JRE 1770 · June 27, 2024

Valentine Thomas

huntinghealthphilosophyenvironmentsports

Who is Valentine Thomas?

Valentine Thomas is a former attorney and financier turned free-diver, spear-fisher, chef, and author.

Topics and Timestamps

01Valentine Thomas transitioned from corporate law and finance to become a professional free-diver and spear-fisher
02Discussion about the psychology and physicality of free-diving, including breath-holding techniques and mental preparation
03Valentine shares experiences hunting and fishing in remote locations around the world
04Conversation covers the intersection of modern survival skills and ancient hunting techniques
05Valentine discusses writing and documenting his experiences as a chef and outdoorsman
06Joe and Valentine explore the appeal of disconnecting from urban life through ocean-based activities
▶Valentine explains his transition from law and finance to free-diving0:05:00
▶Deep dive into free-diving physiology and breath-holding techniques0:20:00
▶Discussion of hunting ethics and taking responsibility for your food0:45:00
▶Valentine describes cooking techniques and preparing wild-caught game1:10:00
▶Conversation about disconnecting from modern life through ocean activities1:35:00

The Show

Joe Rogan sits down with Valentine Thomas, a guy who made the kind of career pivot that sounds made up but somehow actually happened. This dude was pulling in money as a lawyer and financier, living the corporate grind, and then decided that wasn't it. Now he's one of the world's premier free-divers and spear-fishers, which is basically the most badass way to completely change your life.

The conversation digs into what makes someone leave six figures on a desk to go hold their breath underwater and hunt fish with a spear. Valentine talks about the intense mental discipline required for free-diving, the way your body adapts when you're regularly pushing it to extreme depths, and how different it is from the fake underwater scenes in movies. Joe's genuinely fascinated by the physiology of it all, asking about how your breathing changes, what happens to your heartbeat, and whether there's a point where your body just shuts down.

There's a substantial part of the conversation focused on hunting and fishing as lifestyle choices rather than just hobbies. Valentine describes hunting expeditions in various remote locations and talks about the skill, patience, and respect required for taking an animal's life. It's not the typical bro talk about hunting either. There's real philosophy woven in about man's relationship with nature, the ethics of killing your own food, and how disconnected most people are from where their meals actually come from.

The cooking and culinary side of Valentine's life comes up too. He's not just killing fish and meat, he's preparing it with legitimate technique and knowledge. Joe loves this angle because it connects the whole circle: hunting, fishing, preparing, and eating what you've earned yourself. It's primal in the best way possible.

Joe and Valentine also hit on the broader theme of escaping from desk life and screens and getting back to something real and physical. There's an underlying current throughout the episode about how broken modern existence is and how activities like free-diving and hunting actually fix something in your brain that's been broken by years of sitting in offices.