Claim OwnershipThe Freedive Cafe Podcast
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The world's dedicated freediving podcast. Longform interviews with the deepest humans on Earth.
175 Episodes
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Martin McPhilimey is a respiratory and sleep scientist by background and the founder of The School of Breath Science. In this episode we discuss: Martin joined me from Western Australia where he is based.He is originally from Coventry in England. Martin is a respiratory and sleep scientist by background and the founder of The School of Breath Science. Breath Science Certification Breathing, Nervous system, Sleep, Breath-work, Psychology and Human behaviour. Research on max sprints and l...
Pedro Tapia is a Mexican freediving athlete and the deepest unassisted freediver in the Americas, diving almost 120m with the mono fin and 88m in No Fins. In this episode we discuss: Pedro was training for a pool competition at the time of recording. Pedro won Vertical Blue in 2023. Pedro has a history of alcohol abuse and is now in recovery. He has been sober for 6 years. He was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico. He is now based in Playa Del Carmen. He was working as an entertainer in r...
Lisa Davidsson is a psychologist and hypnotherapist from Sweden, now based in Bali. Known as the surf psychologist, Lisa works with clients from all over the world guiding them through their psychological challenges with therapy and mental training, especially in the context of surfing and being in the water. In this episode we discuss: Lisa is from Sweden, she is a psychologist and therapist and is known as The Surf Psychologist. She is now based in Bali. Donny’s surf story with Mickie. Psyc...
Nataliia Zharkova is a Ukrainian competitive freediver who this year (2025), returned to the competition scene after a four year break and won overall silver in the CMAS World Championships, diving deeper than 100m in three disciplines. She first appeared on the podcast on episode #66 In this episode we discuss: Nataliia’s first appearance on the podcast was episode #66. Nataliia was in Dubai at the rime of recording. Nataliia took a four year break from high-level freediving competitio...
Zsófia Törőcsik is a Hungarian freediving athlete who in 2025 became the first female freediving athlete to dive a distance of 300m in the pool and in the same year won gold at the AIDA Depth World Championships; her first ever depth competition. In this episode we discuss: Zsófia’s experience at the CMAS World Championship 2025 and the controversy surrounding the competition and the accident that happened to Andrey Matveenko. Zsófia is from Hungary and credits her family with shaping her chi...
Anna-Karina Schmitt is a German freediver based in Switzerland. Today we talk about the technicalities of diving in lakes and the challenges of living with multiple sclerosis and how freediving inspires her healthy lifestyle. In this episode we discuss: Anna and I had some real challenges getting the interview done. It took 4 attempts! She was going into have surgery on her ankle the day before the interview. Anna is from Germany, but now lives in Switzerland. Her first forays into freediving...
Jani Valdivia is from Peru and is based in Tampa, Florida where he works as a neurosurgeon. He is also a member of the AIDA Science and Medical Committee and a competitive freediver himself. Juani also appeared on episodes #99 and #135. In this episode we discuss: Catching up with Juani. Juani was on Long Island, Bahamas at the time of the interview, preparing for Vertical Blue, 2025. Remote assessment of an injured freediver. An example scenario of a remote assessment, using lung squeeze. Th...
Marco Puliafito is from Sicily, Italy. He left an 18 year career at Pfizer pharmaceutical company to open Italy's first dedicated freediving training centre, Blue World Freediving. In this episode we discuss: Shout out to our interpreter Tony Scafidi It was Donny’s first time in Sicily and first time in Italy. Marco is from Catania, Sicily. He started freediving as a child, following in the footsteps of his father who was a strong spearfisherman. Spearfishing is a huge part of the culture in ...
Jeroen is from Belgium. He is a passionate health-care provider working as an intensive care unit nurse, with a love for technical innovation, teaching and diving, and a former business owner in composites resins 3D-shaping for the nautical and entertainment industry. Jeroen is perhaps best known to us in the freediving community in his role as freediving medic in some of the biggest freediving competitions in the world. Today’s discussion is a wide-ranging and thorough exploration of f...
Tea Košnjek is a kinesiologist and a strength & conditioning coach working with Olympic-level swimmers and freedivers around the world. From pool to depth disciplines, she helps athletes optimise their performance by focusing on strength, movement efficiency, and mastering technique. Between 2018 and 2024, she was the technique and S&C coach for freediver Alenka Artnik, a multiple world champion and world record holder. Tea continues to support a wide range of freedivers globall...
Huang Hua Yang is a former farmer and the deepest freediving athlete from the beautiful country of Taiwan. One of the deepest men in the world, he shares his freediving story and philosophy with us. In this episode we discuss: Huayang joined us from Panglao, Philippines at the time of recording, where he was training for the Asian Freediving Cup. Comparing conditions in Panglao and Taiwan. Donny lived in Taiwan for ten years and started a freediving school there. Huayang was a farmer fr...
David Mellor is an English freediver who started freediving at 49 years old and achieved the incredible goal of freediving to 100 metres, in competition, at the age of 60 years old. In this episode we discuss: David and Donny sat down at The Little Blue in Dahab, home of True Depth Freediving, for this interview. David became a grandfather! David moved to Poole in England when he was 12 years old. He was a tool maker by trade and eventually opened his own factory. After three kids and a divor...
Marco Nones is one of the most influential persons in the development of freediving on Egypt's Red Sea and a coach to some of the best freedivers in the world. In this episode we discuss: We met for this interview at Only One Apnea Centre located in Reef Oasis Blue Bay Resort in Sharm El-Sheikh. Marco first came to Sharm in early 2000 as a scuba diving instructor. The AIDA World Championship was organised by Marco in 2007 and 2008. Marco is from Genoa, Italy. He started in the scuba busines...
Enchante Gallardo is a Hawaii born freediving athlete who has recently surpassed the 100m depth. In this episode we discuss: Enchanted was born and raised on Oahu, Hawaii. She went to school in California and lived for many years in Puerto Rico. She did her first course with FII in Hawaii and immediately fell in love. She spent a lot of time around the water as a kid in Hawaii. About surfing and growing up surfing, and wild ocean conditions. Questions from Patreon supporter Philip. About tr...
Heike Schwerdtner is a trainer of nurses from Germany and also the first woman to beat Natalia Molchanova's static apnea world record. A record that has stood for eleven years. In this episode we discuss: Heike recently broke the 11 year old STA record held by Natalia Molchanova. Shout out to her coach Rami Bladlav who appeared on episode #133 Heike lives in Bavaria in Germany. Heike started swimming at 3 years and began training springboard diving from 7 to 12 years old, then was a profess...
Lotta Ericson is co-founder, owner and manager of Freedive Dahab, the longest established freediving centre in Dahab, Egypt. She has a deep history in freediving as a competitive athlete and developer of the freediving education systems. In this episode we discuss: We are in Home Sweet Home, Dahab for this one! Lotta is from Sweden and was a social worker before moving to Egypt. Lotta’s early days in Dahab, starting in 1998. Shout out to Tom Sietas, Episode #52 of the podcast. How Dahab has c...
Samo Jeranko is an elite freediver and top-level coach to freediving athletes, based in Slovenia. In this episode we take a deep dive into the coaching and training strategies he employs for his clients and himself. In this episode we discuss: Samo was recently in Croatia for spearfishing and the sea temperature was worryingly warm. Samo Jeranko first appeared on episode #86 of The Freedive Cafe Podcast. Samo now has two long daughters of 3 and a half years old and 6 weeks old. How does hav...
Originally produced between 2019 and 2021, the Lost Episodes of The Freedive Cafe were originally released as exclusive content for Patreon subscribers, then lost to time. Recently unearthed in the Sinai desert, I can now deliver them for your listening pleasure! This episode with Johnny was originally released on Patreon in July 2020. To become a supporter of the podcast through Patreon visit: https://www.patreon.com/freedivecafe Johnny also appeared on Episode #68 For all episodes of The...
Stéphane Tourreau is an elite level competitive freediver from France. In this episode we discuss: Stephane first appeared on episode #5 of the podcast. Stephane was in Tenerife at time of the interview. Stephane spent 1.5 years in Dominica. How did he dive over 100m almost every three days in one year? What did his training look like, in general, while he spend those 1.5 years in Dominica? Call back to Episode #137 with Bizo Silva about potential for harm to lungs by breathing pure 02 for ...
Erika Schagatay PhD is a scientist based in Sweden and Dahab who focuses on researching freediving and apnea. She first appeared on Episode #42 of the podcast. In this episode we discuss: Shout out to Nathan McClatchey for saving this interview, and Chou and Mireia in Barcelona! Erika’s ‘Divelab’ in Dahab. What is the apnea RAMP test? Genetics vs Training. Continued and upcoming research to take place. Lactate threshold, and diving mammals. Do aerobic training benefits also feed into...
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Thank you dear Alenka for the inspiration💙🦋
Very interesting interview. Especially about competition with and without warm up. I have to check what is better for me. Thank you.
There is a skandalopetra competition every year in Kalimnos!
Love this podcast! Thank you Freedive Cafe for bringing such informative and interesting discussions to the freediving community!
Hello! Great idea with the freediving pod! it's the first one I've seen so far. Perhaps you could tell me what that "ghost line" is that is mentioned in Episode 1, 46 minutes and 30 seconds? I have tried Google some on it but without success. Keep it strong! //Felix