Posted by Walt on June 21, 2005 at 12:48:50:
Did you tip your crew on your last dive trip? Many new or uninformed divers don’t realize that the crew depends on tips for their livelihood. Putting a dollar or pocket change in the crew tip box isn’t a fair tip for these hard-working men and women.
The tip should not a fraction of just your galley tab, but should represent a percentage of your total dive cost. Its split among all the crew members and sometimes the captain (not all captains own their boats).
If you had a good day diving or the crew worked for you, give a good tip. These days, $15 for each day diving would be a reasonable tip for good service; if the crew did something out of the way, consider $20 or more, especially if you can afford it.
The crew works hard from sunup to sundown – where do those groceries come from? They’re loaded on the boat before you arrive. Clean decks and galley? Scrubbing and washing after you leave for your car.
If you’re an instructor or charter master, please continue to remind your students or guests of tip policy and procedure. It’ll assure that we keep the good crew members for our future diving enjoyment.