Out of Office: Lincoln McKinnon, Divemaster

When I got into my 30s, my wife took a girls’ trip to Jamaica. She went scuba diving … and she came back and said, “I had a fantastic time while I was there, but I just kept thinking about how much you would really love it.” We came back and got scuba certified together, and I really did love it.

Scuba diving is not an overly physical sport—it’s actually extremely psychological. It’s a whole different world: You’re breathing through a straw, you’re not walking on land, so there are times where your brain will start to interfere with what you’re physically capable of doing.

I went the master scuba diver route, the highest level in recreational training. I just [became] a divemaster, because I have a love for teaching and introducing people to new things, especially things that might open their eyes to new opportunities or force them to dig a little deeper and see what they’re made of.

My job is extremely demanding, and so is life in general, and I’m a big advocate of being fulfilled personally in order to pour into others. [Scuba diving] is the place where I can focus on myself. It helps me recharge my batteries and refocus. For 60 to 90 minutes, there are no cell phones going off or emails I need to worry about. It’s just me and the sound of my breath and my thoughts … and that time is very beneficial for me.