The Freedive Cafe Podcast

Donny Mac - Freediver
  • 4.8 (68)
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  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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

  1. #174 | Jack Webb | Jungle Freediver

    MAR 8

    #174 | Jack Webb | Jungle Freediver

    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 Content Why 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.com To support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

    1h 19m
  2. #173 | Martin McPhilimey | Breath Science

    MAR 1

    #173 | Martin McPhilimey | Breath Science

    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 emotion What 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 CONTENT For all episodes of The Freedive Cafe Podcast, information about freediving courses, coaching, workshops and retreats in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.truedepthfreediving.com To support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

    1h 19m
  3. #172 | Pedro Tapia | The Inner Dive

    FEB 21

    #172 | Pedro Tapia | The Inner Dive

    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.com To support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

    1h 31m
  4. #171 | Lisa Davidsson | The Surf Psychologist

    FEB 13

    #171 | Lisa Davidsson | The Surf Psychologist

    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 CONTENT Why 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.com To support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

    1h 25m
  5. #170 | Nataliia Zharkova | Resurgence

    12/02/2025

    #170 | Nataliia Zharkova | Resurgence

    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 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 narcosis Attitude towards diet and nutrition. The joys of quitting coffee. We discuss the doping scandal in freediving in depth. DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - Patreon Exclusive Section What 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.com To support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

    1h 9m
  6. #169 | Zsófia Törőcsik | Phenom

    11/07/2025

    #169 | Zsófia Törőcsik | Phenom

    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 Content 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.com To support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

    1h 16m
  7. #168 | Anna-Karina Schmitt | Sweet Water

    09/28/2025

    #168 | Anna-Karina Schmitt | Sweet Water

    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 EXCLUSIVE A 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.com To support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

    1h 40m
  8. #167 | Juani Valdivia | Freediving Doctor

    08/22/2025

    #167 | Juani Valdivia | Freediving Doctor

    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.com To support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

    1h 38m
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4.8
out of 5
68 Ratings

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Donny Mac - Freediver
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    177
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Freedive Cafe Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Freedive Cafe Podcast

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