Tipping etiquette when diving?

[Skittl1321]

and pay the DM at the end of the dive. He will split the tips with the captain.

I think if you dive with an op where you might have a different DM every day it is best to tip daily; but for us- she told us ahead of time we could tip on our credit card (which was way easier than bringing that much cash!) and we tipped at the end of the week when we paid for all our diving. But this was the same DM and captain everyday, since it was a one boat op. Of course, this doesn't apply to scuba club cozumel, as they use an envelope system of some sort.

 

[bbarada]

Usually you will have the same DMs and deck hands and captains all week at Scuba Club. We tip at the end of the week during the surface interval between the two morning dives. We take thank you cards and put the cash in them. They provide envelopes at the front desk and restaurant staff. The front desk has a guideline sheet for tips.

 

[diver 85]

5 dollars a tank & they will split it up--accordingly....

EDIT:...& on some occasions(ie BAD 'experiences'---of any kind), I leave them with this tip---"DON'T ever bet on a 3 legged horse..".....

 

[pjhansman]

Minimum $15 per person per 2-tank dive.....and I tip every day. I find a reasonable daily tip ensures that the DM and crew give my wife the attention us "old folks" need.

 

[BRT]

What a terrible system we have created where we have to figure out what to pay the employees of the people we are doing business with!

 

[Sideways]

Last trip I was doing 200 pesos per person for 2 tank x 2 peeps. I always personally tip the captain, especially because he handles all my camera gear.

 

[pjhansman]

What a terrible system we have created where we have to figure out what to pay the employees of the people we are doing business with!

Part of the cost of diving in Mexico (and elsewhere). I know what I'm going to pay ahead of time, and factor that in to the cost. And if the service sucks.....so does the tip.

 

[victorzamora]

What a terrible system we have created where we have to figure out what to pay the employees of the people we are doing business with!

.....but on the other hand, you get to determine what their service is worth. I've had dive ops that charge the tip up front. NOPE! If I decide to tip, and WHAT I decide to tip, are MY decision. If you're going to charge me a tip then build it in to your fee. I'll determine whether diving with you at your rate is worth it to me, and if the crew deserves a tip above and beyond that.

For example: I was diving in the Keys. 2 boats charged the same for 2 tanks. One had tip up front, the other didn't. The boat that didn't have tip up front did a garbage job with EVERYTHING. They were just mean and rude about things. There was zero tip from me. I moved tanks and weights to and from the boat and got zero support other than "It's 30ft deep here, be back in 50min." The boat that charged up front (25%) had the same level of service. I expected 20% better from them. I did NOT return to them. I didn't mind returning to the first boat (no tip included).

If a DM/Boat/Captain/whatever do a phenomenal job, it's worth more to me than the standard rate. If they do poorly, it's not worth a dime more. If they do very poorly, I don't tip AND I don't return.

TL;DR- I agree with you on principle, but it's nice to be able to determine what a trip was worth....and you can't tell that up front.

 

[jd950]

Without getting into the whole debate that can arise with this topic, I agree the standard is $5.00 a tank. If you get or require more than average care/assistance or if someone really goes out of their way for you, then adjust accordingly. If service really stinks, adjust accordingly. If you feel $5.00 is too low, then of course you may tip as much as you wish and no one will complain.

I don't do dive tips on a percentage basis because there are ops that charge $65 for a 2-tank and others that charge $100. The DM and boat guys may be just as good or just as bad and work just as hard at either end of the cost spectrum, and I would like to think (but am probably wrong) that the $100 dive op pays their crew more while the employees of the lower cost op might be more dependent on tips. I usually tip per tank.

Many Americans will tip more based on cultural/social reasons while many Europeans will not tip or tip less for the same reasons.

It would be interesting to know what DMs and boat crews typically get paid as wages and what various dive ops actually pay their employees, and that might influence people's choices of dive ops or tipping behavior, but that is pretty much a forbidden subject.

 

[scottishscuba]

Im a brit an have never dives over in the Americas. When I've dives on holiday i've usually tipped at the end of my stay. I give the full tip to either the DM or the owner and ask them to split it between the crew. The dive op in Dahab, I left a specific tip in an envelope for the instructor/guide and anotehr tip for the rest of the crew. It wouldnt occur to me to tip on a daily basis and I didnt tip the DM when I dived in South Africa.