Lead instructor Kamau Sadiki sits in the ocean at 12-feet depth in lotus position, legs folded on top of each other. In scuba gear, he looks like a Zen master with a tiny ‘fro—serene and graceful. He holds my scuba vest with one hand to give me purchase while I try to mimic his pose. I look decidedly less serene and graceful. So I give up and look around instead.

We are on a fun dive for new divers in crystal-clear waters of the Florida Keys. I notice lead instructor Jay Haigler slicing through the water, smooth like an eel, below me. I can see his brown legs amid the blue backdrop and diver Sabrina Johnson bicycling to the side of