Tipping on Boats

[PvtStash]

hellohello, few questions on Tipping etiquette...


First off I'm not against tipping, I believe when tipping works the way it should its deserved... , but what I absolutely cant stand, what really floods my mask is when tipping is Expected.

No way, tipping is for "going beyond the call of duty", making Me personally feel looked after or catered too... when tipping becomes expected it stops being a tip and becomes just another fee.

"But Stash... these DM's, man they work for Nothin' man, sometimes they even Pay" .... yeah and the price of tea in China sucks right now.... (unless you like the new Earl Grey... more of a Lead-gray) , point being thats HIS choice... the fee I've paid for the dive Includes their (DMs/boat-staff) services and if he's not getting a big enough cut of the pie that between Him and his Captain...

That being said I shouldnt have to feel Obligated/Coerced into paying anything extra... how are tips usually handled? one guy usually collect for all or does the DM jiggle a dry box under your nose in front of everybody? is it obvious who tips and who does not? or is it set up more informerly/discreetly?

Also, out of a given group of divers on a boat what percent of them tip? or is that hard to know?


thx

 

[ekremer]

Nearly every boat I have been on, I had to hunt down the DM at the end of the dive. Only one had a tip jar setup and it wasn't passed around it was sitting at the helm, and even in that case I just gave the $$ to the DM.

 

[Guba]

It's like passing the plate at church...one gives what he/she feels led to give.

Personally, I go prepared to tip about 10-15 percent of whatever it took to get me out there. Most of the charters I use put out a tip container and don't "coerce" anyone to tip. When in Mexico, most of the time I give the tip to the head diver or DM, unless there's a crewmember who went far and above the call. I'll tip that one personally.

 

[fireflock]

I agree, the system sucks - but what can you do about it? I guess you can pay the owner extra for each dive trip and tell him to pass it along to the crew.

I think it sucks that I, as a diver who does not require much help but is still a regular tipper, am subsidizing the bozo who can't get his own fins on without falling over and then bolts for the car as soon as the boat hits the dock, averting his eyes as he passes the crew so he won't feel obligated to reward them for all the extra help he needed.

At the same time, diving is the only place where I've ever felt like my tips resulted in a higher level of service. I can't say I've ever felt that way about a restaurant, hotel, cab, or whatever.....

The system sucks, but that's no reason not to pay up - I think anyway.

Rich

 

[Teamcasa]

Here is my personal stance on tipping:
In general, (in USA) at restaurants I over tip a breakfast server, They work hard and the checks are small.
15-20% at most dinner houses.
Resorts, 10% if they do a good job.
Local Dive boats, 10-15% but only if they treat my lovely bride with care and compassion. More if they treat me good as well.
I will also stuff a Jackson in the pocket of a deck hand if they go out of the way to make the experience special.
If I’m (or my lovely bride) are treated like everyone else, just a number or ignored, they can expect zip in the jar from me.

Sometimes, on an unfamiliar boat, I’ll tip 5% in advance and let them know more is forthcoming if the service warrants it. 90% of the time, they make a special effort to insure they get the remainder and maybe a touch more. But that’s just me.

 

[PvtStash]

It's like passing the plate at church...one gives what he/she feels led to give.

Personally, I go prepared to tip about 10-15 percent of whatever it took to get me out there. Most of the charters I use put out a tip container and don't "coerce" anyone to tip. When in Mexico, most of the time I give the tip to the head diver or DM, unless there's a crewmember who went far and above the call. I'll tip that one personally.

Ok, as you go prepared to tip 10-15% how many times have you NOT given the money? how many times have you had an internal dialogue with yourself and said "ya' know they jus' dont Deserve extra" ...

 

[diver 85]

Always do(assuming no deaths & everyone returns able to party that nite), $5 a dive, anymore & they will be able to retire before the end of the dive trip.....nothing more nothing less......& Oh, let them split it up among the crew, that's part of their job description.............GEAUX TIGERS......

 

[paradicio]

The boats I've been on have had tip jars, and I never really noticed any member of a crew checking out who tips and who doesn't.

I always tip, but then I've been treated well on all the boats I've been on so far.

 

[Oside Jimc]

Tipping, an interesting subject.....

Personally I was not much for tipping, until I had to work for them. A summer working as a deckhand on the fishing fleet out of San Diego was an eye opener for me. It never ceased to amaze me how the clueless, rude, and outright abusive passengers were also the ones that took the attitude that "I paid for this trip, if you ain't getting paid enough it just sucks to be you", while the passengers that needed the least help, were the most appreciative of the hard work required from the crew to make a trip a success. Ever since then I have been an excellent tipper (15-20% of trip cost). I almost always throw something in the tip jar, but make a special effort to seek out the crew members that made my trip special. Now that said if I am treated poorly by the operation or the crew, I will on RARE occasions sit on my hands when the tip jar comes out.

I think a lot of this comes from the American culture of always seeking out the "best deal", ever notice that the bargain boats are the ones packed like sardines? Seems Americans are unwilling to pay extra for better service, so boats are forced to compete on price alone, which often leads to poor pay for the crew, and the need to tip if you want the knowledgeable crew members to stay on instead of leaving the field for a living wage off the water. As I have traveled around the world it has been interesting to see how different cultures handle this. Want to have fun? Leave a tip for the waiter in Japan, he'll chase you down the street to reunite you with your misplaced "change", but Japanese are also not afraid to pay more for a higher level of service so you pretty much know in advance what you're going to get by the price.

 

[DiverLS]

I tip and the $$ depends on the service. I don't mean the hover over you service, I mean the watch if someone needs help, like with all the weight in my integrated weight pockets and I can't get my arm in the other side of the BC. On most of the S. California live aboards, they are there in a jiffy when that happens. I usually tip 15% of the cost of the trip.

I was going to comment on knowing my name by the second day but being a single female who has been called "the damned independent woman" by a crew member, they know it from the last time I was on the boat.