Scuba Diving - Should I Tip The Crew?
Tipping etiquette is one of those subjects that often causes concern and even embarrassment. Many of us often find ourselves thinking, should I tip? How much is a reasonable amount to tip? Or even who should I tip? This is further complicated abroad when we’re perhaps not as familiar with local customs and expectations.
Whilst I feel strongly that noone should feel under pressure to tip, particularly if you’re not a satisfied customer, I do feel that it is good to tip, after all in addition to ensuring you enjoy the dive, your scuba instructors & dive masters are responsible for your safety throughout the dive, so it’s good to show appreciation for this. The boat crew also have an important role to play in terms of making sure you’re safe, and also in many overseas countries they are not paid very much for their services and survive on the generosity of tourists rather than their wages alone.
It is customary to tip both the captain and the divemaster or instructor. I would recommend daily tipping, however if you know you will be diving with the same divemaster and crew for the duration of your stay, then it is of course perfectly acceptable to tip at the end.
In terms of a reasonable amount to tip, for the boat crew typically 10 - 15% is perfectly reasonable, and for the dive master 15% is absolutely fine, perhaps more if you feel the service received was above and beyond your expectations.
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