Tipping the boat crew - conventions around the world?

[billt4sf]

So after all that-- a 17-page, 5yo thread on top of other internet and ScubaBoard searches on the subject, I still do not have a confident picture of SCUBA tipping culture outside of US or Americas. I really wish there were more input from guides and DMs themselves, but perhaps they're too busy, you know, doing things.

I'm still wondering, according to those in the industry who know customary tipping norms, especially in the Philippines and the Maldives, what most people tip if at all.

We went through it on the Indonesian board, and I think it is safe to say that most people came off the 10% -15% thing and closer to $7.50/day. Check out posts #24 - 30.

Liveaboard tipping, what is the local custom?

I was recently on a LOB and a resort in Indo with people from Holland, China, Malaysia, and South Africa. After being friendly for a few weeks I asked them if they planned to leave a tip and I was greeted with blank stares.

- Bill

 

[RichieRich1042]

My general rule of thumb is $10/day on the boat. When I was in TCI with Dive Provo, I did that but added an extra $10 or $20 for the week because they were just that awesome. If I know I'm getting different DM's each day, I'll tip at the end of the day, otherwise, it will be at the end of my trip.

 

[flyboy08]

$10 a tank if we like the DM and there's usually three of us, so $60 a day for a two tank dive. On our recent COZ trip, the DM get $30 day from the shop and that's a 6-5pm day! Pretty low pay on any scale.

We dinned with a solo Canadian one evening and I asked him what he tipped....$5 per day! I was left speechless.

 

[JamesBon92007]

L
In the US, Mexico, Caribbean I tip $5.00 a tank and don't worry about it.
.

I read on a California dive boat site that $5 a tank is universal, worldwide. I don't know about that but I generally do tip $5 a tank unless they do something exceptional such as recover my video camera from 80 feet of water or repair my wetsuit zipper in time for the next dive and turn what could have been a bad day into a good day.

 

[billt4sf]

$10 a tank if we like the DM and there's usually three of us, so $60 a day for a two tank dive. On our recent COZ trip, the DM get $30 day from the shop and that's a 6-5pm day! Pretty low pay on any scale.

We dinned with a solo Canadian one evening and I asked him what he tipped....$5 per day! I was left speechless.

Perhaps you should read more of the thread I posted. Americans are the outliers in world tipping.

 

[Tippytoes12]

I really do think that 10 to 15% of the total trip cost is not affordable for many people. At the end of the day the crew and guides have jobs paid for by guests' s payments to the owners. Obviously the British currency had depreciated by 30% against some currencies in the last few years , making these trips vey expensive indeed.

On a liveaboard in the Maldives we were on recently a $ 150 tip per guest was recommended and it seemed that most people put in about that , as we did. It seems fair for how hard everybody worked and how welcoming and friendly they were. There were no Americans on board and the average age was a lot lower than other boats we have been on. But definitely in resorts it is sometimes obvious that American divers , especially those over a certain age, get way more attention than other nationalities.

On my summer holidays from first year in university in Ireland I worked as as waitress in a hotel. We used to all be overjoyed if American visitors chose our table. I may told more than one table that I had thirteen brothers and sisters ( only have one of each) , was hoping to go back to university in October but wasn't sure that my parents could, afford it ( I was on a scholarship equivalent).

 

[Lorenzoid]

So after all that-- a 17-page, 5yo thread on top of other internet and ScubaBoard searches on the subject, I still do not have a confident picture of SCUBA tipping culture outside of US or Americas. I really wish there were more input from guides and DMs themselves, but perhaps they're too busy, you know, doing things.

I'm still wondering, according to those in the industry who know customary tipping norms, especially in the Philippines and the Maldives, what most people tip if at all.

My takeaway from all the discussion here and in other threads is that the most unbiased picture of the local tipping culture (or lack thereof) will come from visiting divers who frequent the region, or expats who live there but do not make a living from the dive industry. An American who has just done a couple of Indonesian liveaboards won't have seen the full picture. Someone like @billt4sf probably has the best perspective for westerners visiting Indonesia. We are fortunate to sometimes be able to find people like that on ScubaBoard.

 

[billt4sf]

My takeaway from all the discussion here and in other threads is that the most unbiased picture of the local tipping culture (or lack thereof) will come from visiting divers who frequent the region, or expats who live there but do not make a living from the dive industry. An American who has just done a couple of Indonesian liveaboards won't have seen the full picture. Someone like @billt4sf probably has the best perspective for westerners visiting Indonesia. We are fortunate to sometimes be able to find people like that on ScubaBoard.

ha ha I think more like matts1w

 

[chillyinCanada]

On day boats, I tip $7.50/tank along with more for special service of any kind. Most of the places that I do day boats are in Caribbean waters. I may modify that in indonesia for day boats and resort diving.

 

[KeithG]

You need to be aware of the economic realities of the region you are travelling in. On a recent (non diving) trip to Vietnam & Cambodia the tips were included as part of the tour package price except for our main tour guide and the staff on a river cruise boat.

The tour operator suggested $10 per day per person would cover all of the boat staff (there were about 40 staff). It was suggested that the tour guide be given $10 per day per person. The tour guide was considered a wealthy person since the average monthly wage in the region was around $150 a month. The tour guide was making 4 months wages every day from tips. The tour guide only worked a few trips each year.