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Fishing and Tipping in Guatemala

By Kevin Styles

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Published: 09Oct2009
Word count: 663
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Tipping when fishing

Tipping in Guatemala is not widely practiced - although it has become the norm in certain services, particularly - as you would expect - in any provided directly to tourists and foreigners. We are frequently asked "What is considered normal tipping practice when fishing", to which we generally advise that a tip of $125-175 per boat per day is probably average. The wide range should be primarily determined by factors such as - #1 is how hard did the crew work for you ? Were they watching the baits ALL the time ? Were they changing out the baits on a regular basis to avoid them becoming "washed out" ? Were the considerate and asking how YOU would like to fish rather than how they normally fish ? - How many anglers on the boat (in fact how many passengers total) - the tip referenced above assumes 4, so if more or less there is a case for adjustment - Were you provided with snacks, food and drink as and when you want it ? Were your needs anticipated? - Did the captain work hard to find fish ? Was he successful ?

While the tip should not necessarily reflect the number of fish caught, there IS a correlation between o Number of fish caught and effort/work provided o Number of fish raised to efforts to scout a productive area and find what baits are working In all cases of course, the tip is discretionary, and should reflect the level of service provided and your satisfaction with the crew.

The suggestions above are given for guidance and for your consideration only. Be aware also that there can be a significant difference in expectations for tip between "local" crews (which are reflected above) - and "Professional" or "International" Captains.

The prime season in Guatemala is relatively short compared to many other destinations, and so there is a "school of thought" that says that Captains and crews have a need to compress earnings into a shorter time - and so the average needs to be higher. Again, we leave the reader to wrestle with that one alone. Tipping for other services

A general "rule of thumb" that is realistic, is that if you are receiving service from someone who primarily deals with tourists/anglers - then a small tip (or one that reflects the effort and time) is reasonable. Of course hardly anyone is going to refuse a tip, but some examples of what is customary maybe : - Maid in a villa : $5/day total for the group unless there is a lot of laundry or extra cleaning to be done - Chef/Waitress in a private villa : $25/day for the group between them. The chef is usually the "leader" 'so a tip left for him/her would be shared amongst the rest of the team - Drivers - only expect to tip if they help substantially with luggage ($1/bag), or if they go out of their way to help (run an errand for example) - Tour guides - maybe 10% of the total cost, or approximately $2/hour spent with them - of course this can vary significantly based on number in the group, quality of narrative etc Do NOT expect to tip for "professional" services (doctor, bank, modern stores).

Salaries in Guatemala are low compared to US or European standards, to give you an idea (and perhaps to help gauge the "value" of a tip :

- Unskilled day labour - you may see people picking fruit or cutting grass with a machete in the central reservation for example : $8-10 per day

- Moderate skilled office or shop worker : $350/month

- Skilled but not professional (may speak English for example) : $500/month

- "Professional" (accountant, bank sub-manager, store manager) : $1000/month

Of course, just like anywhere, there is a small percentage of folks (mainly in the city) that earn a substantial amount of money, but for the most part, compensation is relatively low - and so a tip (or "propina") can be very meaningful.

When considering a fishing trip to Guatemala, and considering all of the costs involved - tipping of the crew for fishng is always a challenging question. We provide some guidelines here for fishing in Guatemala as well as for other services. More information is at ==> http://www.greatsailfishing.com where you can also find a FREE eBook answering many other questions

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