DIVE HAPPY

Asian Diver Magazine is back on the shelves with a fresh new look and direction to complement its sister magazine Scuba Diver AustralAsia.

After a few months absence, Asian Diver Magazine has relaunched with a new publisher and a new direction - but the same editor! Sol Foo is the editor of the magazine at its new home of Asian Geographic Magazines, based in Singapore. Previously the title was owned by MediaCorp, and Sol was the magazine's last editor before it was sold. Asian Geographic Magazines is also home of Scuba Diver AustralAsia magazine (for which I'm a Field Editor) and also the excellent travel/culture magazine Asian Geographic.

The first issue of the newly relaunched Asian Diver comes as a double issue with Scuba Diver AustralAsia - after this, it will be a magazine in its own right. So if you're looking for it on the magazine shelves, you might not spot it, as the Asian Diver front cover is the back cover of the current issue of SDAA - featuring the kid on the front as the Family Diving themed issue. It's a nice way to re-introduce the SDAA readership to the rebooted Asian Diver.

The new look Asian Diver focuses on the practical side of diving, with lots of tips about best practices and efficient equipment use, along with some interesting features about diving-related careers and some of the more exotic creatures you might encounter diving in Asian waters. It looks like a great complement to its sister magazine Scuba Diver AustralAsia and it'll be interesting to see how it evolves over the coming months to serve the interests of divers in the region. Sol is definitely interested in getting feedback and creating a more interactive experience with readers - you can get in touch through Asian Diver's relaunched website. I'm hoping I'll get to contribute some stories in future issues too.