The Freedive Cafe Podcast

Jack Webb is an up and coming deep freediver from Far North Queensland in Australia. He recently dived 113m in competition in Dominica.In this episode we discuss:Jack just wrapped up a retreat up in Far North Queensland.Jack has been spearfishing since he was a kid.Jack’s school Freediving Far North Queensland is doing its depth sessions in two 65m deep lakes, Lake Eachem and Lake Barrine.About the crocodile in the lake.Jack and Donny met in Dahab in 2022 when there were both diving in the 70m range.How Jack got stopped by a squeeze and other health issues and how he overcame them.Shout out to Julia Mouse in at Apnea Bali.Pepsin, silent reflux, Costochondritis.Shout out to Jack’s coach Dean Chaouche who appeared on episode #95 of the podcast.Journey to the nineties and his first national records. Shout out to Federico Mana who appeared on episode #84 of the podcast.Shout out to Matt Yang from China.How was the  first 100m dive?Jack’s transformational trip to Dominica where he dived 113m.How does his training routine work?How he structures his deep dive routine and his deep dive sessions.Has he had any trouble with hypoxia so far?What does he do for his mental game?Jack’s nutrition and supplement strategy.DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - Patreon Exclusive ContentWhy does Jack freedive? For all episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast, information about freediving courses, coaching, workshops and retreats in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.truedepthfreediving.comTo support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

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 lactate clearing capacity of the diaphragm.Diaphragm is type 1 muscle fibre. Type 1 muscle fibres uses a lot of lactate as a fuel source.Adaptations that the diaphragm creates from inspiratory muscle training improves it’s ability to use lactate as a fuel.About CO2 tolerance and air hunger/urge to breath.Breathing rate is driven by emotionWhat are chemoreceptors?Martin has an eight litre lung capacity and held his breath for 3:30 on his first attempt.What can someone do if their nervous system is stressed?What benefits do hyperventilation style practices have for general health?On intermittent hypoxic training and high altitude training.How to improve sport performance with a sleep protocol.What breathing techniques calm us down before big performances?The magic of the controlled exhalation.Yogic breathwork/pranayama.How to address traumatic experiences that happen during freediving.Trauma may be more likely to impact on a person who is more hypercapnic.HRV measurements and their real-life use.Interoception and those who struggle with it.Desert Island Questions - PATREON EXCLUSIVE CONTENTFor all episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast, information about freediving courses, coaching, workshops and retreats in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.truedepthfreediving.comTo support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

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 resorts.Donny discusses similar issues from his past.Quitting a destructive addiction is never easy. If you need help, reach out to someone and ask.We mentioned r/stopdrinking on Reddit, Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART and Narcotics Anonymous.Discovering freediving through Tinder!All about the Cenotes, fresh water sink-holes in Mexico.Shout out to Pranamaya and the Azul Freediving Challenge.Pedro is essentially self-taught in freediving and doesn’t have a coach.Pedro progressed very quickly.He is now struggling with the mental game in dynamic freediving.Shout out to Samo Jeranko and his latest interview on the podcast (#157).How Pedro periodises through the year and what a typical week of training looks like.Pedro is also working as a coach and instructor as well as training at the same time.Is Pedro using partial or fully empty lung dives?Pedro has a background in gymnastics during his teenage years.How does Pedro maintain his strength training when he is training?Pedro is actively doing cardiovascular exercises.On the benefits of sauna and possibly ice bath.Pedro eats a plant-based diet with added eggs.What supplementation does Pedro take (creatine, beetroot powder, omega 3 from algae, protein).On the topic of doping/use of performance enhancing drugs in freediving.Shout out to the Deep Water podcast from the Observer newspaper/Tortoise media/Lydia Gard.Desert Island Questions - PATREON EXCLUSIVE SECTION What does Pedro do for fun when he’s not freediving?For all episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast, information about freediving courses, coaching, workshops and retreats in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.truedepthfreediving.comTo support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

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.Psychological challenges shared between freedivers and surfers.Strategies for the diver suffering from performance anxiety.Lisa strongly recommends hypnotherapy for the deeper work.What is hypnotherapy exactly?How is a hypnotic state induced?How to use hypnotherapy to help heal trauma related to hypoxic episodes and injuries.On using visualisation and how to visualise effectively.On using positive self-talk, mantras, etc.Discussing comparison with others, ego and ego-driven performances.Hemi-sync, Gateway Tapes and binaural beats.Yoga, and yoga meditation.DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - PATREON EXCLUSIVE CONTENTWhy does Lisa surf?For all episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast, information about freediving courses, coaching, workshops and retreats in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.truedepthfreediving.comTo support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

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 #66In 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 competitions.Nataliia won overall silver during the recent CMAS World Championships in 2025.Her opinions on the incident around Andrey Matveenko’s accident in training before this competition.How long was the preparatory period for the World Championships?A breakdown of the year long period of training.How does she do her tabata workout?How did taking time off from training benefit Nataliia?Is OnlyFans getting in to feeediving?How does she balance training and coaching?What kind of strength training regimen does she have?Why did Nataliia not do CNF this year in the World Championships?Working on tweaking equalisation for the deeper dives and tweaking neutral buoyancy.Experiences with narcosisAttitude towards diet and nutrition.The joys of quitting coffee.We discuss the doping scandal in freediving in depth.DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - Patreon Exclusive SectionWhat does representing Ukraine mean for her?Why does she freedive?For all episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast, information about freediving courses, coaching, workshops and retreats in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.truedepthfreediving.comTo support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

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 childhood in a positive way.She did triathlon for 10 years, also competitively.A first freediving experience in Malta.Joining a pool club in Hungary and focusing on pool training.Zsófia won the AIDA Depth World Championships in 2025.How did a background in triathlon help Zsófia become a world champion in freediving?Zsófia’s complementary training for freediving, including lots of strength training and biking.The joys of living and training for freediving in Budapest.What does a typical week of training look like?A question from Patreon member Marc about the frequency of max and sub-max dives compared to shorter dives.A question from Patreon member Rodrigo about her speed during her world record dive.Zsófia was the first woman to dive 300m in the pool.A question from Patreon member Elena about Zsófia’s mental strategies for performing such big dives.She is completely deaf in her right ear due to a mumps infection.Her natural talent for mouthfill equalisation.A question from Patreon member Tom regarding the current level of freediving athleticism and the future potential of freedivers and freediving as a sport.Zsófia is a 37 years old.The importance of maturity in freediving and why there are less young people in our sport.Her approach to  nutrition and supplements.Zsófia works in IT and puts together systems for companies.DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - Patreon Exclusive ContentWhy does she freedive?For all episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast, information about freediving courses, coaching, workshops and retreats in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.truedepthfreediving.comTo support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

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 in the lake in Switzerland and then with Samo Jeranko.Anna had a world record in the lake in CNF at the time of recording.Optimising life for freediving.What are the advantages and disadvantages of diving in the lake?Question from Patreon supporter Philip about lake safety conditions.How they manage safety in the lake. Torches, depth sounders.Questions from Patreon supporters about higher risk of squeezing in the lake.The interview got stopped! We reconnected a week later after Anna-Karina got out from her ankle surgery.What is multiple sclerosis and how does it affect Anna?Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease.How freediving and the freediving lifestyle support Anna’s challenges with MS.What does a typical week of freediving training look like for Anna?Does she use cold water immersion for dealing with the cold in the lake.A question from Patreon supporter Tony about dive response in the lake.Reference to Episode #62 With Kiki Bosch.Anna’s approach to nutrition and supplementation.DESERT ISALND QUESTIONS - PATREON EXCLUSIVEA dive she will always remember?Why does she freedive?For all episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast, information about freediving courses, coaching, workshops and retreats in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.truedepthfreediving.comTo support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

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.The Slow Controlled Forced Exhale technique.Assessment for DCI related or DCI-like symptoms.MFSCO2 (Mask - motor memory, Fins - fine motor skills, Snorkel - Speech, C - coordination/balance, O - orientation, 2 - vision, eye sight and eyes)Juani already did a real-world assessment on Donny.What is Telemedicine?A question from Patreon member Jorg about telemedicine.Shout out to Johnny Sunnex.A question from Patreon member Andrew Ferris about what Juani wishes every new freediver knew about their body from the start.On tracking variables such as resting heart rate and heart rate variability, blood pressure, body weight, etc.A question from Patreon member Christian Stein, about how freediving interacts with the nervous system.On over-training and sleep deprivation.Study suggesting ROS (reactive oxygen species) peak, increase after 3 days of diving.Defining what is DCI (Decompression Illness).The importance of being prepared for DCI-like issues.What is PFO and what does it mean for the freediver?An incident Donny experienced after a dive.What is supraventricular tachycardia and can valsalva manoeuvre fix it?Better post-black out care for freedivers.A question from Patreon member Adrian about research on freediving’s effects on brain health and cognitive function.A question from Patreon member Tony Scafidi about fast dive times making a squeeze more likely.Jauni’s non-profit organisation for freediving research and awareness (UNU Freediving Foundation).For all episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast, information about freediving courses, coaching, workshops and retreats in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.truedepthfreediving.comTo support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

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 ScafidiIt 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 Sicily.Marco became a freediving instructor in 2012.Before that he worked for the Pfizer pharmaceutical company for around 18 years.Blue World Freediving’s first location is at Santa Tecla Palace Hotel.Blue World Freediving has a second location at Santa Maria La Scala.Diving from the shore vs diving from the shore.The boat is set up with sonar, counter ballast, etc.Sicily’s water conditions, thermocline, visibility, etc.What facilities and courses do Blue World Freediving offer?Shout out to Nutso!Blue World offer Molchanovs, AIDA, SSI and Apnea Academy courses.They have seven freediving instructors on the team.What is the future of Blue World Freediving? Competitions?What are the main attractions of the island of Sicily?Marco has never seen Le Grand Bleu!DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - Patreon exclusive content.Why does Marco freedive?For all episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast, information about freediving courses, coaching, workshops and retreats in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.truedepthfreediving.comTo support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

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 freediving medical safety. In this episode we discuss:Jeroen is a freediver, intensive care unit nurse and freediving medic.He also organises safety in a water stage movie studio in Brussels, working with some famous actors.Prospecting the dive location.Dealing with therapeutic use exemptions of drugs that could be detected on a doping test.Rescue protocols for certain incidents.The use of the pulse oximeter to detect problems in the diver. Following up with athletes and incident reporting.Doing scientific research, gathering information during competition periods.Specific rescue protocols for black outs and squeezes / barotraumas, etc.Most divers do not respond to the ‘Blow Tap Talk’ protocol after an underwater black out.Training the other members of the freediving safety team.The authority to stop the competition.What is DCI (Decompression Illness)Decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism (AGE). What is the difference?How are these conditions treated?The hot topic of in-water recompression as treatment.There are no guaranteed safe decompression tables.The use of breathing oxygen in-water after deep dives as a preventative measure to prevent DCI and as general recovery.Shout out to the Patreon supporters and thanks for contributing your questions.An example of the individual nature of symptoms DCI cases.Some examples of difficult decisions being made: Hanako Hirose, Petar KlovarWhat is oedema?The responsibilities of the freediving governing bodies to do better for the safety of the athletes.What is a PFO (patent foramen ovale)?Questions from Patreon supporters Tom, and Racso and Sean.Should you ever dive alone?Why does he freedive?For all episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast, information about freediving courses, coaching, workshops and retreats in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.truedepthfreediving.comTo support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe