what they do, then they wouldn't have to rely on tips.

Bill.

 

[rockjock3]

Maybe it is the boat captain that is causing the confusion. Is he new maybe? He probably gets tipped by the fishermen he takes out and see that happen when we go out of fishing boats because the captain helps out a lot with the customers. As far as a diving charter though it is not customary to tip the captain, but to tip the DMs. Maybe he sees himself as not getting a tip from the divers as us being the worst tippers.

I don't know, but this is just an idea that it could be a misunderstanding on his/her part.

 

[Bobby_M]

I'll chime in. I think the DM's on a boat are paid to make sure everything runs smoothly in general. It might also include tying the boat to the wreck or deploying floats/flags along with the divers and briefing you on the boat and the dive you're about to do.

Tipping begins when they offer to assist you with your gear or your fat *** that can't stand up without help ;-). There's also the assist back onto the boat, maybe grabbing your fins and/or your camera. Some will even change your gear over to the second tank for you.

On my last trip where I was consistently offered assistance (even though I declinded), I tipped $20 at the end of a 3 day string of 2-tank dives and my buddy did the same. I really felt the DM was going out of his way to make sure we were having a good time. If it were a single day, two tanks, and I was self-sufficient the entire time, I may have not tipped. I have been on trips where the DM appeared to be pissed off for having to work that day and that just doesn't bode well for the tipping situation.

Bobby

 

[mccabejc]

If I ever have a question about tipping, I refer to Jenazah's Rules for Tipping, posted last year in this link: Tipping Stuff

Concise. Brilliant. Hilarious.

For those who don't want to click, here are the rules re-posted for your convenience:

"OK here is some general rule that I come up with:
1. Anything that deals with food, you need to tip. Except, when the dude is behind the counter and you have to walk to him to order. Unless if they have a tip jar of course.
2. Any non medical service that required touching you, you need to tip. Massage, haircut, manicure, lap dance. .
3. Anything that deals with a car, except sales or mechanic, you need to tip. Carwash, taxi, valet parking. Unless if the guy just sitting in a parking booth.
4. Anything fun, you need to tip. Tour guides, dive boats, fishing boats, sightseeing tour, lap dance."

 

[shark.byte.usa]

If I ever have a question about tipping, I refer to Jenazah's Rules for Tipping, posted last year in this link: Tipping Stuff

Concise. Brilliant. Hilarious.

For those who don't want to click, here are the rules re-posted for your convenience:

"OK here is some general rule that I come up with:
1. Anything that deals with food, you need to tip. Except, when the dude is behind the counter and you have to walk to him to order. Unless if they have a tip jar of course.
2. Any non medical service that required touching you, you need to tip. Massage, haircut, manicure, lap dance. .
3. Anything that deals with a car, except sales or mechanic, you need to tip. Carwash, taxi, valet parking. Unless if the guy just sitting in a parking booth.
4. Anything fun, you need to tip. Tour guides, dive boats, fishing boats, sightseeing tour, lap dance."

That is excellent advice :lol:

 

[VGdiver]

The local pizza delivery guy puts in about 20 - 30 minutes of effort tops (driving to your house walking the pizza to your door) and most people are more than happy to throw him / her $5.00... A no brainer, you stayed home, food delivered.

A dive guide / DM / Boat captain spends 4 - 5 hours total on a trip to ensure you have a good time. Ride out, 2 ~1 hour dives, Surface interval (snacks / beverages / water) ride back, help with gear, etc.. and people complain about throwing the crew $5.00 - $10.00 PER TANK (not total)... Gimme a break...

Running a dive boat 5-6 days a week, I would have to agree that I'd probably have better luck with tips as a pizza guy. I mean, think about it, they never have to tow an out of shape, winded diver back to the boat, stop runaway ascents (while risking their own safety), have people puke on them, have people drop weights, tanks, etc on their feet, etc. Come to think of it, I may have to work on that old resume!

I've always thought that the Scuba industry has pushed too hard to be a recreational sport for everyone. With all the emphasis on the "everyone can do it", a lot of divers out there just don't realize what my instructors and staff go through each and everyday. We are taking people underwater on a life-support system for gosh sakes! How in the heck is that the same as someone bringing you food? We take them out, keep track of them, show them the neat stuff, get them out of the water, wash and store their gear, and they drop a Lincoln on us. WOW!:shakehead

Most of us do it cuz we love it. But that doesn't mean that a nice tip and a thank you wouldn't be appreciated. Check with your local dive boat staff, they'll have a pretty good idea of who will and who won't tip before the group even gets wet.

 

[Focker]

Another tipping question: When there are 2 DM's on board and you give say $100 to one of them, do they split that or does the DM that you gave it to keep it all?

 

[AlexMDiver]

Well, when I used to DM I was all for tipping of course. But I am not sure why the customer is expected to tip up to 20% of the boat dive, let alone on a live-aboard cruise. That is a lot extra. Yes, in diving there is customer service involved. But it is not the same as a pizza delivery guy. Boat dives are already expensive for the fact that often you end up on a slow boat to China with renting only an ancient tank and some lead. The briefing is part of the deal. The safety is part of the deal.

Do you tip your sales assistent in a dive shop that helped you into 10 wetsuits only for you not go for any of them, coz you are going to think about it? There was service involved, yet you don't tip (and the time/effort thing is not valid. Lets say fitting a wetsuit took the person 20 minutes, then it should still be a buck or two). Why is a boat trip all that different.
If you take a ferry to an island you don't tip the staff for looking after you and your safety. Taking an airplane, you don't tip the flight attendents, right?
I think the fact that people are happy to tip more than 20% in this industry is part of the reason why dive operation owners pay their DMs not enough.
Just tell me how much the dive is with everything included. At least I won't feel guilty or feel that I overtipped.

PS I DO tip after all my diving, but I think it should be abolished.