When it comes to tipping scuba diving guides, it’s not a simple equation. “It’s not like the restaurant business, where everybody knows what’s expected,” says Louis Crispino, an instructor with Ocean Divers in Key Largo, Florida. That said, tipping your dive crew is a lot like tipping a server: 15 to 20 percent is fairly standard. Most often, that’s about $15 to $20 a day, especially if you’re receiving valet service. Still confused? Here are some things to consider for all types of scenarios.
ThinkstockNot everyone tips their dive guides, but it's worth looking at it from both perspectives.
No in-water guide
“Of course it comes down to the number of people involved,” Crispino says of figuring out the tip when you don’t have a full crew. His shop doesn’t put a guide in the water; instead, the captain and first mate stay aboard while their customers plunge the depths on their own. Crispino acknowledges that his co-workers understand they will be tipped less than those who are part of the in-water guided experience. But they still work hard to provide a service. “We are still in the hospitality business. If everybody who came on the boat gave five bucks — or even three — we would do very well with tips.”
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Tank grab-and-go
“On the boats, normally you get a face behind the location — there is a personality,” says Tina Wall, instructor at Buddy Dive Resort on Bonaire. “With shore diving, people forget about the manual labor that gives them access to these amazing dive sites.” When pressed about how to tip for tank fills, Wall says: “Shore diving is tough. They can do as many dives in one day as they like — that’s something to think about.”
The owner-operator
So do you tip a shop owner if he is the one who takes you diving? “A client coming to a dive center would expect that the owner is making out better than his employees — to tip the owner might be insulting,” says Jonathan Thomas, owner of Dive Deep Blue in Malta. “That said, I’ve never been insulted by anyone giving me money!” On the flip side, if Thomas were on holiday diving with an owner-operator outfit, he says he would find a way to show thanks for a good week. “I would take the owner for a meal or give a thoughtful gift.”
iStockphotoDive guides are in the hospitality business
The kitty approach
When you first arrive , ask how staff prefers to be tipped. Sometimes, the tips are shared among all staff members, and there’s a designated container where you can leave your gratuity. Have a favorite crew member? Tuck in a personal note to express your gratitude.
Cultural differences
“Because we deal with Europeans and Brits, we don’t have a tipping culture,” says Thomas. But in his 16 years as a shop owner, he has seen a huge increase in tipping. As to whether Americans must tip when in Europe, he says, “Americans tip anyway; they don’t switch it off because they’re in Europe.”
