Some islands, Roatan , for example, pay can be $5. A day. They truly depend on tips.
Tipping dive master
- Thread starter Becca65
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Who told you that the dive guides on Roatan are making $5/day?
I really like those operators that have tip box. However, I also came across those with tip box but the DM does not get a share of it! So I will ask about it.
One thing I really like diving in SE Asia is that they all serve you with a smile. From Maldives, Sri Lanka all the way across to PNG with no exception.
How much to tip? Never ever more than US$2.00 per dive.
One thing I really like diving in SE Asia is that they all serve you with a smile. From Maldives, Sri Lanka all the way across to PNG with no exception.
How much to tip? Never ever more than US$2.00 per dive.
I've seen recommendations from the resort operator in North Sulawesi and again on an unrelated site for a liveaboard and they both said $15/day for the tip box. In those cases, the dive guides did get their share and supposedly so did everyone on staff at varying percentages based on their levels.
I like this way and then if I feel that an employee went out of their way for me, I find a way to discreetly "reward" that service. Sometimes it's cash, sometimes it's an item of value to them.
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
All the liveaboards I’ve been on have suggested 5-10% of the trip cost. I’ve been on quite a few (9) which have varied in different price points and it has consistently been this way, including Aggressor.
I don’t ask this to be a complete B but what is the local cost of living? What is the average pay for all locals with similar skills in that region, not just in the dive industry? While $5 a day is abysmal for many people in a first world country and most other places, that is also something to consider. It may just be acceptable and normal in some locations. I don’t know if that is the fact for Honduras, and if it isn’t, I think it’s still good to keep that in mind in general, for anyone who feels the need to compensate.
I travel to Southeast Asia to dive a lot. A lot wages (and cost of living) are a far cry from what I am used to. When I asked on appropriateness of tips and amounts in the Philippines, as an example, I remember being really surprised at how little many people make in those regions but it affords them a comfortable life. There, they have a daily minimum wage of about $9-10. That is ridiculous to anyone living in the US; it just isn’t possible to live on that amount, let alone an hourly minimum wage being even double that in some parts of the United States. However, it’s feasible there, even if you think it’s a disgusting and paltry amount please, I’m not looking for snarky comments about asking anyone to live on a minimum wage and see what that’s like. I get that. That’s not my point. My point is what some people think as a very little or low amount might not actually be locally. I don’t say all this to mean they don’t need any tips because it’s always appreciated and helps, but I would discourage giving it if the only justification is that they don’t make enough, with “enough” being subjective, especially if one is not informed of what the local cost of living is. I think it also fosters an attitude of expectation regardless of effort or service, which I really dislike.
Here’s an interesting tidbit I read:
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority or PSA, a family of 5 needs at least PHP 8,778 a month or the equivalent of USD 168 to meet their most basic food and nonfood needs. This information was gathered in 2015, but it can still apply to the present day. This means that for the average Filipino family, it can be possible to live comfortably month by month at USD 300.
A 2015 PSA survey provides a brief but valuable insight as to how families spend the money they earn every year. The highest earners and spenders are families based in the National Capital Region, which earn USD 8,209 and spend USD 6,219 on the average every year. This is followed by families based in the Cordillera Administrative Region, which earn and spend an average of USD 5,447 and USD 3,921 every year. The lowest earners and spenders are based in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. They take home a total of USD 2,685 and spend USD 1,719 annually.
According to the survey, 41.9% of the money goes to food, 12.19% goes to house rental, 7.91% is used to pay for utilities like water and electricity, 6.34% is spent on miscellaneous expenses, and 6.21% is spent on transportation. Education expenses takes up 3.76% of the budget; health is at 3.70%; other expenses at 3.09%; special occasion spending at 2.55%; durable equipment, perhaps for house repairs, is at 2.54%; and footwear and clothing expenses at 2.46% and 2.44% per year.
Does it mean they will live a life of luxury? Probably not, but it is an interesting perspective. All of those expenses are not the amounts we think they are in other locales, despite what they may be for us at home. It is really relative. Minimum wage life is not ideal and I understand that.
Ayisha
Contributor
Notice that I quoted another post stating 20%. 5 - 10% makes sense to me. I've never heard of 20% being suggested before. I've heard between 5 - 15%, which I think is fair.
outofofficebrb
HARRO HUNNAYYY
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