Tips $$$$

DiveMonkeyDive · Feb 21, 2012

Hey everyone, I was recntly asked by a friend what a reasonable tip would be for the guide and crew. I told my friend that if the crew is awesome and the guide did a great job, split a $100. $50 for the tip jar and $50 for the guide. Reasonable? Thoughts and input wanted. Thanks.

g1138 · Feb 21, 2012

Sounds good to me.

Personally for a day trip, I do $10/tank for an enjoyable excursion. Which is about 10% for the boats in my area.
$5/tank if the crew makes the trip less enjoyable.
$15-20/tank if the crew makes the trip worth coming back to.

$0 if the crew made me miserable.

The boats I've been on have all had a shared tip jar and no DM guide.

DiveMonkeyDive · Feb 21, 2012

Thanks for the reply. My friend will be diving key west and will have some really cool opportunies to dive sime cool wrecks. I figured that experience would be worth a decent tip for the crew and DM.

Saxatilis · Feb 21, 2012

Maybe? Thats very high for where I dive. Our typical tip rate is 20-25 percent of the charter fee (100 US dollars). I don't know any DM's who are in it for the money, they do it because they love diving. As far as guides go, we don't have any. You could hire a DM through your LDS but most people tend to buddy up with more experienced divers.

Ask someone who has dove there before. Different customs apply to different places.

Garrobo · Feb 21, 2012

Five bucks for the DM and the same for the Captain is plenty as far as I am concerned. At least none of them has turned it down so far.

Mopar · Feb 21, 2012

I usually tip 5.00 per dive 10.00 for a 2 tank dive. I dont need help from the crew other than a boat ride, and to tell when the pool is open.

Rhone Man · Feb 21, 2012

DiveMonkeyDive:
Hey everyone, I was recntly asked by a friend what a reasonable tip would be for the guide and crew. I told my friend that if the crew is awesome and the guide did a great job, split a $100. $50 for the tip jar and $50 for the guide. Reasonable? Thoughts and input wanted. Thanks.

Depends where you are. I have had a snooty reaction in St Thomas for "only" tipping 15% and I have had someone practically offer to bear my children in the Philippines for tipping the equivalent of US$14 after a week's worth of diving.

kierentec · Feb 21, 2012

it depends greatly on the area. it's usually customary to tip like you would at a restaurant for that area. US, 15% is considered average, 10% if it was less than stellar, and 20% or more if it was outstanding. if the crew sucked, I don't feel bad about not leaving anything, though. SCUBA diving is recreation, I'm paying good money to have a good time. if you make that experience less enjoyable for me, why would I give you something extra?

if you are diving a package somewhere and are planning on tipping out at the end, make sure to mention that to someone in the beginning.

here in the US Virgin Islands, 20 bucks for the crew to split for a 2 tank dive is considered a solid tip, anything less than 10 and we feel like we must have done something wrong.

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=17.744490,-64.705663

GrumpyOldGuy · Feb 21, 2012

Most of the boats I have been on also have a tip jar and I use $5/tank for OK, $10/tank for excellent service as a general guide for boat crew / top side DM, sometimes a wee bit more.
I don't often use a guide, so its really on a case by case basis depending on how much they actually enhance the dive vs... swim along leading the gaggle of divers.

While its true many in the US work for the pittance paid crew because the love the sport, the tip is a nice way to say thanks, on top of actually taking a couple of minutes to say thanks when they do a nice job.

kierentec · Feb 21, 2012

Rhone Man:
Depends where you are. I have had a snooty reaction in St Thomas for "only" tipping 15% and I have had someone practically offer to bear my children in the Philippines for tipping the equivalent of US$14 after a week's worth of diving.

people are just snooty in St Thomas in general, probably didn't have much to do with the tip. head a little further south to STX, we are much more pleasant to deal with, and the diving is way better down here.

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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=17.744579,-64.705839

Tips $$$$

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