The Freedive Cafe Podcast

Olavi Paananen is a Finnish entrepreneur who recently broke the CMAS World Record for freediving under ice, without a wetsuit. In this episode we discuss: Olavi lives in Espoo and was born in Iisalmi, Finland.  Donny also used to live in Finland! Olavi dived 165 metres under ice with bifins to earn a world record! His dad worked in a swimming pool and Olavi spent hours every week there. He did his...

Kalamata Freedivers is a freediving school and training facility located in Kalamata Greece, run by Nejc Likar and Nikos Gkagkanis. In this episode we discuss: Today we are talking with Nejc Likar from Slovenia and Nikos Gkagkanis from Greece. Nejc was previously in Panglao, The Philippines before Greece. Nikos is from the northern part of Greece and his father was a spearfisher so he started very...

William Trubridge is one of the most celebrated freedivers of all time, achieving multiple world records, winning multiple world championships and diving 102m in CNF (No Fins). In this episode we discuss: William appeared first on Episode #69 of The Freedive Cafe Podcast and then again on Episode #98. Inkfish organisation and research conducted into freediving physiology. Deepest arterial blood sa...

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. Abo...

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, Nerv...

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 i...

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...

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...

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...

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 th...

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 asses...

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 f...

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 co...

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 ch...

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...

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....

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...

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 g...

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...

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...

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 P...

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: ht...

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 b...

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...

Alenka Artnik is the deepest female freediver in the world. Originating from Slovenia, she transformed her life and broke free of her old bonds to pursue this amazing sport and its deeper dimensions. Alenka first appeared on Episode #57 of the show. In this episode we discuss: She was in Dahab for training at the time of the interview. What are the biggest changes Alenka has noticed in Dahab in th...