Tipping

[Lorenzoid]

The OP asked what is typical for a specific location. I just read 45 posts arguing the pros and cons of tipping. Sometimes it may be prudent to read the original post and when posting try to respond to their question. It has been informative, but I'm still not sure what the typical tip for a 2-tank boat dive out of PCB is.

Cheers -

I pointed that out in post #15, but it didn't get any traction. I was even so kind as to clarify for the rest of the world that "PCB" refers to Panama City Beach, Florida. The question was probably answered in the first reply.

The fact that these tipping threads always seem to turn into spirited debates well after the original question is answered is evidence to me that there HAS to be a better way to compensate people who provide services. If so many people didn't find it awkward for one reason or another, there would be no debate.

 

[scubadada]

The OP asked what is typical for a specific location. I just read 45 posts arguing the pros and cons of tipping. Sometimes it may be prudent to read the original post and when posting try to respond to their question. It has been informative, but I'm still not sure what the typical tip for a 2-tank boat dive out of PCB is.

Cheers -

See posts 2-4

 

[Texasguy]

Here in Fort Lauderdale we get a lot of tourists that come from lands that usually don't tip. Therefore, in tourist trap places it is not uncommon to find a receipt for food with tips already included, often rewarding themselves to 18%. That is so tourists would not forget? Receipts at times are shady enough where the tip is included and still has a normal area on a receipt, where you would normally leave a tip, marked as addon tip. If you are not careful, it looks like any other invitation to add tips, and I see instances where people add a regular tip even on top. I might have done so myself once or twice...

The scuba excursions are very explicit in their call to receive a tip and it is actively suggested on the way to dock. Though, no one is counting who left a tip and who did not.

Myself I find that it is hard to have extra cash on myself. I usually carry little to no cash and getting ready for a boat usually involves a trip out of my way to get cash. Just an inconvenience. But on my own custom list of things to take on a boat, tips are specifically noted, not to forget, same as with other scuba gear.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Yep, @Texasguy . I shove a $20 bill in the pocket of my mesh gear bag at the time I load it with my other gear, and if I forgot to first put it in a plastic bag it may very well be damp by the time we are returning to the dock and I hand it to the staff member. It's just what you do ... here in the US, that is.

On a daily basis, with all of the cashless payment methods available to us on our phones, etc., I rarely have any cash at all in my wallet. On a Florida dive boat, the $20 bill is just another item of gear as far as I am concerned.

 

[caydiver]

Texasguy. We are not in the States but have no problem if guests add the tip on their bill and pay by credit card. When we have folks diving for a week they often will say put $100 on for the guys. We actually give the guys the whole $100 not nickle and diming about bank fees etc. We appreciate when guests look after the crew and will go out of our way to accomodate those guests when they return even sometimes slipping in a special dive or whatever. Would we like to pay more sure, can we afford to mmmm. But it is what it is. We have people who instead of cash will buy the guys lunch or dinner or a few beers. These are the people that everyone will go out of their way to ensure have the very best trip we can possibly give them. I don’t see much of this as I am not on the boat, but believe me they share their happiness about certain guests.

 

[Olariuas]

What kind of cash payment methods can you use ? Cause I was just thinking about that.
Do you give during the boat tour or when you come back to the land center ?
Same for me I have no cash at all - just a credit card.

You guys got credit card to pay without contact or by phone ?
like Google Wallet or something like this.

 

[seeker242]

Why tips are not inclued directly on the price?

Because if the DM pushes you off the boat and you bang you leg on the ladder and then have to walk around with a limp for the next week, you won't be able to tip them zero dollars.

 

[ystrout]

Here in Fort Lauderdale we get a lot of tourists that come from lands that usually don't tip. Therefore, in tourist trap places it is not uncommon to find a receipt for food with tips already included, often rewarding themselves to 18%. That is so tourists would not forget? Receipts at times are shady enough where the tip is included and still has a normal area on a receipt, where you would normally leave a tip, marked as addon tip. If you are not careful, it looks like any other invitation to add tips, and I see instances where people add a regular tip even on top. I might have done so myself once or twice...

The scuba excursions are very explicit in their call to receive a tip and it is actively suggested on the way to dock. Though, no one is counting who left a tip and who did not.

Myself I find that it is hard to have extra cash on myself. I usually carry little to no cash and getting ready for a boat usually involves a trip out of my way to get cash. Just an inconvenience. But on my own custom list of things to take on a boat, tips are specifically noted, not to forget, same as with other scuba gear.

Ya that's so annoying how they do that in Miami.

I was there a few weeks ago. We were rarely at the hotel as we were in the Keys pretty much the entire time diving, or in Jupiter doing the drift dives. We only came back to Miami at night to sleep and eat.

But every place in Miami automatically included an 18% tip. I would have gladly tipped $0 the entire time I was in that disguising city. I've never been "served" by such rude, lazy, poor work ethic, scum bags as I have in Miami. They didn't even deserve the jobs they had, let alone an 18% "tip". I wish we knew Miami was like that before going there as I would have stayed in the Keys or Fort Lauderdale. I'll avoid that city like the plague going forward.

 

[Dogbowl]

Ya that's so annoying how they do that in Miami.

I was there a few weeks ago. We were rarely at the hotel as we were in the Keys pretty much the entire time diving, or in Jupiter doing the drift dives. We only came back to Miami at night to sleep and eat.

But every place in Miami automatically included an 18% tip. I would have gladly tipped $0 the entire time I was in that disguising city. I've never been "served" by such rude, lazy, poor work ethic, scum bags as I have in Miami. They didn't even deserve the jobs they had, let alone an 18% "tip". I wish we knew Miami was like that before going there as I would have stayed in the Keys or Fort Lauderdale. I'll avoid that city like the plague going forward.

Funny I felt the same way about the attitude and service I received in that city. Never going back either!

 

[Steelyeyes]

What kind of cash payment methods can you use ? Cause I was just thinking about that.
Do you give during the boat tour or when you come back to the land center ?
Same for me I have no cash at all - just a credit card.

You guys got credit card to pay without contact or by phone ?
like Google Wallet or something like this.

We've done it a couple of ways. If we dive daily for a while with one operation we've settled our bill at the end and tipped with the credit card. Most often we stick $20 each in our dry bag with sunglasses, sunscreen, hats etc. and give it to the boat captain, lead DM, or put it in the tip jar.