How much to tip dive masters and boat crew in Cozumel?

[Lorenzoid]

Though I tip both places, I would actually come closer to not tipping some crews in the U.S. than those I've experienced in Cozumel. It's a bit ironic that some boats (looking at you, Florida) that are low service/anti-valet ("you just get a seat on the boat") also engage in hard-sell begging for tips with signs on the boat and speeches by the captain about tips. Look, I have no trouble (and often prefer) dealing with my own gear, etc., but if I'm loading my own tanks, setting up my gear, no DM in the water, and the crew is doing literally no personal service for me then I don't believe a tip should be expected.

I can't argue with the logic. And if the DM in Florida receives nothing from the dive op and chooses to "work" only for tips, I can't fix that for them. Nevertheless, I figure, when in Rome, tip as the Romans do. Although it's not "valet" like in Mexico or elsewhere, US dive crews do try to offer help to divers who seem to need/want it. In the US, if a personal service is provided, I tip whatever I believe is customary, even if the service was lousy.

On average a DM is paid maybe $30-$35 US equivalent by the op when he goes, no go days = no $. The Captain may be on a $10/day salary and he gets an extra $15 when he goes so $25 for him on go days. Your housekeeper gets $6 a day to turn over all those rooms including yours. Your waiter at that restaurant you love gets about $5 a day and he has to be in early for the lunch hour, leaves and then be in again around 4-5 for the dinner hours until whenever.

These people work hard and they all depend on tips from the Gringo's who spend more in RT airfare to get there than they will make in 4 months.

In Indonesia, they probably earn even less than in Mexico. Am I to tip inversely proportionally to how much someone earns? Is the goal to make up someone's wages so that regardless of where in the world they live they earn about the same? That sounds more like charity to me than a reward for good service. I would prefer to give to the United Way or some other organization whose goal may be to raise living standards worldwide. As I see it, tipping on a dive boat--assuming tipping is a local custom--is to reward good service, and the amount should be in line with local economics, not what pulls at my heartstrings. There are exceptions, such as I recall in Fiji, where tipping per se is discouraged, but guests are asked to contribute to a "Christmas Fund" that is distributed to all staff equally at the end of the year; as I see it, that is just a normal and expected part of their compensation for their jobs.

 

[scubadada]

Obviously we do not all wish it would go away. If everyone wished that, it would go away. If everyone were to stop tipping at once, employers would have to pay employees more to keep them; they would pass the expense to us, and I would be fine with that.

My wife and I lived in Basel, Switzerland for two years. There was a nice neighborhood restaurant at the end of the street our apartment was on. Two salads, a pizza, and an inexpensive bottle of wine would cost us $100, or a little more. The owner and his employees were very nice, gave good, friendly service, and served good food. We would generally leave about a 5 franc tip, that was not expected. We did not eat out that often.

Everyone working at the restaurant, down to the dishwasher, was paid a livable wage. That's the way the country worked.

I wonder what my 2 tank boat dive in SE FL would cost if we gave up tipping and went with the Swiss model?

 

[Lorenzoid]

I wonder what my 2 tank boat dive in SE FL would cost if we gave up tipping and went with the Swiss model?

(Raises hand) I know! It would cost the dive operator's total expenses plus some profit margin. It would cost what it actually costs.

I'm hardly the world traveler, but I am pretty familiar with Belgium, where causal eateries such as cafes and brasseries work as you describe they do in Switzerland. It's customary to leave either no tip or your change, up to a euro--nothing more (unless you are an American tourist ignorant of local custom). The staff are employees, and receive wages and benefits, including paid time off. Prices may be lower than in Switzerland, though, so maybe Switzerland is one of the more extreme examples.

By the way, with inflation you're going to have to adjust that anecdote to continue to make an impression. Nowadays, two burgers and four beers, with 20% tip, costs us nearly that much at the bar down the street here in Atlanta.

 

[scubadada]

(Raises hand) I know! It would cost the dive operator's total expenses plus some profit margin. It would cost what it actually costs.

I'm hardly the world traveler, but I am pretty familiar with Belgium, where causal eateries such as cafes and brasseries work as you describe they do in Switzerland. It's customary to leave either no tip or your change, up to a euro--nothing more (unless you are an American tourist ignorant of local custom). The staff are employees, and receive wages and benefits, including paid time off. Prices may be lower than in Switzerland, though, so maybe Switzerland is one of the more extreme examples.

By the way, with inflation you're going to have to adjust that anecdote to continue to make an impression. Nowadays, two burgers and four beers, with 20% tip, costs us nearly that much at the bar down the street here in Atlanta.

Yes, that was back in 2014-2016

Our 5 franc tip (now=USD, used to be more) was also to say thanks for the desert and coffee they would bring us at the end of the meal for no additional charge. We were never hurried there and really enjoyed our conversations with the owner and the wait staff. A different pace of life.

 

[deepsea21]

I can't argue with the logic. And if the DM in Florida receives nothing from the dive op and chooses to "work" only for tips, I can't fix that for them. Nevertheless, I figure, when in Rome, tip as the Romans do. Although it's not "valet" like in Mexico or elsewhere, US dive crews do try to offer help to divers who seem to need/want it. In the US, if a personal service is provided, I tip whatever I believe is customary, even if the service was lousy.


In Indonesia, they probably earn even less than in Mexico. Am I to tip inversely proportionally to how much someone earns? Is the goal to make up someone's wages so that regardless of where in the world they live they earn about the same? That sounds more like charity to me than a reward for good service. I would prefer to give to the United Way or some other organization whose goal may be to raise living standards worldwide. As I see it, tipping on a dive boat--assuming tipping is a local custom--is to reward good service, and the amount should be in line with local economics, not what pulls at my heartstrings. There are exceptions, such as I recall in Fiji, where tipping per se is discouraged, but guests are asked to contribute to a "Christmas Fund" that is distributed to all staff equally at the end of the year; as I see it, that is just a normal and expected part of their compensation for their jobs.

Well, there is no doubt that being a captain or a DM on the island is a very good and very high paying job... To the extent that those positions cater to the tourist industry (primarily supported by us Gringo divers who commonly tip). If ya got crap service, certainly don't tip but if you enjoyed your dives and the care and attention you received do tip. Any dive op on the island that doesn't deliver great service is not going to be around long.

These Captains and DM's and shop staff get up every day in the wee hours before sunrise, before we ever wake up as dive tourists. After dives when we walk away from the boats their work day hasn't ended, they have another 1-2 hours of work I'd say depending on the op and during peak season they are turning over for afternoon dives followed by night dives.

There's a reason those who get their certification to be DM's and think being a DM in some exotic place will be a great career choice quit after a few weeks of actually doing it as it is hard work with long hours. There are plenty of days the last thing a DM wants to do is get wet again but they do it over and over with a smile on their faces.

Yeah, I tip.

 

[jonhall]

These Captains and DM's and shop staff get up every day in the wee hours before sunrise, before we ever wake up as dive tourists.

I think many do, but there are also Captains and DMs who arrive a few minutes prior while someone else takes care of the preparation, even in Cozumel.

 

[Scubagolf]

My answer is also no and it extends to more than diving. Does the server deserve a bigger tip because I order the $25 steak versus the $12 chicken sandwich?

And when you order a cup of coffee, requiring roughly the same time and energy on the part of the server? Does he/she “deserve” a lesser tip versus when you order a $12 chicken sandwich and a cup of coffee?

 

[ReefHound]

And when you order a cup of coffee, requiring roughly the same time and energy on the part of the server? Does he/she “deserve” a lesser tip versus when you order a $12 chicken sandwich and a cup of coffee?

I don't tip percentages on small orders typically.

 

[ggunn]

(Raises hand) I know! It would cost the dive operator's total expenses plus some profit margin. It would cost what it actually costs.

I'm hardly the world traveler, but I am pretty familiar with Belgium, where causal eateries such as cafes and brasseries work as you describe they do in Switzerland. It's customary to leave either no tip or your change, up to a euro--nothing more (unless you are an American tourist ignorant of local custom). The staff are employees, and receive wages and benefits, including paid time off. Prices may be lower than in Switzerland, though, so maybe Switzerland is one of the more extreme examples.

By the way, with inflation you're going to have to adjust that anecdote to continue to make an impression. Nowadays, two burgers and four beers, with 20% tip, costs us nearly that much at the bar down the street here in Atlanta.

This topic comes up a couple of times a year and it always raises the temperature a bit. There are basically three camps: 1) Here's how much you should tip, 2) Don't tip, and 3) It's nobody else's business. I am in Camp 3.

 

[Big Dan K]

If you are budgeting for a trip and do not want to explore the morality or economic theories of tipping, but just want to tip like a typical American tourist, a nice crisp $20 bill after a 2 tank dive will suffice. It seems rather standard, at least among those being dropped off at the resorts down south.