It had been far too long since I last soaked up the briny magic off the coast of Kerry.

No matter how many years I’ve been diving, I still feel a flicker of nerves before that first descent, especially this time — testing out a new camera setup that had flooded once before.

Once down, though, my nervousness was replaced with a bliss that divers know so well. Being under the water is a place where the noise and stress of topside life simply vanish. I felt deeply grateful, once again, for the privilege of being a diver.

Even after surfacing, I was in no hurry to leave the water — lingering to capture a few final images and be at peace in my happy place.