jeffro:
Hey, I haven't bit anybody in a long time! 
{Scubajoe was one of the nice folks who welcomed me when I joined almost a year ago. Enjoyed those welcomes a lot, so much that I now try to greet every new member. They even gave me a special title, but -
I don't get the secret handshake.}
Nah, I started a thread about appropriate boat etiquette for smoking. :lightingz Boy, did that nearly come to blows. Went on for a few hundred posts.
But seriously: #1 Boat Rule is don't board without permission. Beyond that, the crew
should give you directions, but it would help if you'd inform them at boarding time that you are new to boat charters and want to act right. Divers are generally pretty helpful and polite to each other, so there's not much risk there.
I guess boat rule #2 would be
weights never go on a bench, always on the deck. Be sure your tank is always bunged if your hand is not on it. The rinse bucket is for dipping water into your mask, then throwing the rinse overboard, not into the bucket. Never put anything but masks in the mask bucket, nor anything but cameras in the camera bucket, except maybe for comptuers - ask first.
Some boats have Heads (privies) but still encourage pissing for distance off of the stern. I always get up early, do my smokes and coffee, and try to get my downloads done well before boarding in the morning. I'm the only one I know, but I usually wear a life preserver on a moving boat; no shame here. :fork:
I strongly suggest that every diver carry a safety sausage and storm whistle on every dive, and 4 belt clips in your bag even if you don't plan on using a web belt - $30.
Hope this helps some...
