Tipping an Instructor?

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Tips are probably always appreciated anywhere... around my place the instructors are rarely tipped and I didn't tip my instructors. Just paying my gear and class fees was already a big amount. That being said as a DM I dont expect anything nor do my fellow instructors. We will accept tips but a beer or coffee is just as good. Don't ever feel pressured to give anything. If you think they did really good, let them know and it's free..
 
I did not tip my instructor(s) for OW, AOW, or Rescue. It did not even occur to me to do it at the time. I don't think I would do it now unless the person spent a lot of personal time with me to help me with skills that I had trouble with or if they spent extra time counseling me.
 
Hooray for the movement to pay instructor a fair wage and not have to tip them! I wouldn’t tip an instructor in the same way I don’t tip a pilot. I am happy to pay them a fair price they request for their professional work.

DM/instructors/boat captains etc should all be paid a fair living wage so they don’t need or require tips..
 
DM/instructors/boat captains etc should all be paid a fair living wage so they don’t need or require tips..

What should happen and what does happen are unfortunately 2 different things.

I have been tipped in many forms, cash, beer, devils lettuce, prawns and scallops mainly in canada not so much anywhere else. I agree with tipping as much as any other service if it's particulary good then feel free to tip i'm sure it will be appreciated if not then don't feel guilty. I do however tip DMs as i know quite a lot of them aren't getting paid and are working for experience/free dives.
 
I tip DMs and crew. I do not tip instructors. Tipping captains depends on if it is their boat or not.
 
Hooray for the movement to pay instructor a fair wage and not have to tip them! I wouldn’t tip an instructor in the same way I don’t tip a pilot. I am happy to pay them a fair price they request for their professional work.

DM/instructors/boat captains etc should all be paid a fair living wage so they don’t need or require tips..
Agree. But as Princess Chris points out, many DMs work without pay--for perks only or "free" dives. My old pet peeve--whose fault is that?
 
Agree. But as Princess Chris points out, many DMs work without pay--for perks only or "free" dives. My old pet peeve--whose fault is that?

You have to consider location, just like with instructors. Are they in a resort location working for pennies or are they attached to your local Midwestern dive shop, helping with classes at the quarry and crewing the Lake Michigan dive boat on weekends, while also working a good full time job? I know a number of the latter.
 
We gave the instructor that taught the rescue class for me and my daughters a nice bottle of rum (Flora de Caña or something like that). He did the class for us based on my request and we were the only students in the class, and the price for the class was ridiculously inexpensive (95 euros/student).

-Z
 
I never gave a tip to any of my instructors but I did always do something for them. A meal, drinks, or something along those lines.
Being on the instructor side of it now I would not expect a tip nor would I take one, but I have been bought dinner or drinks and I found it to be a nice gesture.
 
I know there are a lot of instructors on this site, hoping you will weigh in on my question.

I'm wondering if I made a mistake by not tipping my OW instructor? Is this considered customary? In reading the other threads about tipping it made me realize I may have unknowingly made a mistake.

If I did make a mistake, how much do I tip for an open water course?
 
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