The Freedive Cafe Podcast

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 the 7 years since she was last here? Alenka got married! Congratulations! Alenka's feelings on the recent doping scandal in freediving. What has changed most in Alenka's training over the last 5 years? The important role of Tea Košnjek, Alenka's strength and technique coach. How important is pool training for freediving? Alenka describes her approach to periodisation. How many times does she train strength at this time of year? The importance of balance in life, and treating oneself every so often. How does one maintain strength close to a competition? The importance of the mental and spiritual dimensions of freediving. How important is visualisation? What is Alenka's experience with narcosis? The importance of clarity of mind and vision and purpose in life. How important is having a training plan? DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - PATREON EXCLUSIVE Why does Alenka freedive? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

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 Davide was originally released on Patreon in October 2020. To become a supporter of the podcast through Patreon visit: https://www.patreon.com/freedivecafe Davide also appeared on Episodes #22 and #151 For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Kateryna Sadurska is a world record holding freediving athlete from Ukraine. Kate joined me at The Little Blue in Dahab to discuss her amazing 2023, how she trained for those huge dives and how her philosophy of freediving is evolving. She first appeared on Episode #139 of the podcast. In this episode we discuss: This was the first Freedive Cafe interview filmed at The Little Blue | Freediver's Oasis in Dahab. Kate first appeared on Episode #139 of The Freedive Cafe. A breakdown of Kate's last year including some incredible World Records in CNF. Congratulations on Kate's first 100m dive! No fins workshops with Stefan Randig. Donny is older than Stefan. Very important to note! Kate's challenges with equalisation and how it's progressing. Ukrainian boycott of competitions in protest at Russian athletes being allowed to compete. Dealing with the stress of Ukraine being under attack. Donny's one-man-mission to do away with alarms. What are the biggest changes Kate has made in her approach to training? Kate started working with Samo Jeranko for the 2023 season. Getting into the gym for the first time. When did Kate know she could do the world record. How did Kate and Samo periodise the training in preparation for the big competitions? What kind of strength training was she doing? How important is strength training for freediving? Did they use cardio training, too? Kate's best advice for no fins diving. The importance of managing buoyancy in no fins. How important has nutrition been for Kate? On plant-based/vegan diets. Is Kate taking any particular supplements for freediving? On protein supplementation. About Kate's swimwear brand (www.saobrand.com) Kate's plans for this year (2024). For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

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. 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. Franks experience with squeezes and how he overcame them. What would Frank research with unlimited funds? Why does Frank freedive? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Davide Carrera was born in Turin in Italy and began freediving as a child during his summers spent in Leguria. He has was part of the World Championship winning teams of 1996 and 2001 and established a FIM world record shortly after when he dove to 91m. He moved away from the competitive sphere in the end and went on to study yoga extensively, and he integrates that into his freediving, and it was his tale of solitary wandering across the mediterranean in his 28 foot trimaran that inspired my first interest in Davide. We first spoke 5 years ago on episode 22 of the freedive cafe podcast, now we meet, face t face in Dahab, to discuss his recent return to the very top tier of the freediving competitive scene and what it takes to dive 130m deep. 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'? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Alexey Molchanov is a multi-world record holding and world record breaking freediving athlete and arguably the greatest and most consistent freediving athlete of all time. 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? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

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. 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 Samy 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? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

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. 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? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Khaled ELGammal 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. In this episode we discuss: Khaled was fresh back from Kuwait where he was acting as safety diver for the CMAS Indoor World Championships. Shout out to co-host Jordy Duncan who is competing for Australia at the AIDA World Championships in Jeju, South Korea. Khaled is originally from Cairo. He left his corporate job in oil and gas to focus on freediving full time. He was a competitive swimmer when he was younger. AIDA Instructor Trainer and Egyptian National record holder. Shout outs to David Mellor and Dave McGoo. Shout out to Harry Chamas. How was the journey to 100m? What was the first 100m dive like? Shout out to Gus Kreivenas and what it's like to train with him. What kind of complementary training went into his training? Strength, flexibility? Shout out to Shaza at Sharkfit gym in Dahab. Training statics for depth? Khaled's experience with barotrauma. The benefits of instructing/coaching for maintaining a good base level of diving fitness. What are Khaled's plans for competition in 2023? Discussing the Egyptian freediving scene and the future of the sport in the country. The diving scene in Dahab town. DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - PATREON EXCLUSIVE Why does he freedive? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Gary McGrath is the deepest ever self-propelled freediver from the UK, claiming a national record of 112m in CWT at 2022's Vertical Blue competition. In this episode we catch up with Gary since last years amazing Vertical Blue performance and examine the dark places in our mental environments, open up about depression, anxiety and seeking help, and sincerely hope you benefit from this discussion ❤️ Also watch on YouTube at Freedive and Thrive. In this episode we discuss: Second time lucky! Catching up with Gary since his 2022 Vertical Blue experience. The difficult and expensive process of getting to Vertical Blue. How does one get into VB anyway? Gary lost all his gear on the way to Vertical Blue! What turning up at the Blue Hole feels like. The journey from disqualification and COVID in 2021 to the UK national record in 2022. The Vertical Blue 2022 experience. Crowdfunding for Gary's next VB appearance: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-gary-get-to-vertical-blue What changed in training for Gary between 2021 and 2022? Gary's experience with mental health problems. Depression, anxiety and how we deal with them, overcome them. Imposter syndrome in the freediving elite. Please feel free to reach out to Gary or myself if you are suffering similar issues. What advice would Gary give to his ten years younger self? Thank you for listening x For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Miguel Lozano is one of the deepest freedivers in the world. He first appeared on episode #67 of The Freedive Cafe podcast! This interview is also available in video format on the Freedive and Thrive Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/XW-Y_zBHixw In this episode we discuss: Miguel and I last spoke in January 2020, recorded an interview and forgot to release it! About Miguel's Deep Camp in Dahab. The structure of the Deep Camp. What Miguel's been up to these past 3 years. Miguel's thoughts on the current condition of the freediving competition scene. Advice on equalisation (lack of rhythm and speed is the problem) Advice on dry training and complementary training for freediving. Advice for instructors who wish to train . Advice on periodisation for freediving training through the year. The evolution of the Freedive Cafe Podcast over time. On the use of dive computers and alarms in freediving. Advice on dealing with squeezes and thoughts on passive exhale diving and RV (residual volume diving). Advice on technicalities of training the different disciplines. How does Miguel do a 60 metre dive that takes 7 minutes ?!?! Shout out to Julia Mouce at Apnea Bali! Will Miguel return to world record attempts? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Stefan Randig is a German competitive freediver based in Dahab, Egypt. He first appeared on episode #10 of The Freedive Cafe: https://freedivecafe.com/2017/10/01/10-stefan-randig-freedive-panglao/ In this episode we discuss: The last time Stefan and I talked was in 2017, on episode #10 of The Freedive Cafe! (link above) 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 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. For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Jordy Duncan is not only my awesome co-host on the Freediving Journal News Dispatch, but an up and coming elite freediver in her own right. Jordy has only been diving for around 2 years but has managed to achieve distances in the pool of more than 200m, which for me is an absolutely mind-blowing achievement! Perhaps more interesting than Jordy's rapid rise as a freediving athlete is to see that in the context of where she's coming from.... Jordy has struggled with an eating disorder for much of her life and her discovery of freediving and applying herself to it has been instrumental in her recovery. In this episode we discuss: Jordy is originally from Townsville, North Queensland, and is now located in Brisbane. Shout out to Townsville and Cairns folks! Shout out to Jack Webb at Freedive Far North Queensland. Shout out to Ant Judge. Getting burnt out at a young age from swimming. Weight gain after quitting swimming. Start of a party lifestyle and drinking a lot. The development of Jordy's bulimia and what bulimia nervosa is as a medical condition. Crying out for help and not knowing how to ask. Jordy was offically diagnosed with bulimia nervosa at age 21. Working ski-seasons on Japan and France. First time going to hospital for recovery. Did Jordy know how underweight she had become? Why is bulimia a taboo subject? Comparing alcoholism and eating disorders. Jordy's discovery of freediving through Tinder! Black-outs and an underwater black-out. Starting coaching with Samo Jeranko (#87) Moving in with Amber Bourke! (#40) Jordy is one of the best pool freedivers in the world and only getting better! How, where and when does Jordy train? Goal to compete at AIDA Pool World Championships in June. Let's help Jordy get to South Korea! Jordy works for the Queensland state government in human resources. Jordy's plans for 2023. The ongoing struggle of our conditions and addictions. How does Jordy fuel herself for training now, and deal with food and the complicated issues she has with it? DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - Patreon Exclusive Shout out to special people. Why does she freedive? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

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 all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

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. In this episode we discuss: Tito and Kat's plans for the winter. Only 3 people in 7 years who pissed 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? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Ali Okab is the boss and face of the world-famous Aqua Marina, located right at the Blue Hole north of Dahab, Egypt. His restaurant is the starting point for all freediving adventures in the Blue Hole and the de facto family house for freedivers from all over the world. In this episode we discuss: Ali's full name is Ali Rekab Ali Ali Okab. Aqua Marina is a home for all the freedivers of the world. The challenges of running a restaurant at the Blue Hole. Ali's realisation about freediving and its people through the trials of the COVID era. Ali is from Alexandria. He was working as a taxi driver before moving to Sinai. Ali's initial confusion about the sport of freediving. A free freediving course from Lotta Ericson. Ali has been at the Blue Hole for 23 years! About the special service offered by Ali at Aqua Marina. The amazing food and the good price! AIDA supplied a defibrillator for the restaurant. How freediving in the Blue Hole has changed over the years. How to look after and care for this unique environment. Shout out to Mohammend, the thinking mind! Ali's new place in Dahab town. For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Kateryna Sadurska is a multiple record holder and Ukrainian champion. Kat has a background as a synchronised swimmer and even made it to the Olympics in Rio to represent Ukraine in that sport, and later turned her attention to our wonderful sport of freediving where she has rapidly been rising to the elite levels, especially in her pool performances. In this episode we discuss: Katerina is from Mykolaiv, Ukraine. She has a background in synchronised swimming and did that for 17 years. Going to the Olympics and World Championships to compete. How Kat discovered freediving through underwater photography. Comparison of breath-holding skills in freediving and synchronised swimming. A first freediving competition in Poland. A first national record of 175m in dynamic monofin! A first depth course in Odessa, on the Black Sea. A first depth competition in Bonaire. Becoming a freediving instructor and working with Nataliia Zharkova. The most recent World Championships and her results. Out-break of invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Working at Freediving World Sharm El Sheikh, school of Andrea Zuccari. The lead up to Belgrade world championships, and training and lack of training. At the time of recording Kat's husband and mother were in Kharkiv, under pressure from the Russian invasion. Shout out to all the great Ukrainian divers who aren't able to dive at the moment. What are her current limitations to going deeper? Shout out to Amber Bourke! About No Fins and the possibility of a World Record. What complementary training does Kat do? How much help did a synchronised swimming background give her? Nutrition and the importance of Coca Cola. Has she had much experience with lung barotrauma? Crucial advice for aspiring deep divers. DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS Kateryna's swimwear brand: https://saobrand.com Why does she freedive? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Denis Grosmaire was raised in the pacific island nation of French Polynesia, travelling for island to island as a kid with his mom, growing up in the ocean from a very young age. However, he didn't dive deeper than 30m or take a freediving course until he was 39 years old. After that he very quickly rose up through the competition ranks and now dives well over 100m. Denis also has a fascinating relationship with sharks. He spends hours and hours in the waters of French Polynesia with Tiger sharks and has fought hard to win some amazing conservation victories there. In this episode we discuss: Denis was in Dahab in August 2022 for training in preparation for competition. Denis is based on a remote island in French Polynesia called Tikehau. Denis grew up on many islands in French Polynesia. Selling a house and giving up and office job to become a freediving instructor. Long background in spearfishing and diving but didn't take a course until age 39, and didn't dive deeper than 30m! Opening a school in French Polynesia in September 2016. The difficulty of being a freediving instructor on French territory. A stressful first competition in 2018. The difficulty of training in Tahiti. Next competition was Vertical Blue in 2018 and got into the 90s! Denis had achieved 105m in FIM at the time of recording. Mental coaching. The importance of meditation and visualisation. What is Denis training plan? Finding tiger sharks to dive with. The devastation caused by shark finning and what Denis did about it. Protecting sharks and Polynesian culture. The problem of Chinese vessels coming into Tahitian waters to get shark fins. Advice for people who wish to interact with sharks. PATREON SPECIAL - Desert Island Questions For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Bizo Silva is an Emergency Medicine physician practicing in a trauma center in Northern California, USA. He specialized in lung ultrasound in trauma. Bizo took part in much of the basic research and development of methods on how lung ultrasound is practiced today. After working for a few years in a very busy trauma center in Brazil, he moved to the USA in 2007. He discovered freediving on a vacation to Hawaii, and shortly after decided to shift careers towards freediving medicine after he was blown away by the fascinating physiology of this unusual sport. In this episode we discuss: Bizo grew up in Brazil, went to med school there. He met his partner in New York and has lived in the US for 17 years. He has a masters in lung ultrasound and contusion. At what point did freediving enter his life? He started getting interested in freediving while on a trip to Hawaii. Took a level 1 courses with Ben Zyons. The difference between lung contusion and pulmonary barotrauma. Clarifying the term 'oedema', compared to contusion. Call back to Ep#21 with Ron Chapman, discussing the death of Nick Mevoli. What does 'lung squeeze' mean, exactly? (we don't know). What is remodelling of the vasculature around the alveoli? Not only a vasogenic adaptation, but also structural changes in walls of blood vessels. Shout out to Aharon Solomons and Tommy and Happy Birthday! Shout out to Juani Valdivia! What changes happen in the structure of lungs in high altitude situations? Altitude pulmonary oedema quite similar to lung squeeze. The gradation of different levels of lung squeeze. Not only hydrostatic stress but also sheer stress. Comparing CT scans and lung ultrasound. A portable lung ultrasound attachment for an iPad can be had for around 2-3k. Link to lung ultrasound study I participated in during the 2022 Taiwanese Cup. What issues did Bizo bring up with that study? What are B-lines? Why are they not the same thing as lung comets. Clarifying the terminology. How informative are lung ultrasounds to the trained observer? How quickly can the lung recover as long as there is no structural rupture. Development of condition similar to scar tissue/'pulmonary fibrosis' Why do some people squeeze more than other? Comparing the lungs of healthy individual smokers to long-term smokers. Donny's history with smoking. Uniformity of lung injury is important. Can a lung ultrasound detect COPD? Lung ultrasounds can only see the surface of the lungs. What was problematic about the conclusions of the lung ultrasound study? How ultrasound really works. Donny's lung ultrasound images. What is atelectasis and how does it generate B-lines? What is the value of checking SaO2 (oxygen saturation) after dives? What is CPAP and what can it do for us? The problem with pure O2! What is the benefit of recovery breath and should we still do it? Should we pack after the dive? Anecdote of a man who saved himself from heart attack with coughing. What is SIPE (swimming induced pulmonary oedema)? Difficulty of monitoring O2 and doing lung ultrasound while in the water. What is the current state of competition medical care? DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS - PATREON EXCLUSIVE Why does Bizo freedive? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com

Alex Llinas is from Colombia and holds several national records. He dived his first 100m during competition at this years AIDA World Championships in Roatan. His story of spending years in immigration limbo, battling cancer and losing his father before going on to become a top freediving athlete is truly inspirational. In this episode we discuss: Alex is from Colombia About San Andres island, Colombia Then to life in Medellin. From Colombia to Charlotte, NC A slightly complicated immigration issue... Leaving then real job for a life of freediving. Discovering he has lymphoma. Dealing with the effects of cancer treatment. A terrible infection that kicked his ass. Great dives at the Freediving World Cup in Sharm. What makes CNF so challenging, and what makes someone good at it? What has been limiting Alex so far is his equalisation. Switching from pain cave mentality to listening to your body. Alex's experience with lung squeezes. The 'culture of squeezing' in freediving. How structured is Alex's coaching and how is coaching from Vitomir Maricic? Shout out to Stefan Randig. The evolution of freediving as a serious sport. Alex was in the new Black Panther movie! PATREON EXCLUSIVE | DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS (www.patreon.com/freedivecafe) Shout out to influential people. Plans for the future. Why does he freedive? For all episodes of the Freedive Cafe Podcast, visit www.freedivecafe.com For freediving courses and training in Dahab, Egypt, visit www.freediveandthrive.com