The Freedive Cafe Podcast

Donny Mac - Freediver

The world's dedicated freediving podcast. Longform interviews with the deepest humans on Earth.

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Top 10 The Freedive Cafe Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Freedive Cafe Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Freedive Cafe Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Freedive Cafe Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Episode #108 | Sheena McNally | Hitting the Hectometre

The Freedive Cafe Podcast

04/12/21 • 61 min

Although Sheena McNally hails from a part of Canada over 1,000 km from the ocean, she has always loved being in the water. Growing up, she spent summers on the lake and winters in the pool, becoming certified in lifesaving, rescue, and swimming instruction. As an adult, shedabbled in many activities, including martial arts, circus, and running, but none of them stuck. She eventually took up scuba diving and fell in love with the sea, which led her to leave the chilly prairies and a career in design and communications behind. Her search for sunny weather and good diving brought her to Utila, Honduras, where she enrolled in a beginner freediving course—and got completely hooked!
Sheena first appeared on the show on Episode #85
In this episode we discuss:
Shout out to (decaf) coffee and Jani Valdivia!
Sheen first appeared on Episode #85.
Sheen spent most of the pandemic in Dominica.
Sheena and Donny were diving together in Bali just when the s**t hit the fan!
Shout out to Apnea Bali.
Shout out to Scott Lambert who saved my ass and got me out of the Bali in the nick of time!
The lockdown situation in Dominica.
Is it possible to travel to Dominica? (this information may have changed!)
How's the freediving education scene been there?
Sheena dived below 100m!
The build up and training involved in that dive.
How much did Sheena structure her training?
Improvements in training logs.
The importance of scheduling proper rest.
Breaking down Sheena's first 100m dive.
Sheena's clumsy and incredibly inefficient process and being honest with herself.
What are Sheena's weaknesses?
Silver bullets for mastering equalisation!
What are her greatest motivations to go deeper?
A disclaimer about Donny's comments on the situation in Taiwan!
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS!

For freediving courses, workshops and retreats in Egypt and Europe visit www.truedepthfreediving.com!

For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com
For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com
To support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

#92 – Pascal Berger | Octopus Freediving

The Freedive Cafe Podcast

07/15/20 • 63 min

Pascal Berger Use the discount code FREEDIVE CAFE to get 10% off any orders from octopusfreediving.com 20% OFF ALL ONLINE COURSES AT IMMERSIONFREEDIVING.COMUSE DISCOUNT CODE FREEDIVECAFE Subscribe to PodcastApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSSMore Subscribe Options Photo Credit: Robert Strix Pascal Berger was born and bred in Switzerland on a diet of cheese and chocolate. He grew to become half-competitive freediver, and half-designer.After graduating from the University of Art and Design of Geneva, Pascal built a successful career as a designer since 2001, with yearly shows in Milan and mentoring of young design students.In 2010 Pascal discovered freediving, which quickly became a real passion, especially for the depth disciplines where he enjoys the peaceful and quiet sensations of the deep blue. With clear strong abilities from the start, he progressed very fast and in a matter of years became the Swiss national record holder for all depth disciplines. His deepest record was set in 2017 in Variable Weight with a dive to -131m.Taking the best of both worlds, in 2013 Pascal created OCTOPUS, committed to bringing top-quality, innovative and sexy specialized equipment to the fast-growing freediving community. Photo Credit: Lily Cottier In this episode we discuss:Pascal is from Geneva in Switzerland.He started his deep diving in the Blue Hole in Dahab.He did his AIDA courses with Akim Ladhari and Lily Crespy and his first instructor course with Umberto Pelizzari.Pascal achieved the Swiss national record in VWT (Variable Weight) with a dive to 131m.What attracted him to the VWT discipline?The story of the sandbag VWT dives.The VWT sled made from mountain bike components.The story of the 131m NR WATCH VIDEOWhy Pascal didn't pursue further depths and two experiences of DCS.Pascal also discovered he had PFO (patent foramen ovale)The inception of Dahab Freedivers with Stephen Keenan and Miguel Lozano.What makes Dahab Freedivers great?Managing the loss of Stephen Keenan in 2017.Passing on the Dahab Freedivers baton.Octopus Freediving Equipment and how it came about.How did the Octopus design style evolve?How is Octopus weathering Coronavirus?What new developments are coming to Octopus?What are Pascal's fantasy freediving products he would develop if he could?Shout out to Miguel Lozano, Stephen Keenan, Lily Crespy, Umberto Pelizzari.Free time and Netflix.Pascal's recommended book is How Everything Can Collapse by Pablo Servigne and Raphaël StevensWhy does Pascal freedive? Pascal's Links:Octopus Freediving EquipmentOctopus on FacebookPascal's Email: [email protected] Photo Credit: Lily Cottier Become a supporter of the show and get access to exclusive episodes and other content!Visit Patreon DONATE through PAYPAL SEND TO:[email protected]

For freediving courses, workshops and retreats in Egypt and Europe visit www.truedepthfreediving.com!

#84 – Federico Mana | Moving Limits

The Freedive Cafe Podcast

02/29/20 • 94 min

Federico Mana Use the discount code FREEDIVE CAFE to get 10% off any orders from octopusfreediving.com 10% OFF ( and FREE shipping inside Australia)! Subscribe to PodcastApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSSMore Subscribe Options Federico Mana originally wanted to become a professional basketball player but his fragile ankles prevented that from happening!He encountered freediving by chance in 1996, and seven years later moved to Egypt and dedicated himself to teaching freediving, yoga and to record attempts, because he wanted to prove to himself that the training protocols that he had developed actually worked. He achieved many Italian records during his career.In 2013, after seven years of study, trials and errors, he finalized his Handsfree Protocol and started to apply it successfully, even in remote teaching.He has written and co-authored many books on the subject of equalisation and breathing techniques for freediving and now focuses on providing freediving education through online courses at movinglimits.com In this episode we discuss:Federico dreamed of being a pro basketball player when he was younger.He did his first scuba course at university studying to become an optometrist.In 2003 he moved to Sharm el-Sheikh live full time.Early trouble with equalisation and the difficulty of getting help.Developing a method to teach equalisation.Getting the opportunity to pursue a record attempt and going on to the competitive scene.Federico competed until 2011 and became the first Italian to reach 100m in CWT.A blackout after a sickness in Egypt.No more blackouts or samba after that.What kind of training was Federico doing back in his competitive days?Federico is working with many athletes.Big changes in freediving knowledge down the years and big changes in understanding of equalisation techniques.Federico can teach anyone to learn BTV (hands-free) equalisation.His online webinars and courses through Moving Limits at movinglimits.comHow to improve equalisation out of the water.The three kinds of equalisation limitation.Some advice for instructors dealing with trouble-equalisers.What breathing techniques does Federico teach?Hill Taylor's 50m underwater dolphin kick swim VIDEO.Federico's other interests including Crossfit.Shout-outs to Umberto Pelizzari, Davide Carrera, Erik Fattah and Patrick Musimu.Federico's recommended book is Pranayama: The Yoga of Breathing by Andre Van Lysebeth.Plans for the future.Why does Federico freedive? Federico's Links:Moving Limits WebsiteFacebook PageBooks by Federico Become a supporter of the show and get access to exclusive episodes and other content!Visit Patreon DONATE through PAYPAL SEND TO:[email protected]

For freediving courses, workshops and retreats in Egypt and Europe visit www.truedepthfreediving.com!

#67 – Miguel Lozano | Spain’s Depth Master

The Freedive Cafe Podcast

06/21/19 • 78 min

#67 – Miguel Lozano | Spain’s Depth Master

For freediving courses, workshops and retreats in Egypt and Europe visit www.truedepthfreediving.com!

#59 – Jessea Lu

The Freedive Cafe Podcast

03/21/19 • 74 min

#59 – Jessea Lu

For freediving courses, workshops and retreats in Egypt and Europe visit www.truedepthfreediving.com!

#19 – James Nestor – Deep

The Freedive Cafe Podcast

02/01/18 • 60 min

#19 – James Nestor – Deep

For freediving courses, workshops and retreats in Egypt and Europe visit www.truedepthfreediving.com!

#81 – Vitomir Maričić | More Than An Athlete

The Freedive Cafe Podcast

01/14/20 • 71 min

Vitomir Maričić Use the discount code FREEDIVE CAFE to get 10% off any orders from octopusfreediving.com 10% OFF ( and FREE shipping inside Australia)! Subscribe to PodcastApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSSMore Subscribe Options Vitomir Maričić is from Rijeka, Croatia. He is an experienced extreme athlete and coach in several sports. This rising star made unofficial WR results in his first competitions, and DNF 3rd place in AIDA WC and CNF 4th place in CMAS EC as his best competition rankings.When not in dive mode, he is a freediving instructor and coach, constantly working on new projects in the field. In this episode we discuss:Vitomir is from Rijeka , Croatia.A very early first foray into freediving.Very promising beginnings in elite freediving with an almost world record!Vitomir's background in exercise science gives him an advantage over many other athletes.Sport climbing and mountaineering is a major part of his life, as was watersports, gymnastics, triathlon and weightlifting.Very exciting to be learning about this newly developing sport of freediving.Highlights of Vitomir's career so far.How and where does he train?A typical week of training.The different phases in a periodised training plan.What are the biggest mistakes made by elite level freedivers.Opinions about supplements...most of them are junk.About Vitomir's research into equalisation and lung injuries.Vitomir's own experience with lung squeezes.Does Vitomir have a tendency to squeeze and does that worry him?Plans for a major international competition in Croatia.What are his competition plans for 2020?His part in developing the Molchanovs freediving system.Vitomir's recommended book is Ocean Sea by Alessandro Barrico.Why does he freedive? Vitomir's Links:InstagramVitomir's Website Become a supporter of the show and get access to exclusive episodes and other content!Visit Patreon DONATE through PAYPAL SEND TO:[email protected]

For freediving courses, workshops and retreats in Egypt and Europe visit www.truedepthfreediving.com!

#84 – Federico Mana | Moving Limits

The Freedive Cafe Podcast

02/29/20 • 94 min

For freediving courses, workshops and retreats in Egypt and Europe visit www.truedepthfreediving.com!

#128 | Jennifer Wendland | Top of The World

The Freedive Cafe Podcast

03/05/22 • 71 min

On today's show is Jennifer Wendland, Jennifer is a current World Record-holding freediver from Germany and unless anything has changed since we recorded this interview two months ago, currently holds all of the German national records, and has done for quite a long time!

We talk about how she manages to balance training as a top-level athlete while working a regular human job, we compare athletes of other sports and talk about what challenges she faced over the years and how she overcame them.
The preamble to this episode contains a rant by Donny about politics and sport and references the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the country of Taiwan. If you are easily triggered by these topics then please skip to 13:39 to start the interview.

In this episode we discuss:
Jennifer is from Germany.
A bit of a background in competitive swimming, underwater rugby.
Was underwater rugby popular in Germany?
Does underwater rugby help with freediving?
Hypoxia in underwater rugby?
Jennifer had all the German national records at the time of recording!
Shout out to Only One Apnea Centre and Marco Nones.
Trying to link professional life to professional freediving.
Jennifer works for an energy company.
A bad experience in Dahab and the resultant water-fear.
Equalisation has been the main challenge.
Otovents, EQ tools and equalisation exercises.
Shout out to Martin Zajac (Episode #71)
The potential of freedivers who are trained from a very young age.
How does Jennifer structure her training year?
Jennifer's take on nutrition.
Comparisons with top-level triathletes and the importance of improving the engine in the chest.
Jennifer has never had any problem with her lungs (good flexibility and caution).
Does being a world record holder increase her stress level?
Jennifer enjoys cycling, board games and reading in her free time, but doesn't have much free time!
The politics of CMAS/ German freediving system, etc.
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS
Shout outs to Andreas Pap, Marco Nones and Martin Zajac

For freediving courses, workshops and retreats in Egypt and Europe visit www.truedepthfreediving.com!

#142 | Pete Botman | Master's Champion

The Freedive Cafe Podcast

02/02/23 • 80 min

Pete Botman is a Canadian/Dutch freediving athlete and instructor based in Dahab, Egypt. He is a 100m+ diver, multiple World Record holder in the CMAS Master's category and didn't start freediving until he was later in his forties.
In this episode we discuss:
Pete was born and raised in Canada but grew up speaking Dutch.
He joined the swim team and competed at quite a high level until aged 16.
Teaching, coaching, lifeguarding, and cross-country skiing.
How difficult is cross country skiiing?
The possibilities of youth and hangovers!
Pete didn't start freediving until he was about 46 years old!
About 10 years as a PADI scuba instructor leading up to freediving.
Coming out of an awesome 2022 season for Pete.
Pete and Olga Rodnova run Personal Best freediving together in Dahab, Egypt and Kas, Turkey.
The difficulties of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on running a business.
How to juggle training and teaching?
Shout out to David Mellor and his first 100m dives!
Stumbling blocks with throat squeezes and how Pete overcame them.
Reverse packing and squeezing.
Pete was 59 old years at the time of the interview.
Age is no barrier to freediving!
'Freediving is just about getting back up" ;)
Donny gets 'narced' from dives deeper than 60m!
Is narcosis just about nitrogen or are the other gases involved, too?
Pete achieved world record in many disciplines in the Master's category in the CMAS Outdoor World Championship.
The last championship and a rivalry with Jesper Stechmann and Jens Stoetzner.
About being coaching to Giorgos Panagiotakis?
Swimming with dolphins is the best kind of CO2 training!
Comparing Egypt and Taiwan's climate.
What does training session, week, look like for Pete?
Fondly remembering the beer-can-in-the-ass chicken and thoughts on nutrition.
Shout out to the Ukrainians who can't be diving right now!
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - Patreon Exclusive
Shout out to some special people!
Why does he freedive?

For freediving courses, workshops and retreats in Egypt and Europe visit www.truedepthfreediving.com!

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FAQ

How many episodes does The Freedive Cafe Podcast have?

The Freedive Cafe Podcast currently has 167 episodes available.

What topics does The Freedive Cafe Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Podcasts and Sports.

What is the most popular episode on The Freedive Cafe Podcast?

The episode title '#153 | Kateryna Sadurska | Depth And Strength' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Freedive Cafe Podcast?

The average episode length on The Freedive Cafe Podcast is 77 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast released?

Episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast are typically released every 14 days, 5 hours.

When was the first episode of The Freedive Cafe Podcast?

The first episode of The Freedive Cafe Podcast was released on Jul 2, 2017.

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The Freedive Cafe Podcast

Donny Mac - Freediver

Top 10 The Freedive Cafe Podcast Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does The Freedive Cafe Podcast have?

What topics does The Freedive Cafe Podcast cover?

What is the most popular episode on The Freedive Cafe Podcast?

What is the average episode length on The Freedive Cafe Podcast?

How often are episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast released?

When was the first episode of The Freedive Cafe Podcast?

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