Tipping Etiquette for diving and course?

[Torontonian]

I've dived in all inclusive resorts previously (where even diving is included), so the tipping is different there.

I just read in some posts (and was surprised) that in some Florida shops, the DMs only work for tips.

I will be coming to Hawaii soon for a few boat dives in Oahu and Kona, and taking advanced & speciality courses.

How should I prepare to tip the DM/instructor? And should that be done after each boat dive trip or at the end of the course?

Thanks for your advise.

 

[LioKai]

I've dived in all inclusive resorts previously (where even diving is included), so the tipping is different there.

I just read in some posts (and was surprised) that in some Florida shops, the DMs only work for tips.

I will be coming to Hawaii soon for a few boat dives in Oahu and Kona, and taking advanced & speciality courses.

How should I prepare to tip the DM/instructor? And should that be done after each boat dive trip or at the end of the course?

Thanks for your advise.

Most DM's, Instructors, Captains, and Crew get paid about 12$-13$ per hour. Tips are how many of them continue to be able to live.

Some shops pool the tips so if you want to tip the DM/instructor personally then you must state your intentions. Most people who leave a tip give 20$ per day for a two tank charter, and 20$ per day of classes. Tip at the end of each day so that your tip finds its proper intended reciever.

We tell people at the end of the day:
"tips are never expected but always accepted, so if you had a good time put some money in, not so much fun then take some money out".

In my opinion a tip is just that, it is a bonus. If your captains and crew take good care of you and make your day a great memory, then show some love. If they are not worth the air they breathe then take the time to explain it, privately, quietly, and professionally, to whom ever is in charge. Some of us (captains, crew, business owners) read this forum religiously to get feedback on your trip and to hear what you liked and disliked so we can keep you coming back.

 

[RonFrank]

I've dived in all inclusive resorts previously (where even diving is included), so the tipping is different there.

I just read in some posts (and was surprised) that in some Florida shops, the DMs only work for tips.

I will be coming to Hawaii soon for a few boat dives in Oahu and Kona, and taking advanced & speciality courses.

How should I prepare to tip the DM/instructor? And should that be done after each boat dive trip or at the end of the course?

Thanks for your advise.

The general statement I'm about to make is, like all generalizations, not applicable to every situation. However many DM's and Boat Captains make the majority of their income from tips.

Now in the FL Keys, it's more difficult to tip IMO because the DM's don't Dive with you. So the service they provide is giving Dive Briefings, Safety Briefings, hauling tanks, and helping dives out of the water.

My buddy who did Coz earlier this year indicated that those DM's go a big step beyond what I've experienced in FL. They change you tanks out (some DON'T like that), and after the boat get's back they will rinse and hang your gear.

I found on the smaller boats one generally get's better service, and those DM's would generally change out your tank. They even usually asked before doing so for those Divers that don't like others messing with their gear.

I tipped $5-8 a half day when boat diving. I'd tip after each trip as the DM's/Capt's maybe different on a given day.

IMO it's rude NOT to tip. This rule of thumb generally applies to any boat you go out on, diving, snorkeling, fishing the crew is mainly working for tips unless the crew happen to be the owner which is the case on some situations.

 

[humanFish]

I recently did a drysuit training with my LDS. I paid the fee to the shop, not cheap, by the way...

should I have tipped the instructor?

 

[friscuba]

Might want to add that shifts are generally short, some DMs and Insturctors here are still making in the $9-$10 buck range and getting short shifts. It is not uncommon for a DM, Instructor or boat captain to be working for 65/85 bucks or therabouts a day. A couple years back I was working for a shop and getting $10 an hour (good hourly wage at the time) but the average day was 5-6 hours. Coulda made as much or more at Taco Bell, with a whole lot less responsibility.

Most DM's, Instructors, Captains, and Crew get paid about 12$-13$ per hour. Tips are how many of them continue to be able to live.

 

[ch0ppersrule]

We tip based on the attitude of the DM/Instructor, dive briefing and attentiveness to us underwater. Not on what we see, you can't control sea life. You may get lucky and see a lot of life or none at all. I like my DM to try and find sea life and point it out, not jump in the water and take you around and make you find your own things to look at. I am an annoying underwater photographer that nobody likes to dive with anyways. Good thing I do mostly shore dives with the hubby.

 

[LioKai]

It is not uncommon for a DM, Instructor or boat captain to be working for 65/85 bucks or therabouts a day.

Good point Steve.
I did the math on todays charter... I made 66$ and the DM made 55$. I quit fishing to run dive boats and took a 2/3 pay cut. No wonder why I have 2 jobs.

 

[RonFrank]

I recently did a drysuit training with my LDS. I paid the fee to the shop, not cheap, by the way...

should I have tipped the instructor?

I really have no clue what an instructor makes who is working for an LDS, but that is between the instructor and the DS. I do know what I pay for training, and in general it is not cheap.

I paid $225 for Nitrox, and AOW. The classroom time for both was about 6 hours. We did 5 dives, and the instructor participation part of the dive (we generally did the required skills, and she then left us to dive so she could go do OW classes) was 2.5 hours. She then proceeded to do the checkout dives for 24 OW students (2 classes, but she did both) over two days, and she managed to do a few specialities as well.

There was one AI there, and some DM's in training which is free to the LDS. In fact they pay the LDS for the priviledge of helping out with classes. The cost of doing Checkout dives at the Blue Hole is $150 per student, and that is on top of the $150 (not including materials) OW class/pool costs. So someone banked $3900 for just the OW checkouts for two days of work + travel costs plus the money they made from the Nitrox/AOW/Speciality dives.

Instruction does pay good money, and if the Instructors are not seeing much of it, then talk with the LDS as someone is making a very good profit. The LDS likely netted (not including payrole) well over 3K for two days of work, and had two-three employees on the payroll that weekend. It would be interesting to know what the Instructors make, but I'm betting the Lions share goest to the LDS.

I don't tip instructors, and I do not believe many do.

 

[pearl4diving]

This is a tough question. I have been watching this thread as I was curious if there is a standard that people use...I was hoping to learn something....

I tipped my OW and my AOW instructor, but for the class - I tipped at the end of the course when I got my pic. For my OW I tipped $20 and for my AOW, my stepson and I took it together so I tipped $40 ($20 for each of us). I don't know if this is right, wrong or what - but I did feel my scuba instructor made my experience a good one - and he should be rewarded for that. I had a previous bad experience at a resort in Jamaica years ago, my instructor didn't have a clean slate to work from - but he did an outstanding job.

My experience could easily have gone another way. Unfortunatley scuba instruction is one of those professions like hairdressing & restaurant serving - they don't make a % of what you spend with their employer, so it is up to us to help reward them for being positive, patient and thorough.

As to tipping dive master and captain/boat crew, I always do. Again - they can make or break your experience. Regardless what you find at the dive site (as choppersrule mentioned), that crew can make it a good experience or a bad experience - so shouldn't we reward them for providing a fun, safe and informational diving environment?

My 2 cents.

Pearl

 

[humanFish]

As to tipping dive master and captain/boat crew, I always do. Again - they can make or break your experience. Regardless what you find at the dive site (as choppersrule mentioned), that crew can make it a good experience or a bad experience - so shouldn't we reward them for providing a fun, safe and informational diving environment?

My 2 cents.

Pearl

thanks...I always tip boat crews and DM's and what not. Just seemed like an employee of the shop slash instructor, ought to be getting paid by the shop, especially at the price I paid. However, I felt undecided on whether I should tip or not. I still have to go in to get my card so maybe I can do it then....or send them some pizzas or something...