Dive Tipping Etiquette

Newbie Joined: 09 Sep 2008 Posts: 9 Location: NE Ohio

I am coming to Grand Cayman in less than a week to vacation but (personally) to finish my OW cert (referral cert). So I wanted to ask those of you more experienced than me a few questions.

1. Do you tip the instructor that certifies you and if so how much as a percentage of the certification cost?

1a. What if that instructor is the owner of the company and you have already paid the fee? Do you still provide a tip and again at what percentage of the cost?

2. What is the normal rate for subsequent dives & do you tip all the crew or just the divemaster and at what rate as a percentage of the dive cost?

3. What about boat trips - say to Sting Ray City on a snorkel trip - What is customary and proper as far as tipping the crew and/or captain?

Thank you for your responses.
kris

Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:16 am Post subject:

Welcome to the forum Beanie Smile

,
.
Congratulations on your upcoming dive certification clapping

You've chosen a wonderful location to do your Open Water dives, that's for sure!

We have a very informative thread in the Money Matters section on tipping (for all sorts of things) and it contains a lot of good advice about tipping for dives and snorkel trips, etc. You can find it here -

If you still have questions, just ask.

Have fun!

Char

Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:28 am Post subject:

Here's what I wrote awhile back on the subject:

Most divemasters do what they do because they love it. They usually don't tend to make alot of money. (Ever check out their gear?...) They are some of the most enthusiastic people I've ever met. I tend to tip them generously because of this. (25% +) Sometimes they can really take your dive to a new level. Over the years that I have gone to Grand Cayman, some have even become my friends.

Newbie Joined: 09 Sep 2008 Posts: 9 Location: NE Ohio

Thank you both for replying to my questions. Scubachar - I have read the thread and it was most helpful, the thread answered questions that I did not even think to ask. Divnpaul - your message was also helpful because it provided some perspective. That being said, I am still a little confused as to why I would want to tip the DM/instructor that has ownership in the company after that company set the price for the referral certification. Please understand that I am not argueing, and perhaps my problem is that I have never worked in an industry that survived on tips but I do not know why I would tip the owner in addition to the price he is already charging me for the job. Thank You for all your help and I hope this thread helps other newbies understand the proper protocol. Kris .

Beanie wrote:

That being said, I am still a little confused as to why I would want to tip the DM/instructor that has ownership in the company after that company set the price for the referral certification. .

I would think that the fee paid to the owner for services from his business would be directly paid into the till of the company he owns. If you like the "personal service" you receive from him as an individual, regardless of whether or not he is the owner, then you might want to give him a tip that is just for him only, doesn't go on to the "company" books.....

....like if the owner of the deli is also my waiter.... I wouldn't hesitate to tip him for his service even though I knew he was the owner, just a little appreciation for him as an individual and not as a company....

... just my 2 cents..... (well, actually 1.5 cents since the market crashed) Wink

Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:28 am Post subject:

Jack... it's more like 0.9 now.... (BTW, How ya doin"?)

My shift pay when I tend bar is $30. That's for the WHOLE day. In some lines of work, tips are mighty important.

Beanie... who's doing your check out dives?

Newbie Joined: 09 Sep 2008 Posts: 9 Location: NE Ohio

Thanks for all the responses, I truly appreciate the help. Neptune divers is doing the check out dives. I made reservations with them after reading all the good reviews on this board.

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:03 am Post subject:

Beanie,

Great choice on your check-out dive operator. Tell Casey (Neptune's resident dive goddess) "Hi" from DS and Mrs DS.

Here's Casey in her natural habitat...

And here's a bunch of us from the forum during a beach-bash last winter. Sigh. Casey's the one in the middle. Mrs DS and I are immediately on her left. I'll let you guess who the others are, unless they want to speak up and introduce themselves!

Tell Casey you want to go to Bonnie's Arch, it is perhaps our favorite west side dive on GCM.

DS

Newbie Joined: 19 Oct 2008 Posts: 1

It’s jut my opinion but I think all this tipping is getting a little out of hand.

I've never really been a big tipper, just my opinion but I think people should get paid proper wages, and not have to rely on tips to survive. Unfortunately dive masters are like waiters that are intentionally underpaid, because the companies know they get the tips. I know for a fact that a lot of people don't report their tips, or only a fraction of them so they are basically getting away with tax evasion. I'm for getting rid of the random tip and having the restaurants, dive companies, hotels, and everyone else pay their staff properly instead of having to rely on handouts. A lot of places add in gratutity or service charges, then supposedly split that with the staff, probably after being skimmed by the owners & managers. It's just basically another hidden cost, like the airlines giving low quotes, then charging extra for bag carrying and now even checking in bags, that all used to be included!

And I never even heard of tipping dive masters until a few years ago, so either I was misinformed or it just came up a few years ago.

I know a lot of people like to tip everybody, from the guy that drives the bus to your rental car, right down to the hotel maid, which I think is ridiculous! Seriously, I think we need to draw the line somewhere.

Two things really tick me off...

1. Places that put in really fine print that gratuity is added, oh and “for your CONVENIENCE” by the way, gee thanks! You practically need a microscope to see it at some of the places, or else you have to ask the waiter and risk sounding like a cheapskate! Plus adding in the tips takes away all the incentive for waiters to go the extra mile, since they know they are getting tipped anyway, why bother to give excellent service?

2. Tip Jars and signs! They are starting to turn up everywhere, even in my home town. But especially in the Caymans and other tourist spots. I’ve seen tip jars or big signs on dive boats, snorkel boats, everywhere there’s live music, all practically demanding or begging for a hand out.

I know there’s nothing I can ever do that will get everyone to stop the added in gratuity and get rid of the tip jars and signs, so I just do my own little part by asking if gratuity is included, and I don’t care how cheap they might think I am, and not being intimidated by the signs popping up everywhere begging for tips. If I get exceptional service, I am going to tip. If I get bad service I am not, it’s that simple. And I am going to stop going to any places that automatically add in gratuity. And as far as the maid is concerned, why should she deserve a tip any more than the teller at the bank, or the toll collector at the bridge?

Newbie Joined: 26 May 2010 Posts: 16

But really, how much should one tip the dive master when going out on a pre-arranged dive? 1$ per tank, 5$ per tank??? Per day???

Frequent Flyer Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 80

Tipping goes along with the service provided. If is exceptional give a big tip, if it's not so good be cheap. It will send a message that might just get across the point that they were hired to provide above average service to recieve that tip they feel intitled to.

Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 6:18 pm Post subject:

We tip $5 from each of us for a 2-tank. Usually we dive for a week or more with a dive operator, so we tally the tips up and tip at the end of the week. Often, we can just tip the boat crew as a whole.

We will individually reward those who have gone above and beyond, (like the guy on Grenada who gave me really hot nitrox fills knowing I am an air hog!) and we always reserve the right to reduce tip as called for in the case of poor service.

Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 7:40 am Post subject:

I also tip $5 for a 2-tank dive. That is probably pretty close to the average tip for a DM.