Tipping....how much do you tip?

[vondo]

A lot of the numbers/percentages thrown out seem to assume the DM is diving with you. What do you do when the DM is just the mate on the boat? Then, the personal service is limited to a quick briefing, a quick check before you jump in, and taking your fins when your dive is over.

 

[Diver Dennis]

I find the more the of a PITA the divermaster is the less I tip.

Last trip, amount spent on diving $1320, tips $0.

IMHO, tipping is a PITA. I much prefer people just do their *&^% job and be paid a fair wage. I think the USA is the only country where tipping is so prevalent.

I dive almost exclusively in Asia now and tipping is the norm anywhere I have been diving here for dive AND resort staff. You don't need to tip nearly as much here because the diving does not cost nearly as much in most places. IMHO, divers who don't tip are cheap *******s...

That is tip for good service. If the service is lousy, I don't tip either. Mind you if the service is REALLY bad, I have been known to leave the lowest coin denomination for the country I'm in and make a point of telling the person that is how much I thought their service was worth.

 

[mrjimboalaska]

Unbelievable. If you feel so deeply about people getting paid a fair wage than why don't you tip those who aren't in order to supplement their income.

As a DM let me tell you I don't get paid nearly enough to babysit you and set up your gear for you etc. Nor do I get paid enough to provide the necessary emergency response to save your life when you screw up. So please tell me; what is my "*&^% job"?

To let you in on a secret: I have to have a second night job that I go to right after I get out of my dm job. We start working at 8am. Do two to three dives a day. 6 days a week. And that barely covers the cost of my car and insurance. At 5pm when we are done diving I leave and go to my second job as a video editor till I'm finished at 9-10pm (depending on the project) just so that I can dive and teach people about the ocean I love to protect so much.

There is so much more to this job than you apparently realize. Show a little appreciation; especially to those who just might have your life in their hands. :shakehead

What if you were dying on our boat and I give you the same kind of consideration you're giving DM's? "******* shouldn't be drowning, he should do his job and be more prepared/trained"

And why should I care if you are not making a living doing what you want to do? Sorry, but if you want to make more money, evaluate what you are doing for a living.
You didn't babysit me, did not haul my gear, and I KNOW you wouldn't get away with setting it up, so what have ya done for me? I have seen too many DM's that cant dive, are rude and arrogant, and EXPECT a tip, VERY RARELY FROM ME, the only thing that will get you a tip is a dam nice dive site.
Now, on a live-aboard, whole different ballgame, since you are asking for different fills, getting meals and drinks served, etc.

 

[RJP]

If you can afford the trip, you can afford the tip.

 

[enomisdivemaster]

Tipping? What tipping!! Here on Margarita Island, unless the customer turns it down, we do "valet type" diving on our dive boats (carrying your gear, changing tanks, serving lunch and drinks, providing the option of underwater tours, etc.). The vast majority of our customers come from Europe with a majority from the Scandinavian countries. We also get lots of divers from England and Canada. We do get some folks from South America, but very few divers from the states. For the most part we take out 6 to 10 divers on each dive trip and we dive 3 days a week, every week. I have found that its an extreme rarity that any of our tourist customers tip us, and we do deliver outstanding service (in my complete honest and unbiased opinion of course, lol). We dont ask for tips and dont have a tip jar on our boats. Judging on the comments so far, Ive only got one thing to say...............Yall come on down heah!!!!!

 

[enomisdivemaster]

Oh yeah, forgot one thing, our boats are staffed with a captain, assistant/deckhand (future dm candidate) and a divemaster. When we give our certified divers the dive site briefing and profile we give them the option of planning their own dive and diving their plan with their dive buddy (and be responsible for their own actions), or go on a underwater tour with our divemasters. Regardless, our divemasters dive every dive with our customers.

 

[Wildcard]

When Im diving on others boats I try to set an example. "Thanks for the great dives, where is the tip jar?" Many just have no idea that they can or should tip even though there are often signs up on the boats (thats a whole new thread) saying tips are welcome.

 

[BRANDY]

A lot of the numbers/percentages thrown out seem to assume the DM is diving with you. What do you do when the DM is just the mate on the boat? Then, the personal service is limited to a quick briefing, a quick check before you jump in, and taking your fins when your dive is over.

Just because the DM isnt spending the quality time you think you must have in order to receive a tip ,Doesnt mean (If hes a pro DM) he wouldnt do anything you ask of him/her , within reason of coarse.
You can find a thousand posts on the board about how everyone wants to be left alone so they can do their own dive. Thats cool and I totally agree. I dive boats with and without Dm,s and really enjoy talking to them about diving when the boat has one onboard.
If you need something just ask the DM and its there. If you dont need his service he still gets a 10$ tip.
Imagine being on a six pack with an instabuddy and four other idiot divers! God forbid if something happened and you needed some real help . Do you think think those fresh from the BIG two day Padi/Naui course are even gonna know what to do? Not!
If someone is an ******* or rude of corse they dont get a tip, that goes for any buisness.
People buy insurance they never use all the time? Just give them a 10$, its not a big deal.
Give a 10$ for me too! Tell them its from Brandy

 

[BRANDY]

Wildcard, Heres a tip.
Change that avatar

 

[RJP]

People buy insurance they never use all the time? Just give them a 10$, its not a big deal.
Give a 10$ for me too! Tell them its from Brandy

My grandfather always used to give the guy selling roasted chestnuts on the street in New York a quarter, but never took any nuts. I asked him why...

"I don't want the nuts, but I love the smell!"