Scuba Mama

Pricing for tips can vary to just stick a $20.00 flat fee on tipping is like everytime I go to out to dinner I should give the wait staff $20.00 after all they should be bringing me safe food to eat and be working hard.

Pricing in going to depend on the trip, where are you Mexico, USA, Roatan, Greece, Africa, as I stated in an early post do expect to give a tip but base it on your trip and location and type of diving. If I gave $20.00 everytime I went out in Mexico, I would be a queen for ever. The captain did not even expect this as an amount and he owned the boat.

Check with the Captain and follow the rules and it should be a fun trip.

socaldivindude

I am lucky enough to be able to dive all over the world.
And have worked on a number of dive boats.
My tipping advice is based on real numbers.
Not a percentage of your bill (this is not a restaurant)
When I dive in country with a poorer group of people,
I may not tip quite as much, but I tip accordingly.
I will also leave behind a mask or fins for younger kids who may not get much of the tip.
On some boats, the tip, is the only money the crew gets.
If the captain also owns the boat, he should not get any of the tip money.
Treated like a "Queen" you should be.
So again
If you cant justify the proper tip, find a new boat.
If you cant afford the proper tip, find a new sport.

Scuba Mama

Yes, you should tip something.

I am wondering how you arrived at your flat rate. What numbers are you using? Location, cost of diving, crews ability, type of diving?

Do you believe someone doing trimix deep diving, should pay the same as someone diving to 60th feet?

Do you believe this number $15-$20 should be applied to a dive in Mexico, Grand Cayman, California, Fiji. No matter the location cost is the same?

This is where I have arrived on base it on your trip. I never said or will not say you can't and shouldn't tip more. I have and will always do so. This is a way to give a guideline to newer divers who don't understand tipping.

It is good to find out needs of your dive area, I will bring school supplies for the kids and shampoo for the older women, while in Roatan. Those are some of the needs. There are many ways to help out.

As far are the captain of the boat if he is also my divemaster on the trip and doing most of the crew work, yes I will tip him. Again: Based on the trip.

I will agree that I disagree with a flat rate.

Scuba Mama

MgicTwnger

I try and keep it simple: $10-15 per trip (1/2 day) depending on the cost of the dives unless there is a situation in which the crew has rendered extraordinary service. On vacation when I'm doing multi-day trips I give the $$ to the operator at week's end and let him sort it out. I've never done a live-aboard so I can't speak to that.

__________________
I am not the one who needs mental help. I just need to vent.

Ally

My take on tipping is old fashioned, I spose.

You earn it, you get it.

I cruise alot and refuse to take part in autogratuity systems as I prefer to tip those who I have day to day dealings with rather than it to all go into one big pot.

Tipping is an uniquely personal decision IMHO.

The choice is yours as to whether to tip or not...it should never be obigatory nor should anyone feel pressured into tipping someone. Setting a minimum level, to me at least, sounds wrong, the customer should always decide what tip (if any) to give and that should be dependent on the service(s) given and the quality of the service(s) given.

Guidelines are one thing, but telling anyone that they must pay 'x' amount is completely wrong.

Like I said what to tip/who to tip is entirely personal tween customer and whoever is providing the service(s), no-one should ever feel forced into paying over the odds nor against what they feel is right for the service/quality received.

Kev Martin

Oooh, Oooh! I forgot the deck hogs. They are the guys who I 'inadvertently' drop my weight harness onto their breakables which they have spread out all over the deck!

It is even worse when you have one of those in an inflatable