Standard Tips for Florida Keys?

[oddible]

What is the standard tip for the Florida Keys? I find that the level of service vary's a lot depending on where you are diving and currently the keys appears to have a pretty low level of service - just the basics, drive the boat, put your tanks on it and take them off it, that's about it. Are tips regional? How well do you tip in the keys?

 

[Mike]

We tipped $5.00 a tank. On a dive boat with between 10-15 people every day, I never saw another person tip the crew.

 

[tomfcrist]

I always went with 20% of the trip price. Unless the DM and captain were douchebags, in which case they got nothing.

 

[sportxlh]

I usually tip $15-20 per two tank trip to an operation with an in-water guide and $10-15 to an operation without an in-water DM. But like tomfcrist says, if service is really bad, they get nothing, but that has not happened very often to me. Usually, the dive ops I've been out with are top notch.

 

[Wookie]

What is the standard tip for the Florida Keys? I find that the level of service vary's a lot depending on where you are diving and currently the keys appears to have a pretty low level of service - just the basics, drive the boat, put your tanks on it and take them off it, that's about it. Are tips regional? How well do you tip in the keys?

Out of curiosity, what do you consider a high or boutique level of service on day boats? Most Americans (including me) don't ever want someone else touching their dive gear, so setting up or changing tanks or breaking down has become not offered because the deck crew often gets yelled at for it. I find that day boats in the keys will usually provide a place to rinse your gear and hang it up if you will dive with them the next day, will take your camera from you and place it in or next to the rinse tank when finishing a dive, and will haul all the tanks to the fill station after the dive. What more does anyone want?

 

[dkramer]

I was diving in the Caymans this past summer. Most of the days were fine but one morning we moored on a dive site & the boat...........she was a rollin'. I'm an old lady who doesn't have very good knees. I wasn't concerned about getting in & I wasn't concerned about the dive but, I was concerned about trying to get out, climbing a pitching ladder w a tank on my back. I was going to sit the dive out & was the last one left on the boat when the DM said "no sweat"..........he put my gear on the swim platform & I donned it while seated & rolled in. When I came up, they had a tag line out. I pulled myself to the boat, handed up my weights & then he unhooked my bc & pulled it in & I was able to climb the ladder. To me, that's high class service & he got a good tip!

 

[oddible]

Out of curiosity, what do you consider a high or boutique level of service on day boats? Most Americans (including me) don't ever want someone else touching their dive gear, so setting up or changing tanks or breaking down has become not offered because the deck crew often gets yelled at for it. I find that day boats in the keys will usually provide a place to rinse your gear and hang it up if you will dive with them the next day, will take your camera from you and place it in or next to the rinse tank when finishing a dive, and will haul all the tanks to the fill station after the dive. What more does anyone want?

Well for instance, in Belize, the dive ops never touched my stuff unless I asked them. They did check over my gear before I jumped in the water, helped me out of the boat. Had drinks on the boat and fresh water washcloths (with eucalyptus oil - ok ok, this is a bit far) on the boat for a face wipe after the dive. They had fruit and baked goods for the surface interval and after the dive. They had a variety of drinks available. Also an in-water guide who was as present as we needed him to be, if we looked over to him, he'd give us guidance, but wasn't in the way. After the dive, they took and rinsed the gear we rented.

In Maui they had no eucalyptus wipes, but everything else, dive guide in the water, cookies for surface interval and a variety of drinks, excellent help off and onto the boat.

This is nothing that I would consider "boutique" service (with the exception of the facial wipes). This is what I would consider standard service. In the Florida Keys it seems that you get a boat to the location... and... that's about it. So this doesn't seem to live up to what I would consider a standard level of service. Maybe if the weather were more extreme, suddenly they would become more helpful??? Maybe I'm spoiled from my experiences in Belize and Maui?

 

[Wookie]

Well for instance, in Belize, the dive ops never touched my stuff unless I asked them. They did check over my gear before I jumped in the water, helped me out of the boat. Had drinks on the boat and fresh water washcloths (with eucalyptus oil - ok ok, this is a bit far) on the boat for a face wipe after the dive. They had fruit and baked goods for the surface interval and after the dive. They had a variety of drinks available. Also an in-water guide who was as present as we needed him to be, if we looked over to him, he'd give us guidance, but wasn't in the way. After the dive, they took and rinsed the gear we rented.

In Maui they had no eucalyptus wipes, but everything else, dive guide in the water, cookies for surface interval and a variety of drinks, excellent help off and onto the boat.

This is nothing that I would consider "boutique" service (with the exception of the facial wipes). This is what I would consider standard service. In the Florida Keys it seems that you get a boat to the location... and... that's about it. So this doesn't seem to live up to what I would consider a standard level of service. Maybe if the weather were more extreme, suddenly they would become more helpful??? Maybe I'm spoiled from my experiences in Belize and Maui?

'K, got me with the eucalyptus washcloths. I've not been on a keys day boat that didn't have a guide, that didn't have drinks (although, water was the drink), and didn't have fresh fruit. I'm not trying to explain away poor service, although the boats in the keys I dive from (aside from mine) tend to be the higher priced ones. I'm not too keen on the $79 2 tanker, the level of service just isn't high enough. Thanks for the reply.

 

[jar546]

I heard the MVP Spree is considering eucalyptus oiled cooled washcloths and pedicures between dives. Not confirmed though


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[wedged]

I've never experienced a minimal level of service like that in the keys. I've dived with : It's A Dive (now know as->), Pirate Island, Horizon Dive, Key Dives, and South Point as well as another operator out of Smuggler's Cove that I can't recall. Most of them don't offer much for a snack, but juice and water are offered. All of them would assist to your level of need . That was on their larger boats with a mix of divers ranging from OW students to instructors. I've been out on smaller 6 pack type boats with IAD/Pirate Island, Horizon and Key Dives. These trips were typically advanced type dives and less assistance with gear was given unless you asked for help.