About

The Editor

Steve Poole has been living and working in Malaysia since 2015 and it was here that he re-discovered his love for Scuba Diving. Having originally completed his PADI open water qualification many years ago back in the UK where the cold water and poor visibility put him off he has since completed his Advanced Open Water & Rescue Diver courses and has logged over 200 dives. He is currently completing a number of PADI speciality courses to enable him to apply for his Master Scuba Diver recognition.

passion

While Steve’s full time work may be as an Engineer for a multinational based in Kuala Lumpur his real passion outside of the corporate environment is Scuba Diving. He is often found driving across peninsula Malaysia at a weekend to get in a few dives at local destinations such as Tenggol, Perhentian and Tioman or jetting off around Southeast Asia to one of the many world class diving destinations the region has to offer.

Inspiration

The inspiration to create this site was borne out by a frustration at being able to find honest, first hand reviews of the many diving destinations in Asia. While there are many sites that offer reviews and guides, often they are second or third hand accounts and offer little in the way of insight. South East Asia Diving while aiming to be authentic and give first hand accounts obviously won’t be able to cover every location, but we aim to provide honest accounts of the things that matter - the diving, the accommodation and how to get there.

Favourites

Whilst not having been able to diver every single location that South East Asia has to offer, Steve has managed to rack up an impressive list of some of the top diving spots the region has to offer, his favourites include:

Sipadan

Located off of Malaysian Borneo, Sipadan is a living piece of art, turtles everywhere you look, sharks playing around in the current, beautiful corals and the famous Barracuda tornado.

Raja ampat

Though difficult to get to, even from Kuala Lumpur Raja Ampat is worth the journey. A divers paradise with pristine coral and crystal clear water, it truly is a last paradise and deserves to be on every divers bucket list

komodo

Think Komodo and you will normally think of the Dragons, but spend some more time in this fantastic region of Indonesia and you’ll find some of the best diving around. The current may be strong and little scary at times but you will be rewarded with clear water, beautiful corals and Sharks, Manta Rays and just about everything else.