SCUBA DIVING AND TIPPING

* Tip or No Tip?

This is the question. In the Caribbean, it is customary to tip your divemaster/crew. scuba dive boat Some outfits will even have a tip jar in the shop or on the boat. Just in case you weren't sure.

However, it is not mandatory to tip. If you received poor service or weren't happy with the trip, don't feel obligated to tip.

Just keep in mind that for the most part, the DM/crew depend on tips for the majority of their income. So if you don't tip, please make sure the service warrants that action.

# Tip Divemaster and/or Crew?

This one is a little more iffy. From my experience and reading around the 'net, I would say most shops pool the tips and split them among the divemaster and crew. Short of asking (which there is nothing wrong with) it is probably impossible to tell.

If you are not sure, you can always give some to the DM and some to the captain. That way they decide how it is distributed.

We've gone both ways when tipping on scuba dive vacations. Sometimes we'll give the tip to the divemaster and sometimes we will give part to the divemaster and part to the captain/crew.

We make sure to split it if the crew has done a great job. The crews work hard and do alot of the heavy work.

Whichever way you go, don't sweat it. Just make sure you tip if the service warrants it.

# Tip Each Day or End of Dive Trip?

If you are on a multi-day dive trip, should you tip the divemaster/crew on a daily basis or at the end of your stay?
If you know you will have the same divemaster and crew for the length of your stay, it is appropriate to tip at the end of the stay. However, one drawback here is that the crew may think you are not going to tip them at all.

If you are going to tip at the end of the day, you should probably let the divemaster know. Human nature is human nature after all.

If the crew changes daily, tipping at the end of each day is recommended. That way the tips will be distributed more appropriately to those who gave you the service.

* How Much to Tip?

Ah, the million dollar question. There are 2 schools of thought on this. Some say tip according to the price of the dive while others say tip a dollar amount per tank.

If you tip based on the price of the dive, a tip of 10-15% of the price seems to be the norm. Obviously you can tip more or less depending on the level of service you received. So on a typical price of $70 for a 2 tank dive, the crew would receive in the range of $7-$11.

If you prefer to tip on a per dive basis, the general consensus seems to be $5-$10 per tank per diver. Again, adjust this according to the service received. So on a 2 tank dive the crew would receive $10-$20 per person.

We tip on a per tank basis with the amount definitely related to the service received.

* When/How to Tip?

We usually give our tips to the DM/crew at the end of the day as we are getting off the boat. Some boats will have jars but we prefer to give the tips directly to the crew. Either is appropriate, just do what you are comfortable with. Let's face it, as long as you are tipping, I don't think the crew will care how it is given.

And that brings us to the last of our tipping scuba diving tips:

* Still Not Sure?

If you still aren't sure about tipping for your scuba dive, just ask around. Ask some of the locals and some of your fellow divers. They can guide you as to what is appropriate and customary in the area.

So there it is. Our tipping scuba diving tips (that's a mouthful). We hope it will make tipping the scuba crew a little less stressful.