Tipping your instructor
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You need to answer two questions:
1. Are dive instructors professionals?
2. Do you tip other professionals?
1. Are dive instructors professionals?
2. Do you tip other professionals?
Yes to both questions.
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You tip your dentist, doctor and lawyer?
It's interesting how similar peoples from different places can seem, but still have huge cultural variations.
I'm an Australian. My forebears fought long & hard for a minimum wage that was also a living wage. We don't like people that put that at risk by working for peanuts. If you work for peanuts in Oz you're a monkey, DM or dive instructor, you won't get tipped, I hope they enjoy the lifestyle or like peanuts.
Some time ago I went for a trip on a live aboard in FNQ. When leaving the boat someone pointed to the tip jar, (obviously too many Americans are diving the reef) I told him I was an Australian, so you know where to go & what you can do with the jar when you get there.
I'm an Australian. My forebears fought long & hard for a minimum wage that was also a living wage. We don't like people that put that at risk by working for peanuts. If you work for peanuts in Oz you're a monkey, DM or dive instructor, you won't get tipped, I hope they enjoy the lifestyle or like peanuts.
Some time ago I went for a trip on a live aboard in FNQ. When leaving the boat someone pointed to the tip jar, (obviously too many Americans are diving the reef) I told him I was an Australian, so you know where to go & what you can do with the jar when you get there.
How many years of education does it take to become a dentist, doctor or lawyer, vs how many to become an instructor??
How much does tuition cost to become a dentist, doctor or lawyer, vs how much to become an instructor??
How much is the starting wage of a dentist, doctor or lawyer, vs how much is the starting wage for an instructor.
Every full time resort bartender on Maui makes more money, before tips, than any full time instructor employee on Maui. Would you tip the bartender?
Yesterday I was offered a construction labor position that pays twice what I am making as a dive instructor. "Only" 40 hours per week, no annual membership, no gear expenses, no duty of care, no cleaning the head, no waking up at 4:30 AM.
Calling a dive instructor a professional is just using a word to justify your cheapness in most tropical locations!
If the operator charged enough to pay a living wage, none of the cheap bastard divers would go out with that operator!
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I've never tipped an instructor, but then I've never been in a position to have to make a decision to do so or not to do so. The few times I've been on a commercial boat where there was a crew and DM to tip, I've always done so.
I am not the one who calls DMs and Instructors "Professionals," I find that absurd ... but that's a different thread, I was just pointing out the irony of trying to have it both ways.
BTW: In this economy, if Maui is anything like Hawai'i ... I'd take the construction job if it had any stability. Things are pretty grim, at least over here.
I am not the one who calls DMs and Instructors "Professionals," I find that absurd ... but that's a different thread, I was just pointing out the irony of trying to have it both ways.
BTW: In this economy, if Maui is anything like Hawai'i ... I'd take the construction job if it had any stability. Things are pretty grim, at least over here.
NudeDiver
Contributor
Isn't a "professional" anyone who gets paid for performing in a particular line of work?
There are amateur golfers (some of whom may be better than some professionals). There are amateur archaeologists (many of whom have made important discoveries).There are amateur astronomers (some of whom have made very important discoveries too). There are amateur divers (some of whom have better skills than professional divers). There are amateur poker players (some of who have made millions of dollars while playing poker). There are amateur sex providers (many of whom are better than the pros, despite having much less experience).
There are professional dentists.
There are professional software developers.
There are professional waiters/waitresses.
There are professional hair dressers.
There are professional instructors.
There are professional cab drivers.
There are professional poker players.
There are professional dry cleaners.
There are professional sex workers.
There are professional diving instructors.
Who gets tipped? Who does not? Why? Why not?
Is it a matter of making up for a low wage? Then why not tip the guy at the fast food register?
Is it a matter of reward for good service? Aren't they supposed to give you good service anyway? If you don't give them a tip, is it OK for them to provide bad service?
Or is it merely a convention of society? Oh...wait...which society? Why is it that (from my understanding) the dive people in Cozumel expect big tips from Americans, and little to no tips from Europeans? Is it because Americans are awesome and Europeans are all pricks? Or is it because Americans have been socialized to do so, while Europeans have not (or have, to a much lesser extent)? If we accept it as a societal convention - then that makes it OK for Euros to not tip and people don't think anything of it - but if an American does not tip - well, he's just a cheap bastard. But in either case - it seems like it doesn't have anything to do with the service or activity - merely the arbitrary conventions of a society - and the tippers are subsidizing the activities of the non-tippers, keeping wages (and prices) artificially low.
Time to eliminate the tip system, regardless of industry. Pay people what they are worth. Charge what you need to charge to make a suitable profit. Stop expecting people to voluntarily give you their money, under the guise of some nebulous reward system.
There are amateur golfers (some of whom may be better than some professionals). There are amateur archaeologists (many of whom have made important discoveries).There are amateur astronomers (some of whom have made very important discoveries too). There are amateur divers (some of whom have better skills than professional divers). There are amateur poker players (some of who have made millions of dollars while playing poker). There are amateur sex providers (many of whom are better than the pros, despite having much less experience).
There are professional dentists.
There are professional software developers.
There are professional waiters/waitresses.
There are professional hair dressers.
There are professional instructors.
There are professional cab drivers.
There are professional poker players.
There are professional dry cleaners.
There are professional sex workers.
There are professional diving instructors.
Who gets tipped? Who does not? Why? Why not?
Is it a matter of making up for a low wage? Then why not tip the guy at the fast food register?
Is it a matter of reward for good service? Aren't they supposed to give you good service anyway? If you don't give them a tip, is it OK for them to provide bad service?
Or is it merely a convention of society? Oh...wait...which society? Why is it that (from my understanding) the dive people in Cozumel expect big tips from Americans, and little to no tips from Europeans? Is it because Americans are awesome and Europeans are all pricks? Or is it because Americans have been socialized to do so, while Europeans have not (or have, to a much lesser extent)? If we accept it as a societal convention - then that makes it OK for Euros to not tip and people don't think anything of it - but if an American does not tip - well, he's just a cheap bastard. But in either case - it seems like it doesn't have anything to do with the service or activity - merely the arbitrary conventions of a society - and the tippers are subsidizing the activities of the non-tippers, keeping wages (and prices) artificially low.
Time to eliminate the tip system, regardless of industry. Pay people what they are worth. Charge what you need to charge to make a suitable profit. Stop expecting people to voluntarily give you their money, under the guise of some nebulous reward system.
I did not tip my OW instructor. None of the students mentioned anything about tipping and since I had gone to a store (LDS) and purchased A LOT of equipment (entire set up and etc.). I did not know about tipping the instructor. Now that I am more aware of the what goes on, I would have tipped him. I have purchased him a cool shirt from a dive site and now when I see him at local dive club I would buy him dinner.
I feel there is a difference between a doctor, lawyer , and a professional in the dive industry. In wages particuliarly. I tip professionals in service related jobs as a rule, that is just what I do, I am not saying that everyone should, everyone must decide this for themselves. But, I feel if some one goes above the norm to make my experience pleasureable, then I reward this. It is a way to say thank you.
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