The Freedive Café Podcast

14/08/2024

Dear Freedivers of the World,

Today on The Freedive Café Podcast, a Deep Dive into the world of freediving training and lifestyle methodology. Samo Jeranko is an elite-level freediving athlete and coach to many of the world's best up and coming freediving athletes.

Listen on the website and all good podcast players...
https://freediveandthrive.com/podcast/

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 having young children affect his ability to train?
Samo is working as a freediving coach both in person and online.
We discuss the Norwegian Method - the advanced training methodology of Norway’s top athletes.
A question from Patreon supporter Matthias about specific testing for his coached athletes.
The importance of good aerobic and strength bases in the early part of the season.
The biggest mistake freediving athletes make when planning their season.
About the 10 x 50 DNF exercise and its value.
How to train Co2 with dry exercises.
A question from Patreon supporter Vittorio about using dry exercises to facilitate depth adaptation.
How does Samo approach the situation where a client suffers from barotrauma?
Thoughts on partially empty and fully empty lung dives.
On the dangers of hyperventilation.
Deep dive into the dynamics of strength training for freediving and periodisation.
Differences between male and female athletes and the influence of the menstrual cycle on training.
Tips on the best way to recover and get ready for the next dive session.
Nervous system repair and recovery.
The three fundamentals of recovery
Transcendental meditation.
A question from Patreon supporter Darren about rebuilding trust after a blackout.
Thoughts on the current state of freediving organisations and the doping scandal.

26/06/2024

Dear Freediving Family,

Episode #156 of The Freedive Cafe Podcast is available now on all good podcast players!

Today, we meet Stéphane Tourreau, an elite level freediver from France.

Listen here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1mfVZoiUCn5QTZzh9oihYY?si=42a6324c925d4b04

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 recovery.
His experience of getting DCS at Vertical Blue
About Stephane’s rate of progression, and a 4 year lack of progression.
The importance of careful planning and keeping a log.
What are the benefits of passive exhale dives?
52m on full exhale!
Stephane’s experience with squeezing.
Experience with narcosis and adaptation to narcosis.
Mindfulness as a tool for deep diving.
What is the best way to increase hypoxic tolerance?
Thoughts on doping in freediving.
Why does he (continue to) freedive?

Photo Credit: Alexander Gendron

27/02/2024

Dear Friends of Freediving...something from Frank Pernett....

"So the main trigger is the CO2, that's true. But also the low levels of oxygen. So when you get high levels of CO2 and low levels of oxygen, then the contractions can increase, so you feel it a little bit more.

But we also have what are called stretch receptors in the lungs. So when you have your lungs inflated, the stretch receptors are sending a signal saying you need to exhale, you need to breathe out again, because we are not supposed to have the lungs inflated all the time. So if you are packing, you are over-stretching the receptors, and then you are diving and you have compression of the chest.

So that combination of big lung volumes and then pressure from the increased barometrical pressure, that can induce, that can give a signal to breathe. So of course, I don't have data to back it up, but that's what I feel is causing the early contractions on the way down. That could be related with the chest flexibility, but it's mainly related with the change in pressure over the chest."

For the full transcript of our fascinating conversation about freediving science and physiology, go HERE!:

Frank Pernett joins me to discuss the dive response, hypoxia and CO2 tolerance in this freediving science special.

24/02/2024

Dear Friends of Facebook!

If you have (extensive) experience diving with fevers of rays, please get in touch, I have a question for you!

🙏🏼

04/02/2024

Freedivers, I've got something a little bit special for you today!

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!

Listen here:
https://freediveandthrive.com/podcast/
or on all good podcast players.

(This episode with Davide was originally released on Patreon in October 2020.)

Enjoy, please share, and consider supporting on Patreon🙏🏼:
www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

15/01/2024

Dear Freedive Cafe Podcast Patreon Family!

First of all, Happy New Year, if I didn't get you already!

The latest Solosode is now available for your listening pleasure. A huge recap of my year and what I have planned for 2024. It's raw, it's honest, and it's the rambliest ramble yet!

Available on your Patreon dashboard and my main website:
https://freediveandthrive.com/members/

22/12/2023

On the latest episode of The Freedive Café Podcast!

Frank Pernett is originally from Colombia. He has been freediving his whole life and been involved in the deep freediving and freediving competition scenes for many years. He is currently based in Sweden where he is working towards his PhD under the watchful eye of freediving scientist Erika Schagatay

Frank is a wealth of knowledge about freediving science and physiology and today we discuss some of the traditional topics of freediving science that interest us most as well as some new approaches to understanding the dive response and we talk in detail about what can cause lung squeeze and what protocols we might follow to prevent them.

Listen HERE:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0bwMm4Rj3nkca62PrIVUlb?si=2cac1916b48047ed

In this episode we discuss:

Frank is from a Columbian island, San Andres in the Caribbean Sea.
Frank has been freediving since he was a kid.
He moved to Sweden to work on his Phd with Erika Schagatay.
How Vertical Blue has changed over the years.
What makes freediving such a unique sport?
Frank's main interests and areas of research.
Common misconceptions about freediving
Deep dive into the dive response (bradycardia and vasoconstriction).
A description of vasoconstriction.
The relation between vasoconstriction and depth.
Is a lower resting heart rate better for freediving?
CO2 and CO2 tolerance.
About early contractions and stretch receptors.
How is CO2 actually measured in the body.
Hypoxia and black out.
How oxygen and CO2 are affected by fasting and diet.
Lower temperatures to reduce O2 consumption.
Frank's experience with squeezes and how he overcome them.
What would Frank research with unlimited funds?
Why does Frank freedive?

03/12/2023

Dear Dahab!

I am delighted to announce that the first official guest workshop in my new freediver's space on the waterfront will be with Roberto Butera.

Roberto is an expert in the teaching of hands-free equalisation. We all know it is a skill that can be learned, but do you know how to go about that? Which exercises to do, etc?

Well, this is your chance to find out. This 2 day workshop will give you tools you need to develop your hands-free equalisation:

Dates: 8-9 December

Schedule:

Day 1
09:00 - 11:00 Theory
11:30 - 13:30 Pool Session

Day 2
09:00 - 10:30 Theory
11:00 - 12:30 Depth Session
13:30 Debrief and Q&A Session

DM for more information!

16/10/2023

Dear Oceanic Lovemakers,

Davide Carrera returns to The Freedive Cafe Podcast!
We met face-to-face in Dahab and had a thought-provoking conversation about the deeper meaning of freediving.

Episode #151 is now available on all good podcast players, and the video version is available on YouTube!

Website:
https://freedivecafe.com/2023/10/16/151-davide-carrera-become-free/

Spotify:
https://spotify.link/Z6lEAIaUVDb

Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvTYLYd6Swc&t=411s

Please share if you value the work I do here 🙏🏼

In this episode we discuss:

Thanks to Dahab Freedivers and Carlos Diezel for letting us use the Dahab Freedivers space.
A possibly lost episode of TFC with Davide?!
What brings Davide to Dahab after so long?
Thoughts on changes in Dahab and seeing the positive before the negative.
Thoughts on the recent doping scandal in the freediving world.
A philosophical and spiritual approach to freediving.
Why social media conversations are so flawed.
What invigorated Davide to perform a 130m dive at this point in his career, what has changed over the years?
About continuing to train through the winter in thicker wetsuits.
New top-secret 8mm wetsuit material on the way?
Training hard to dive easy.
Davide's technique has grace and beauty, should that be a focus of freedivers?
A question from Rodrigo about his beautiful monofin technique.
About cakras.
Why does Davide remove the nose clip so deep?
Can Davide retrieve air at 100m+?
Back when packing and mouthfill were cheating!
Davide has only had one squeeze!
Davide's experience with narcosis.
Static at 110m!
Davide calls Spain home now.
Will his son, Nero, become a deep freediver?
How Davide meditates, 3 or 4 times a day.
What are 'Hurt Salutations'?

30/09/2023

Dear Amazing Oceangoers and Seagazers!

Today we arrive at a very special landmark on The Freedive Cafe Podcast's journey. Episode #150! And who better to celebrate that number with than the legend himself, Alexey Molchanov!

A million thank yous to everyone who has listened and supported over the years ❤️

Listen here and on all good podcast players:
https://spotify.link/HpBVtJB0vDb

In this episode we discuss:

This is the 150th episode of The Freedive Cafe!
Alexey was in Cyprus at the time of recording, preparing for the AIDA World Championships.
Alexey's thoughts on the doping accusations against Vitomir Maricic and Petar Klovar and doping in freediving.
Is it time for new freediving organisations?
Talking about Alexey's competition and how his training has evolved since we last spoke.
Questions from patreon supporters Jordy and Matthias about Alexey's base training phase.
Question from Zoe about the benefits of swimming for beginner freedivers.
How does Alexey train his no fins leg lick?
A question from Maurice about recovery protocols.
The benefits of active recovery for Alexey's body type.
A question from Emile about lung squeeze and how the experience of squeeze has evolved over the years.
The importance of developing mobility of the breathing muscles and thoracic cage.
A question from Bizo Silva ( #137) about a special technique to counter contractions.
Hypoxic tolerance and how it evolves over the years.
Is no fins the key to improving hypoxic tolerance???
What is Alexey's experience with narcosis and does adaptation come over time?
A question from Kris about mental preparation before a dive.
A question from several patrons about what Alexey thinks his mum would think about the way the freediving world has changed in the last few years.
Why does Alexey freedive?

Photo Credit: Lia Barrett

15/09/2023

Hello Precious Podcast Supporters😘

Over on Patreon you now have access to Bevin Reynold's Desert Islands Questions section, an extra 30 minutes of her divine accent!

Find it here:
https://freediveandthrive.com/members/

14/09/2023

Dear Freedive Cafe Podcast fans,

We're back with another long-form interview with another inspiring freediver!

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Bevin Reynolds is a competitive pool freediver with multiple national and African continental records.

Despite only coming into the sport 18 months before her first AIDA Indoor World Championships this year, she took home 3 medals and the title of Vice-World Champion.

LISTEN:
https://freedivecafe.com/2023/09/14/149-bevin-reynolds-southern-star/

In this episode we discuss:

Bevin is from the suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa
She had an early affinity and feel for the water.
Started in swimming school at a very young age.
Getting into some bad habits at school.
Bevin did an honours degree in biotechnology, biochemistry and microbiology.
Bevin's experiences with the tragic loss of a best friend, coming out as gay and eating disorders.
Moving from science into psychology.
She is a swimming teacher to kids.
The physical decline that came from too much desk work, and significant scoliosis.
Living with pain.
Sara Ferguson shout out out, swimming around Easter Island for plastic pollution awareness.
A first pool session and making an impression on Ant Latimer.
Shout out to the Freedive Cafe Podcast.
Allergies and mouth-breathing.
Callback to Episode #54 with Patrick McKeown.
Shout out to Evan Walther, and Dean Chaouche.
Callback to Jordy Duncan's on Episode #143
Bevin is the first South African on the podcast.
Bevin's first competition (3.5 months after her first course)
Shout out to Samo Jeranko, Bevin's coach.
About being nervous to crowdfund for the World Championships.
Did she feel prepared for the World Champioships in Jeju, South Korea?
Mental preparations.
The stories we tell about ourselves, the false identities.
The power of self-affirmation.
How to deepen relaxation.
The power of hypnotherapy.
Has past competitive experience helped her deal with anxiety?
Donny expands on his answer to Why Do You Freedive?
What areas of freediving science interest Bevin most?
Down the rabbit hole of nervous systems and genetics.
Question from Patreon supporter, Matt Stow.
When will Bevin start training depth?
What stage of training is she at now?
A question from Kris, Patreon supporter about advice she would give to her younger self.
What does Bevin do outside of freediving for fun?
Bevin and I discuss the recent doping issues in freediving.
Shout outs to Bevin's partner, the freediving community in Cape Town, Samo Jeranko, crowd-funding contributors.
How to find out more about Bevin.
Why does she freedive?

19/08/2023

Another one for the Patrons!

(Yes, yes, I know there hasn't been new episodes for the regular listeners for a while, but at the end of next week we're back 😉 Can't give away too much but expect Bevin Reynolds and Davide Carrera for sure.)

Dear Patreon supporters, we have put together a WhatsApp group to make it easier to communicate. We can have a proper group chat there, which we can't do on the Patreon dashboard.

The other reason is to allow you to easily submit questions for the upcoming Q&A Episodes! Whenever a question springs to mind you would like answered, you can easily and quickly post it there.

To get the link for the Whatsapp group go HERE!:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/join-private-87764744

08/08/2023

Dear Sweet Patreon Supporters!

I received a number of comments/complaints that when watching the 30m Asana Routine video on the YouTube video, there are too many ads, and it's therefore difficult to follow along. I understand how annoying that can be!

Please understand that I don't currently have any control over how many ads are shown on those videos as my account is not monetised. The best way to get around that would be, if you haven't already subscribed to the YouTube channel, please do so. When I have 1000+ subscribers I believe I'll be able to manage those ads.

You can subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/

In the meantime, I have provided the audio from the video, starting at the start of the routine, so you can listen and follow along. This is perfect after you've learned all the postures from the video and have some autonomy and just need audio guidance to practice.

Here it is:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/essential-asana-87378051?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Please feel free to download it and put it on your phone, etc.

Many thanks for listening and supporting ###

Donny

30/07/2023

Dear Beautiful Supporters of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, through Patreon!

The latest of my verbal-vomiting one-take information downloads is available now over on the Patreon dashboard or on the 'Patreon' page at freediveandthrive.com!

Big Love to you all out there and dive safe ###

https://www.patreon.com/posts/solosode-9-86896801

In this episode:

Dahab living, so far...
Update on my training, 1 of 3 months complete.
Arabic language learning.
Thoughts on Vertical Blue doping scandal.
Thoughts on Vertical Blue this year.
October Competition Confirmed!
Competition in Dahab in November?

12/07/2023

Over on Patreon, for the faithful supporters, another 18 minutes of conversation with Shadi Türk, the legendary Desert Island Questions!

https://freediveandthrive.com/members/

10/07/2023

May I present to you the latest episode of The Freedive Cafe...

Shadi Türk is a Syrian former fixer and journalist who worked through 10 years of the terrible war in his home country. After reaching his breaking point in this capacity he embarked on a journey of discovery which led him to Kaş, Türkiye, and the new adventure of deep freediving.

https://freedivecafe.com/2023/07/09/148-shadi-turk-from-war-to-water/

In this episode we discuss:

Shadi was born and raised in Syria and moved to Türkiye when he was 18, where he studied architecture.
How Shadi became a fixer and a journalist.
The psychological impact of seeing so much death and destruction.
Shadi was working in Syria for 10 years in his fixing/journalistic capacity.
The emotional toll of this experience.
How did Shadi get out of Syria and into freediving?
Embarking on a journey along the Lycian Way.
How was Shadi's first experience of freediving?|
His first competition was a World Championships!
What is Shadi's motivation for continuing freediving?
Shadi was doing around 80m after only 1 year of training!
How Shadi ended up in the Philippines.
Shadi's current approach to training for freediving.
Experience with blackouts and squeezes?
Shadi and Donny's experience of narcosis from 'shallow' dives.
Could Shadi imagine taking freediving back to Syria?
PATREON EXCLUSIVE - Desert Island Questions
Shout out to some people!
Why does Shadi freedive?

Thank you for listening and supporting the podcast 🙏🏼 ###

05/07/2023

Another drop for the Patreon family. Here's an extra 18 minutes of Khaled ElGammal's interview, the famous Desert Island Questions!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/khaled-elgammal-85624920

04/07/2023

Hello My Dears!

For you legends who support The Freedive Cafe Podcast and Freedive and Thrive over on Patreon, I have some new content for you.

I'm training for a competition in Egypt in October, you can now access my 3 Month Plan, Weekly Detailed Training Schedule and Daily Training and Life Log.

Check out the Patreon dashboard or go to:
https://freediveandthrive.com/members/

22/06/2023

Dear Friends and Family of the Deep, the latest episode of The Freedive Café Podcast is available now for your viewing and listening pleasure!

On today's show, Khaled ElGammal. Khaled is Egypt's deepest diver and the first to reach the 100m mark. Today we hear about how Khaled left a corporate life working in oil and gas to dedicate himself to training for, and teaching freediving.

Watch the episode on the Freedive and Thrive YouTube channel and listen on all good podcast players!

Thank you for listening and supporting 🙏🏼❤️✌️

09/05/2023

Dear Fantastic Merfamily,

The latest episode of The Freedive Cafe Podcast is now available to listen to on all good podcast players and to watch on the Freedive and Thrive YouTube channel!

This episode features Gary McGrath. Gary has been on the show a couple of times discussing his background, training approach, and rise to elite level in freediving, but this time is a little different... Today we discuss Gary's experience with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. In this candid conversation we open up about these kinds of health problems and how we live with and transcend them...

Thank you for listening to the podcast 🙏🏼 If you enjoy the work I do here please consider sharing or recommending. If you really like it, also consider becoming an official supporter of the show.

Big Love & Dive Safe ###

21/04/2023

Dear Freediving Universe,

I am very happy to share the latest episode of the The Freedive Café Podcast!

Episode #145 welcomes one of the world's deepest men, Miguel Lozano, back to the show! We met in Dahab while Miguel was there running his 'Deep Camp', where I asked him to share some of his golden nuggets of wisdom for the world's aspiring deep divers.

Enjoy in HD Video at Freedive and Thrive (YouTube Channel):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW-Y_zBHixw&t=782s
And Audio Versions on all good podcast players!

Visit the Freedive & Thrive Website for freediving courses, podcasts and more:
https://freediveandthrive.com

18/04/2023

Dear Beautiful Waterbabies!

That sun-smooshed dirtbag there is me! Happy in my new home in Dahab 😊
I know it's been a dry few months on the Freedive & Thrive side, but as the season properly starts, things will heat up a bit!

Next week I will release the next SOLOSODE for patrons, and I will give them a detailed account of my last weeks in Thailand and my first month in Dahab (spoiler alert, I'm happier than a pig in s**t).

Tomorrow, I release the latest Freedive Cafe interview, with video, featuring the amazing Miguel Lozano. Next week, expect another one, with Gary McGrath.

Freediver Stories are going to be dropping regularly on YT and The Freediving Journal Podcast, and Jordy and I will be dropping this year's first News Dispatch at the beginning of May!

Please, please, please, please, please, please take a moment or two to follow this link to review my good self for the new Google business profile for Freedive and Thrive!!!! It really makes a huge difference to being found online. I was unable to transfer all my great 5 star reviews from Freedive Taiwan 😭 but you can help me get the ball rolling on this side of the world!

https://g.page/r/CfeR6e_TtEJLEBM/review

Love you guys to the depths of the ocean, I have a feeling it's going to be a fun and interesting year for our sport 🙏🏼

Big Love and Dive Safe!
Donny ###

20/03/2023

Dear Beautiful Denizens of the Depths,

My latest article for my website, Top 10 Freediving Safety Guidelines, written in collaboration with Jani Valdivia, is available to read now.

Visit the website, enjoy and please share freely 🙏🏼

https://freediveandthrive.com/2023/03/20/top-10-freediving-safety-guidelines/

09/03/2023

Time for February's Solosode! Exclusively for supporters of the podcasts and my work through Patreon....

Want an extra 25 minutes of my rambling musings? Find it here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/solosode-8-march-79769470

Today I ramble about...

Missing the ocean, depth, apnea...
Upcoming courses in Dahab and dates.
Incoming article on safety in collaboration with Juani Validivia.
Incoming 45m Stretching routine for recovery and relaxation.
Failed stretching video ... and my balls.
Chiang Mai final thoughts and considerations.
Review of the intensive Thai massage course.
About Koh Yao Noi island.
Training Muay Thai at KYN Phoenix.
Setting sights on one freediving competition in October.
About metal and physical health and where I'm at right now.
Training plans for Dahab.
Book recommendations.

Thanks for supporting my work, Big Love to you all and Dive Safe ###
Donny Mac

Become a supporter at patreon. com/freedivecafe

06/03/2023

Dear Freedive Café Faithful!

Time for a catch up with Stefan Randig!

Friend, training partner, personal driver and multiple German national record holder. Stefan and I first chatted on Episode #10 of The Freedive Café. Here we are 5 years later in Dahab!

Listen here and on all good podcast platforms:
https://freedivecafe.com/.../144-stefan-randig-living.../

YouTube video version is coming soon 🙂

If you appreciate my work, please consider supporting the podcast by sharing, commenting and becoming a Patreon supporter (patreon. com/ freedivecafe).

In this episode we discuss:

The last time Stefan and I talked was in 2017, on Episode #10 of The Freedive Cafe!
What happened to Freedive Panglao?
Stefan started his freediving journey in Dahab.
Shout out to our colleagues in The Philippines.
Dahab during COVID times.
What's it like to raise a child in Dahab?
Shout out to Carlos Diezel of Dahab Freedivers.
At the time of recording Stefan was fresh back from Vertical Blue 2022, how was his experience?
Shout out to Stefan's coach Dean Chaouche.
Stefan got a new German National Record for CNF with a dive of 77m.
Stefan is actually younger than Donny! So he should pay more respect to Donny!
Stefan's approach to training.
How the freediving lifestyle influences motivation.
Stefan hasn't blacked out yet in his career.
The difficulty of getting paid sponsorship in freediving.
Stefan's plans for 2023.
About the Deepspot challenge.
Thoughts on getting to Blue Element in Dominica in 2023.
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - PATREON EXCLUSIVE
A shout out to some special people.

Photo Credits:
Daan Verhoeven & Nanna Kreutzmann

04/02/2023

Dear Fishmen and Merwomen!

Can you imagine starting freediving at age 46 and diving your first 100m in your late 50s?

On today's episode of The Freedive Café Podcast, welcome Pete Botman.

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!

Listen here and on all good podcast players:

https://freedivecafe.com/2023/02/02/142-pete-botman-masters-champion/

If you enjoy what I'm doing, please share this and consider supporting my work on Patreon:

www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

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?

23/01/2023

Dear Freedive Café Faithful, episode #141 is dropping right now. Everybody put your hands together for ... Tito Zappalà!

Tito Zappalà is an Italian freediver and coach. He worked under the eye of Andrea Zuccari at Freediving World in Sharm el-Sheikh for five years before moving up to Dahab when he currently lives and coaches.

Listen here or on all good podcast players:
https://freedivecafe.com/2023/01/23/tito/

In this episode we discuss:

Tito and Kat's plans for the winter.
Only 3 people in 7 years who pi**ed him off!
Tito is from the galaxy and the stars, and ... specifically from Sicily, Italy.
Early start in freediving, spearfishing with his father.
Selling the family gold for a Gopro.
Tito's early work as an underwater photographer.
Starting work with Andrea Zuccari at Freediving World.
Working for Andrea for 5 years.
Why did Tito move up to Dahab.
Shout out to Kat4dive!
Shout out to Gus Kreivenas!
Tito's style of teaching and coaching in Dahab.
Shout out to Ali of Aqua Maria! The episode before this one!
Tito's first competition in the Blue Hole in 2021.
Jumping from 80m to 100m in two dives!
Tito's first 100m dive,
Tito's World Record attempt in Variable Weight (VWT)
What is Variable Weight?
Shout out to Walid Boudhiaf and his 150m World Record in VWT.
Shout out to Marco Nones!
Shout out to Carlos Diezel of Dahab Freedivers
Shout out to Stavros Kastrinakis of Freediving Club Greece.
Detailed information on the training process for the World Record attempt.
Is another attempt on the books?
Biggest mistakes in freediving safety?
Top tips for freediving equalisation.
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - Patreon Exclusive
Why does he freedive?

17/01/2023

Dear Freediving Tribe,

My biggest video project yet and episode #140 of The Freedive Cafe Podcast.

If you know who Ali is and where Aqua Marina is, then ... you know. If you don't, then this is the perfect introduction!

Full video interview with lots of footage from around Aqua Marina and the Blue Hole area.

Audio is up on Spotify and all good podcast players, of course!

Many thanks to everyone who made this possible, dive safe!

Ali Okab is the boss and face of the world-famous Aqua Marina restaurant, located right at the Blue Hole north of Dahab, Egypt.His restaurant is the starting...