Tipping on Grand Cayman

[susan6868]

We will be staying at Cobalt Coast in Grand Cayman and doing two morning boat dives as well as an afternoon shore dive each day. In the afternoon we'll be on our own.
For the morning boat dives, any suggestions for tipping the crew?
I searched the boards for similar threads but a lot of the suggestions are based on a percentage of the dive trip. Because we purchased a package from the resort, it's hard to do that way and know that we gave our crew a fair shake. In the past, we have tried tipping daily on a "per tank" basis". In addition, do you tip the boat captain the same as the DM?
I hate to wait till the end of the trip to tip because you sometimes have a different crew on different days and even if you have the same Captain and DM, I don't like to go the whole week having them wonder what kind of sport I am.
In summary, what is proper etiquette for good service? What do you think the tip should be per person/per tank? I can always adjust up or down based on how well I'm treated.
Thanks for any ideas.

 

[scubapro50]

I suggest tipping each day. On a liveaboard you have the same crew for a week and get to know them. Tipping at the end of the trip reflects how much you enjoyed the diving and the service that week. The smaller day trip boats you may not get the same crew each day. I've gone out with the same dive shop, using the same boat and different personal and had different levels of service. One day the diving "sucked" because the tanks were all short filled or empty, the captain took forever to find the dive site, and the guy giving the predive meeting made jokes instead of giving important information. I tipped $4 ($1/crew member) that day. When we got back to the shore everyone let the shop owner know how bad it was ........ the next day different people and everything went great ..... I tipped $40 because the level of service improved 150%.

 

[susan6868]

I agree, the amount of the tip should reflect the level of service. Still, I wondered what the general consensus was for a tip for good service, per tank, per person. I can adjust from there depending on how I'm treated.
I won't be on a live aboard, and I don't have a way to break out the diving part of the trip vs. lodging and the meal package.

 

[webhead]

When you get there, ask Nancy at the dive shop (DiveTech). She is very nice and can make sure if you do tip at the end of the trip (what I have done on my two trips there) that everyone is taken care of. And if there is someone that really stands out, nothing wrong w/ thanking them in person and giving them an extra tip. Cobolat Coast is like a family run resort so you'll get to know all the people there in a week. Have fun.

 

[susan6868]

Thanks Webhead, that's perfect. We did the same thing at Laguna Beach in Utila earlier this year. We took a couple hundred dollars and gave it to the coordinator to "divy" up between the captain and crew. Same thing in Cozumel, especially since we had some of the same crew each day and a few rotated in and out. Good to know there is someone at Divetech who will take care of that. Since it sounds like you've been to Cobalt with Divetech, can I ask what formula you used for tipping?
I think we are pretty generous, but I'm curious to know what others do.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

When I'm on a multi-day dive trip with a charter boat I tip $20 per day if everything goes well, which I define as an assist with getting in (scooter) and out (scooter and sling tanks) and not touching my gear for any reason at any other time. For me that's worth every penny. We also bring our own water and snacks, so we're not mooching off the stuff on the boat. There are seldom more than 2 persons on any boat I charter (smaller boats), so it works out to $10 for each of them.

If for some reason I pull a bonehead move or circumstances occur beyond my control that require some additional service on their part, this can change the amount significantly.

FWIW. Your mileage may most definitely vary.

Doc

 

[billinwilliamston]

As almost everyone says, it depends on the amount of service. We're not rich by any means and may be on the low end. We generally tip about $5.00 US each and go up from there if we've created headaches. We take care of our own gear and try to be low maintenance. When we have our teenage daughters with us we start a little higher than that (unless they seem to get TOO much attention from the crew:no ).

 

[Alex777]

Having done a few hundred boat dives on Grand Cayman, my impression (and that's all it is) is that $5/diver for a 2-tank trip is about average. That's what I give.

 

[susan6868]

Thanks Alex. Nice to hear from someone who lives AND dives in Grand Cayman.
(Lucky, lucky dog.......................!)
Ever wake up in the morning and pinch yourself?

 

[H2okies]

I guess I was generous. My wife and I were in GC last week. As relatively new divers, OK, new divers, we tipped $5.00 CI each for our first day of diving. We went with Don Foster's, 2 tank morning trip.

On the second day we were fornute enough to stumble onto a dive operator that takes 4-6 max out at a time. What service! The operator was Off the Wall divers. We tipped $20.00 CI for that trip.

Ron