PADI - Night Dive not mandatory since when?

[Hcklo]

Hi guys and lassies, I am struggling a little bit, I am trying to find exactly when PADI removed the Night Dive as a mandatory Adventure Dive.
In this page of wikipedia it's state that the date was 2006.

Advanced Open Water Diver - Wikipedia

There, it states that

''Until 2006, night diving was also mandatory, but this is no longer the case. It was dropped at the request of the Scandinavian countries, for whom there is almost no night during the summer months when most of the diving is done, as it created an unreasonable restriction on certifying advanced divers (which is a prerequisite for further training). Most other countries still recommend the night diver course.''

This statement has no source/note and I am looking for some sources to confirm this.
I tried to search throuh the Training Bulletins and didn't find anything, maybe some of you would have some information?

Thank you for your help, sorry if I am posting in the wrong section,

See you soon in safety stop !
HCK

 

[tursiops]

1998, not 2006. See Training bulletin 2Q1998, page 2.

P.S. I changed the Wikipedia article....

 

[boulderjohn]

1998, not 2006. See Training bulletin 2Q1998, page 2.

P.S. I changed the Wikipedia article....

Interesting. I did AOW in 1999, and the instructor required it. He apparently had not gotten the memo. I did it in Cozumel, not Scandinavia, so it was not only doable, it was a very nice dive.

I believe the confusion is the fact that a lot of people did not pay attention to the training bulletin, and the books being sold for years still had the old requirement. Back then they did not have the free downloadable handbooks, and people were not into buying a new mammoth three ring binder full of paper each year. I was a pretty new instructor in 2006 when we were told the requirement had changed, so I suspect that the shop for which I worked was unaware of it as well.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

That's too bad because a good night dive is the ultimate hook.

Its like that first free taste of smack that sucks you into the warm bosom of addiction.

That was supposed to be silent in my head but it was so good I just had to leave it.

 

[tursiops]

I believe the confusion is the fact that a lot of people did not pay attention to the training bulletin, and the books being sold for years still had the old requirement. Back then they did not have the free downloadable handbooks, and people were not into buying a new mammoth three ring binder full of paper each year.

The Training Bulletins have been available free and digitally since 1Q1994; the first one had this right at the top, first page:

So there is really no excuse for missing and changes in standards.
The Instructor Manuals have been free and digital since at least 2004 (that is my earliest one...I don't know if it existed digitally earlier), and of course they say which Adventure Dives are required for AOW. The 2004 IM mentions only Deep and Navigation, of course, as required.

 

[Hcklo]

You are awesome guys !!!

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

While the night dive may no longer be a requirement, I always recommend it as one of the dives. Especially if you can do a sunset dive which allows them to see the changes happen as the sun disappears. Always blows them away.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

I started doing sunrise dives and they are equally as amazing.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

I started doing sunrise dives and they are equally as amazing.

I really want to do a sunrise dive. Sadly here the ops do not open early enough. When I was working at a local op I tried to organize one but was shut down by the owners saying that it was too early for people to travel and the rest of the staff would be upset about having to be at work so early.

It is on the list though and I a very much looking forward to it.

 

[lowviz]

That's too bad because a good night dive is the ultimate hook.

Ha!

My first 'night dive' was a (agency name redacted as it doesn't matter in the least) rather short evening quarry dive where we all had glow sticks and surfaced after the sun went down. OK, team fun and we all felt special.

Real night dives: Belmar, NJ. Diver friendly town.
I get a zero on deep, macho, team, buddy, or tech. But as @BoundForElsewhere hinted, a real solo night dive IS the ultimate hook. You love it or you don't, there is no "Are we having fun?" involved.

-night shift, O&O.