Welcome to Indonesia, home of many of the world’s most highly rated scuba diving destinations. Located within the Coral Triangle, the world’s marine center of biodiversity, Indonesia’s waters will reward you with incredible encounters and memories.
However, despite offering some of the richest underwater experiences, diving remains extremely affordable here in comparison to many places around the world. Indonesia’s minimum wage plays a huge factor in this with 40 hours of work per week paying an average of 1,650,000 IDR per month – only covering the basic cost of living. Indonesia has a minimum wage, although how thoroughly it is enforced is a different question. We want our divers to know that our dive shop, Komodo Dive Center, pays well above the minimum wage but the staff still appreciate if you show them a little gratitude by tipping.
So after a great time on a liveaboard or a fantastic daily dive excursions, you might ask yourself:
What are the tipping recommendations for a scuba trip?
For many, the subject is a bit taboo, but at KDC we want to ensure that your concerns are assuaged by giving you all of the information. As divers from across the world and a multitude of cultures visit Indonesian waters, there are no standarised strict rules for tipping.
Most large liveaboard operators clearly define a set percentage and explicit directions regarding gratuities. In this case, you should follow their tipping etiquette. But most of the time, you’ll find it is completely up to you and that’s where this blog comes in.
Do I just hand the crew cash?
Most dive shops employ a tip box concept because you can drop in whatever you think is right. Most tip boxes will be located on the actual dive boat. One of the pros of this style is that guests don’t feel pressured to tip a certain amount or feel judged if they don’t deem a tip is necessary.It’s also a great way to ensure tips are split equally amongst the crew. However, the tip box isn’t usually shared with the entire crew… so, it’s not so straightforward…
So, Who DOES get the tips?
Generally, tips from a tip box will go to the boat crew and not to the dive staff. It’s set up so that even the people below deck get equal tips. There are more people involved than just the ones you can see on the boat during your stay. There are the mechanics, the chef and several other members of the crew who fill up your tanks and rinse your gear.
That also means that people are relying on tips. A little extra goes a long way.
For liveaboards, the recommended tip is a minimum of $5 per guest per day for the box. If you enjoyed your service and had
great dives, feel free to tip more!
What about tipping the dive staff?
If your dive staff did a really good job, showed a lot of care and compassion or perhaps helped you work through some diving problems;, the best way to show your appreciation is to give a tip in person. This is most generally accepted way of tipping, so don’t feel that you can’t directly hand a member of staff a private tip.
Generally, members of the dive staff receive a standard living wage, but often it’s really not that much. They do the job because they truly love it, but gratuities can make a big difference to their livelihood. Diving is a service industry, so in most cases, it is appropriate to tip for your good experiences.
If you don’t know, ask the shop about their way of tipping. Don’t be afraid to ask your divemaster, boat captain or instructor how their tipping system works, and then use this information to tip as you wish.
When not to tip?
If you had any kind of issue with your divemaster or instructor, if they didn’t take the time to spot you things, didn’t help you with food or beverages or they didn’t assist when you asked – don’t tip. However, it is always best to also, speak to the management. Only if management is made aware of issues, can things be corrected. Your feedback is necessary and helpful to fix any problems. We will always try to find a resolution. It is our highest concern that our customers have a great time and leave with heaps of awesome memories. Don’t just avoid tipping and leave…. that doesn’t help the individual or assist the management in solving any problems.
We, at Komodo Dive Center, work on the boat because diving is our passion and we love to show foreigners the beauty of Komodo National Park. It’s our birthright, we are proud of all the marine life and also happy to share it with our customers. Of course, we do our best to give you a great time on our boat. Whenever you feel like there is something we should change, feel free to speak to one of the people from the shop, your feedback is really welcomed and also necessary for us to improve or even change things if necessary. We are highly understandable and always willing to find solution cause we all enjoying being with happy people.
