Contents(5)
- From Lakeside Beginnings to the Shores of the Blue Mediterranean
- A World War II Wreck Haven — One of the World's Best Dive Destinations
- A Technical Diving Legend Arrives in Taiwan — Laying the Groundwork for Future Collaboration
- Essential Qualities for Technical Divers: High Standards and Strong Communication
- Further Links
Tom Steiner on his first visit to Taiwan, speaking with us before his seminar.
What comes to mind when you think of technical diving? Plunging 200 metres into the deep? Cave diving? Sidemount? Scooters? Whether you're curious about entering the world of technical diving or already deep in it, there's one name you simply cannot miss: Tom Steiner. Hailing from Switzerland, with 46 years of diving experience, over 16,000 scuba tank dives, and more than 2,500 hours logged on a rebreather, Tom is now based in Malta and is the founder of Gozo Technical Diving. He was invited to Taiwan by YUHSIN System INC. (hereinafter referred to as YUHSIN) to participate in a product experience event and workshops.
On his first trip to Taiwan, Tom was hardly fazed by the sweltering heat — in fact, he adapted quite well. It turns out that Malta's scorching daily temperatures have long since made him immune. We sat down with him for an in-depth interview just before the Undercurrent Technical Diving seminar.
From Lakeside Beginnings to the Shores of the Blue Mediterranean
Unlike most divers, Tom's journey began at a lakeside in Switzerland. He had always loved the water as a child, but despite graduating from a Swiss hotel management programme — the career path his parents hoped he would follow — diving captured his heart completely. Still, chasing a passion had to be balanced with paying the bills, and Switzerland's high cost of living forced him to think ahead. He began exploring diving destinations around the world: the Maldives, Palau, the United States, Jamaica, and even South America all featured in his adventures. He eventually settled in Egypt for a time, first in Sharm El Sheikh, then in Dahab, where he helped run a dive shop. Day after day, life began to feel a little monotonous, and so he decided to open his own technical diving shop in Egypt.
The road to success was not without its struggles, however — there were days when he earned only US$20, and he once had to ask his parents to buy him a plane ticket just so they could holiday together. Tom noted that to last in this industry, you need to find your own area of expertise and commit to it. For him, that area was technical diving.
During his 16 years in Egypt, he dived the Blue Hole in Dahab — one of the most iconic dive sites in the world — over 1,000 times. What many divers consider a once-in-a-lifetime destination was simply a workplace he visited three or four times a week. When the Egyptian Revolution unfolded, he decided to relocate to Gozo Island in Malta and open another dive operation: Gozo Technical Diving (GTD).
Before the seminar, Tom showed his warm personality by going around to shake everyone's hand. He then walked the audience through his own diving journey, introduced GTD, and shared his plans for the future.
A World War II Wreck Haven — One of the World's Best Dive Destinations
We were curious about what makes Malta so special for diving. Tom explained that while Malta is widely regarded as one of the world's top dive destinations, it actually has relatively few fish. The reason isn't overfishing — it's the natural environment, which is low in plankton. On the flip side, this same environment produces extraordinary visibility of over 100 metres. What the waters lack in marine life, they more than make up for with an abundance of wrecks, caves, and ideal deep diving conditions. Gozo Island, where GTD is based, is only 14 km wide and 7 km long, yet it boasts 93 dive sites — enough to keep you busy for a full four weeks if you want to explore them all.
Malta's diverse range of dive sites includes 10–15 wrecks within 45 metres for recreational divers to explore; for technical divers, even more options await discovery.
As an instructor with 36 years of teaching experience, Tom's expression visibly changes when the subject of cave diving comes up. Despite having assisted the European Space Agency and the Greek Navy with training, and having dived to a depth of 212 metres, cave diving remains his greatest passion and the thing he finds most exciting. Malta, he says, is like a playground; Mexico is like Disneyland — accessible, with a lower barrier to entry. But his favourite place of all is Spain, where he spends four months each year teaching and diving in volcanic caves. No matter how many times he dives the same cave, he never stops enjoying it.
A Technical Diving Legend Arrives in Taiwan — Laying the Groundwork for Future Collaboration
Taking advantage of YUHSIN's product experience event, Tom also got in the water to share some technical diving techniques.
Tom's visit to Taiwan was at the invitation of YUHSIN, to share his technical diving expertise and lead several workshops. A work visa was even arranged to prepare for the possibility of offering courses in Taiwan in the future.
The connection began during the pandemic, when Tom received an invitation from YUHSIN to trial their equipment. Not typically one to accept brand sponsorships, he was genuinely impressed by YUHSIN's quality — using their gear continuously for two years across saltwater, freshwater, cave, and deep diving conditions without needing a single service. Add to that the fact that many Taiwanese divers have trained at his shop, and the bond between Tom and Taiwan has grown steadily stronger. Just before our interview, he had returned from diving in Xiaoliuqiu; while the visibility couldn't compare to Malta, the sea turtles and wrecks left a strong impression on him, and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
One of the things Tom particularly admires about YUHSIN, compared to other equipment brands, is their willingness to understand real user needs before optimising or even customising their products accordingly.
Looking ahead, Tom plans to partner with dive shops in Taiwan to offer technical diving training, sharing his passion and knowledge with more people. He hopes to find long-term instructor partners in Taiwan — so he can eventually retire and lie on the beach (laughs).
And the collaboration doesn't stop in Taiwan. GTD will also be creating a dedicated YUHSIN equipment display space, using Malta as a base to promote YUHSIN gear and bring a breath of fresh air to the European diving equipment scene. Taiwanese instructors are warmly invited to come for training trips abroad — particularly for courses like Trimix, which are harder to run in Taiwan. Best of all, there's no need to lug heavy gear across the world; YUHSIN equipment will be available to rent on-site.
Although GTD runs an average of only five Open Water courses per year, they warmly welcome divers of all levels — recreational and technical alike. With a strong emphasis on diving technique, they look forward to passing on a few insider tips and tricks.
GTD places great importance on education quality — even recreational divers are taught to technical diving standards from the very beginning, with training in trim and kick techniques, reducing the adjustment period when transitioning to technical diving.
Essential Qualities for Technical Divers: High Standards and Strong Communication
As a closing note in our interview, we asked Tom for advice for anyone looking to enter the world of technical diving: train thoroughly, and find an instructor who is patient, actively runs courses, and is able to build a genuine student-teacher relationship. As for the qualities that define a competent technical diver, he believes that choosing the right dive buddy, respecting nature and the environment, holding yourself to a high standard of technique, and having strong team communication skills are all absolutely essential.
On this visit, Tom dived everywhere from Xiaoliuqiu to the Northeast Coast, and engaged in meaningful exchanges with divers through the product experience event. We're very excited to see what comes next from his collaboration with YUHSIN and Taiwan's dive shops!
On this inaugural visit to Taiwan, Tom did far more than test equipment and share experience — he laid the foundations for a true partnership between Taiwan and Malta. From his decades of accumulated teaching experience and his unwavering commitment to equipment quality, to his passion and philosophy for technical diving education, everything points to an exciting future of sparks flying between Tom, Taiwan's dive shops, instructors, and divers alike.
Further Links
