GrumpyOldGuy
Contributor
I am confused about the tipping concept on dive boats.
I understand the concept of tipping in restaurants. At least in part, it's to assure that you get attentive service, which can be important in a restaurant setting since it can get chaotic at times. And I understand that the price of the meal is reduced because the restaurant owner pays the waitstaff less because of tipping.
No, unless you are a regular, the service person has not idea how you are going to tip them until then end. The have no assurance they will be tipped decently. In the US, the owners exploits the servers by paying them crazy low wages and only servers who perform well earn enough tips to make a living. The with poor service skills find another job rather quickly. When I am in the US, most of the time I get good service, so it works.
When I travel to non-tipping countries, the servers get paid more and do not expect tips. Sometimes the services is very good. Other times, it can really suck. Nothing I can do about it except not return to the establishment.
I tip taxi drivers too. Mostly because it's convention.
I tip on the condition of the cab (smoke free and clean), sometimes on the hour of the day (It they pick me up in the wee hours in the morning, they get a good top) and of course if they are on time.
Is it really the same with dive boats? With a boat, the only assistance I get is coming up the ladder. I have paid for the trip. If there is dive gear that I use, I paid for that as part of the fee. If the crew serves snacks and drinks, that was advertised as part of the amenties offered by the boat.
I get it that the crew doesn't make much money, but that's true of many, many jobs. A number of my dives have been on boats which were part of a package deal, and there was no tip jar in sight or mentioned. So please enlighten me as to why tipping is appropriate on a dive boat.
Again, in some countries, tipping is not expected, others it is. You have to be aware or the local customers and flow with it to a certain extent.
In the countries where it is expected, the same type of owners exploit the workers with low wages. Then they work hard to please the customers earn decent tips which brings up there paycheck to probably 1/4 of the average diver. The slackers soon find they cannot make it without tips and go work at McDonalds.
First, the amount of tip should be relevant to the types of services offered on the boat. In some locations the setup gear (not mine), help newbie divers with weight checks, lead group dives, etc..) In in So Cal where I do most of my boat dives and the DM's are out of the water, they are functioning as a 2nd or 3rd set of eyes as you setup. They are quick of offer help, do minor gear adjustments, sometimes have backup gear stashed to save a dive. If you are dialed in, they don't do anything for you, but even though of us who think we are dialed in have a bad day and need help.
Many are trained in life saving procedures, cook you lunch and spend time and effort to maximize your enjoyment. The tend to offer lots of advice. Oh, and when someone plugs up the marine head, the clean out the ****, now that job deserves a tip.
At the end of the day, the attitude of the crew will have an impact on my pleasure with the dives and I have not problem saying thankyou personally to them and also make a contribution to the jar.