The Freedive Cafe Podcast

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

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

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

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

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