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

[jonhall]

Another cheapskate tipper here! I generally tip $10 US on a 2 tank boat dive each day of diving although I may have to change that after reading all of this! Have always done this for the ease of not calculating percentages and knowing how much cash I'm going to carry with me on the boat. Don't tip extra just because the crew switches over tanks between dives if thats what they normally do. Doesn't make any difference to me if they do it or I do it. Instances in which I would tip more would be those where I was getting needed help or guidance with an issue I may be having trouble with.

Unfortunately now that I have calculated that $10 is just under 15% for what a dive usually runs in Coz (and other places), I may have to reconsider!

Did tip a DM in Puerto Vallarta $10 for a 1 tank shore dive, but I was the only diver and felt he took his time to guide me around when he could have hurried through to get back to the surface, as I did the dive as a part of a larger group tour to another part of the coast.

Just to show that I'm not always a cheapskate, I recently tipped an Amish guy and his partner $100 for moving a new gazebo through some tight spots into my yard using a "mule". It may have been because I somehow paid about ⅓ of what the gazebo cost other places I'd looked and didn't mind that little bit extra (I think the seller made a mistake, but we'd signed a contract)!

 

[ggunn]

Do I tip for dives in Cozumel? Yes, I do.

Whom do I tip? I tip the DM and trust that it is shared.

How much do I tip? That's nobody else's business.

 

[kelemvor]

He is stretched to the breaking point paying for the his family and the tuition for his son at University. He is trying to lift him up from his dad's humble blue collar life to become a professional.

Nothing to do with the scuba industry there. That's S.O.P. There are articles published every day about the diminishing value of a college education due to the lifetime of debt that comes with it.

..my daughter starts college next year.

I tipped $10/tank per person in coz. I thought it was interesting that when I tipped him the first day he told me to hold off until the end of the week. I could tip all at once and he would worry about splitting it up between the various deckhands and other folks that needed tipshare.

 

[Skittl1321]

I tipped $10/tank per person in coz. I thought it was interesting that when I tipped him the first day he told me to hold off until the end of the week. I could tip all at once and he would worry about splitting it up between the various deckhands and other folks that needed tipshare.

The first trip I dove with an op with 1 DM and 1 Captain- I tipped all at once at the end. I don't tip to bribe for better service the next day, but to thank for great service; so no problem at all tipping all at the end. This trip I stayed at an AI, so I basically had no cash on me each day- tipping at the end of the week was easier.

Because my second trip I was going with an op with multiple DMs and Captains, I asked their office if they recommended daily tipping. They told me it didn't make a difference. If I gave the tip at the end of the week, they would know which boat I was on which day and split it accordingly. We went ahead and tipped daily since we ended up getting money from the ATM on a regular basis, so it was easy to just throw 200 pesos into my bag to hand off at the end of the trip.

 

[James R]

Do I tip for dives in Cozumel? Yes, I do.

Whom do I tip? I tip the DM and trust that it is shared.

How much do I tip? That's nobody else's business.

This is what I should have posted, if anything at all.

/unsubscribe

 

[dberry]

There's no reason to bash anyone for being willing and able to leave generous tips (or more generous than I can afford.) Nor is it fair to knock someone at the other end who has a different budget.

The OP asked a fair question about what's customary on Cozumel, got responses with a range of numbers and opinions, and can now make an informed decision that fits their situation.

Knowledge is power. No need for drama.

 

[cvchief]

This is what I should have posted, if anything at all.

/unsubscribe

\

I first came to scubaboard for tipping advice. In fairness, it wasn't any less contentious back then. Don't let it phase you. Good for you, pumping more $$ into the locals!

 

[kixy1]

The ever recurring tipping thread.... I'm always a little surprised at how MUCH everyone seems to tip, but after watching what actually happens on the boat, I wonder.

Honestly, I tip because it is expected, because I understand that tips are factored into the DM and Captain wages... I would much rather pay a set cost, but it doesn't work that way.

I used to think that tipping a percentage of the package cost was a good way to handle the situation, but I've started to re-think that. I've had the opportunity to dive with lower-cost OPS and more recently "valet" style OPS. As a solo, not everyday diver, I saw no benefits for the price point. What I did realize is that I was paying the valet DM more in tips for the same amount of work. I've now moved to a per-tank model.

After watching many, many crews treat non-tipping customers with the same professionalism as tipping customers, I think we make this a much bigger issue than they do. If you feel like you want to give your crew a tip, do so. If you don't, don't... Yes, tips are expected, but that doesn't mean they aren't appreciated. I bet your DM will accept whatever you give him/her with a smile and a thank you.

ps Everything I've said has assumed that you're not an ill-mannered, jerk who has unrelenting demands and needs. If you're one of those, you need to tip $20 a tank. Minimum.

 

[WarrenZ]

Is it bad that I tip more to an op that leaves me alone and goes baby the Divers that need the help.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Do what you like. Just please don't mess it up for us ordinary tippers.

( with the ordinary sized genitalia)