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!

Donny is hosting the first ever Living Freediving Retreat in Dahab, Egypt from October 5 - 11.

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

Daan Verhoeven is best know for his amazing photography of freedivers. He hails from the Netherlands and now lives in Cornwall, UK. He started freediving in 2005. Between 2006 and 2011 he set national records in 5 of the 6 freediving disciplines. He is a freediving instructor with AIDA, SSI and PADI. He’s an AIDA judge and was voted safety diver of the year in 2010 and 2011. He has been a freediving photographer since 2011.

He lives together with his girlfriend Georgina Miller, who is also a freediver, in a house by the sea, and together they run a freediving school, Aquacity Freediving. They have 2 dogs, Beans and Charlie, and a grumpy cat called Johnny (after Johnny Cash). Daan loves ginger and cinnamon, the melodies of Tom Waits, the voice of Peter Gabriel and the colour orange. He also translates his father’s (Dutch philosopher Cornelis Verhoeven) work into English.

Daan previously appeared on episodes #2 and #102 of the podcast!

Donny is hosting the first ever Living Freediving Retreat in Dahab, Egypt from October 5 - 11.

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

Emilio Rodríguez-Álvarez is an archaeologist specialising in the archaeology of ancient Greece, the study of pottery technology, geographic Information Systems and maritime archaeology. He finished his B.A. at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Galicia) and took his M.A. from University of Reading (UK); after working in Galicia he moved to the University of Arizona (US), in order to work on his Ph.D.

Emilio is a keen freediver himself and is especially interested in the ancient divers of the Mediterranean, he’s done work on, for example, sponge harvesting in the archaeological record of the Mediterranean Basin.and also has a general fascination with all the indigenous, traditional freediving cultures still extant around the world and what we can learn from them.

In this episode we discuss:

Emilio is from Galicia!
How is the discipline of ancient archeology done and how is the science coming along?
Sponges as shock absorbers in helmets!
A collection of references to freediving in antiquity.
The difficulty of doing research and problems with exploring the evidence of ancient freediving.
How did humans start with freediving?
The search for surfers ear.
Neanderthals freediving in ancient Iraq?
Extant traditional freediving cultures around the world such as the Ama, Bajau, Moken etc.
The genetics of the Bajau Laut people and their enlarged spleens.
Ancient Polynesian diving for pearls.
Pearl diving in antiquity and in the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh
How deep have we been diving through history.
Aristotle and his ear perforation claims!
Ancient nose clips made from pearl shells.
Did Greek divers really deliberately blow out their ear drums?
Early depletion of sea life and how it affected freediving.
Ancient freediving masks and snorkels.
The problem with bronze knifes in the 6th century BCE.
Diving for sponges in the Mediterranean and how it was done.
What were they doing with a mouthful of olive oil?! Ancient flashlight?!
The story of Yorgos Haggi Statti.
Dances that imitate divers health issues.
The role of female freedivers in ancient Greece.
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS

Donny is hosting the first ever Living Freediving Retreat in Dahab, Egypt from October 5 - 11.

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

Gus Kreivenas is a 100+m diver originally from Lithuania and over the last decade has been developing himself into an elite freediver, focusing on awareness, sensitivity and focus to bring himself to this level in the safest and most enjoyable way.

This is a Training Talk episode originally released on Freedive Cafe PLUS at www.patreon.com/freedivecafe

Enjoy and share the love, and DIVE SAFE!

Donny is hosting the first ever Living Freediving Retreat in Dahab, Egypt from October 5 - 11.

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

Sara Campbell is a bit of a legend in the freediving community.

She is a Kundalini Yoga teacher, and four times World Record-holding freediver. She is the founder of Discover Your Depths, a unique teaching and personal growth philosophy based on yoga, meditation, freediving and mind-body awareness.

Sara has been practising Kundalini Yoga since 2003, and attributes her phenomenal success in breath-hold diving – from beginner to three-times World Record holder in just nine months (diving to 90m below the surface of the ocean on just one breath!) – to her practice. She is one of only a handful of women to have dived below 100m.

In this episode we discuss:

Sara was still in Dahab at the time of the interview.
How has Sara been handling the Covid situation?
And how has it been in Dahab in general?
What has Sara been up to in the 3 years since we last spoke?
About Discover Your Depths and the creation of Holistic Freediving.
What are the main mental and emotional barriers during a freediver's journey?
The mirroring of life's challenges in the underwater challenges.
What does it mean to act in integrity with our goals?
A tangent to discuss Donny's lack of dental hygiene.
Recommendations for people to make positive changes in their lives.
Sara is relocating to the Canary Islands!
Questions from Daan Verhoeven about why she insists on being addressed as 'Ma'am' and her Dynamic PB.
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS

Donny is hosting the first ever Living Freediving Retreat in Dahab, Egypt from October 5 - 11.

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

Adam Stern is an Australian freediving athlete, Australian champion and 8 x Australian freediving record holder. 

He also teaches freediving for all levels from absolute beginner all the way up to instructor and competitor levels.

This is an interview from the PLUS archives, recorded in May 2019.

Donny is hosting the first ever Living Freediving Retreat in Dahab, Egypt from October 5 - 11.

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

Daan Verhoeven is best know for his amazing photography of freedivers. He hails from the Netherlands and now lives in Cornwall, UK. He started freediving in 2005. Between 2006 and 2011 he set national records in 5 of the 6 freediving disciplines. He is a freediving instructor with AIDA, SSI and PADI. He’s and AIDA judge and was voted safety diver of the year in 2010 and 2011. He has been a freediving photographer since 2011.

He lives together with his girlfriend Georgina Miller, who is also a freediver, in a house by the sea, and together they run a freediving school, Aquacity Freediving. They have 2 dogs, Beans and Charlie, and a grumpy cat called Johnny (after Johnny Cash). Daan loves ginger and cinnamon, the melodies of Tom Waits, the voice of Peter Gabriel and the colour orange. He also translates his father’s (Dutch philosopher Cornelis Verhoeven) work into English.

In this episode we discuss:

Daan has been with the podcast all the way!
Daan managed to get to Cyprus in 2020 for the Infinity Depth Games
Arnauld Jerald and Alexey Molchanov competing for a world record was definitely a highlight for the sport in an otherwise subdued year for freediving.
The challenges of living through the pandemic as a travelling photographer.
Why has Taiwan done so well during the pandemic?
The rise of online coaching in freediving.
Shout out to Linda Paganelli.
Why is Daan experimenting with cold water immersion?
What have been the highlights of the last three and a half years?
What is the funniest thing that he’s seen in that time?
And the most disappointing thing?
Thoughts on the Freediving World Series
Whatever happened to Jump Blue?
A question from Sara to Daan about his birthday suit.
A question from Sheena McNally.
And pineapple on pizza, yay or nay?
A question from Danny about snail farts.
A question from Alexandre about inappropriate nicknames.
A question from Ben Gardiner about Daan’s last ever picture.
A question from Farron about nude pictures of Daan, and more..
A question from Catherine about the weirdest picture Daan has ever taken.
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS – PATREON
Does Donny’s voice induce MDR?

Donny is hosting the first ever Living Freediving Retreat in Dahab, Egypt from October 5 - 11.

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

Julia Mouce is an instructor for SSI, AIDA, Apnea Total and PADI as well as an Instructor Trainer for Apnea Total and PADI, she is an accomplished competition freediver herself, holding records for Argentina in CWT and CNF.
She is also the owner of a very well-known school in Bali, Apnea Bali and another school, Freedive Air, on Gili Air, just off the Lombok coast.

Julia is especially well known for her success in coaching some of the world’s top athletes, and as one of the most experienced instructors in Asia, having introduced hundreds of new students to the sport she is madly passionate about.

This episode first aired on Freedive Cafe PLUS through Patreon.

Donny is hosting the first ever Living Freediving Retreat in Dahab, Egypt from October 5 - 11.

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

Donny is currently based in Xiao Liuqiu, Taiwan.
Donny is from Scotland and has lived in the Netherlands, Finland, Australia and Thailand among other places.
An early exposure to freediving through the Big Blue movie and a long time waiting for the right time to start.
Viktor Reshetniak was Donny's first freediving instructor and he did AIDA4 at Freediving Planet with Jean Pol Francois in The Philippines before heading back to Gili Trawangan to do his first instructor course with Viktor again at Freedive Gili.
The inception of Freedive Taiwan.
Can he train and teach at the same time?
Being coached by Aharon Solomons.
Long-term goals?
Thoughts on nutrition and the journey from plant-based to meat again.
The inception of The Freedive Cafe podcast.
The always pertinent issue of lung squeeze.
Dry breath-hold training and pranayama.
Are there too many female guests on the show?
Where would I relocate if I could choose anywhere?
Favourite things to do apart from freediving.
DESERT ISLAND QUESTIONS
Plans for the future
How to contact Donny
Why does he freedive?

Donny is hosting the first ever Living Freediving Retreat in Dahab, Egypt from October 5 - 11.

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

In this episode we discuss:

Jani is from Lima, Peru

Jani got interested in freediving through a scuba accident!

He did his first course with William Trubridge and became an instructor under Jonathan Sunnex.

Work as a medic at competitions and burgeoning interest LMC and Blackout.

Developing the freediving scene in Peru.

Jani is a neurosurgeon.

Jani is a member of the AIDA medical committee and directs the medical communications.

The medical part of freediving is a new frontier.

Jani's main interest is the clinical presentation of cerebral hypoxia.

Definitions of terms.

Symptoms and signs of loss of motor control (LMC)

The many variants of syncope (blackout)

The worrying decerebrate posture and it's appearance during blackout.

Jani's own expereinces with LMC and blackout.

How easy is it to do inadvertant hyperventilation?

Is there such a thing as post-blackout syndrome and comparisons to concussion.

Are certain individuals more prone to syncope?

Is hyperventilation really the biggest cause of blackout?

Jani's ideas for a quick and easy neurological assesment of freedivers without a medical professional present, for examlpe in the case where DCS is suspected.

The MFSCO2 acronym and how to use it.

Shout out to Kerry Hollowell?

A Patreon question from Matthias about best recovery for LMC and blackout.

A Patreon question from Ted Manasa about permanent brain damage.

Is there such a thing as 'apnea brain'

Thoughts on LMC support and blackout rescue techniques.

Thoughts on best way to perform recovery breathing.

Jani's interests outside of freediving.

Desert Island Questions Session.

Plans for the future.

Shout out to Carla Hanson, William Trubridge, Walid Boudhiaf, Jonny Sunnex and Tom Ardavany among others...

Shout out to Farron Taijeron.

Donny is hosting the first ever Living Freediving Retreat in Dahab, Egypt from October 5 - 11.

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