photo credit: quinn.anya

Simply follow the directions below on how to smoke hookah to enjoy a smooth, flavorsome smoke.

Set yourself a good forty five minutes aside. Hookah smoking is a leisurely activity that shouldn’t be rushed. Moreover there’s a little bit of preparation time too.

Before smoking, you will also need tobacco, tongs, a foil disc, charcoal and water. If you need any of these items, have a look here. Except for water, we’ll presume you can lay your hands on some of that.

So You’ve Just Got Your Hookah And All The Equipment, What Now?

1. Firstly fill your water bowl or chamber with water.  The level of you water is critical, too much and it’ll be too difficult to smoke. Too little and the water won’t pass through the water and cool properly.

   You want to fill the water vase up so that the bottom inch of the stem, or pipe, is under water. This is pretty much the optimum level but does depend somewhat on the size of your hookah. Experiment to find what is best for you.

   You can also add ice for an even smoother smoke.

2. Now, connect the base back to the rest of the hookah and check that it is air tight. You can do this by placing your palm over the bowl and sucking on the hose / mouth piece. You shouldn’t be getting any air at all. If you are, check your connections and grommets.
3. You can shred and rip your tobacco (or shisha as it is often called) to ensure a nice even burn if you choose. Most shisha is fine straight from the packet though. Now, pack it into the bowl of the pipe.  You want the tobacco to be packed loosely but firmly.

   Again this will take a bit of experimentation, but in my experience people are far more likely to pack too tightly rather than too loosely.

   Pack the tobacco until the bowl is almost completely full, about 2 mm from the rim.

4. Cover the bowl with a foil disc (or aluminum foil) perforate 15 or 20 times with a tooth pick or your tongs or whatever.

   Generally concentric circles is a good way to go, keeping the holes really small. Lots of little holes are infinitely better than just a few big ones.

   Make sure you have a nice seal with the foil around the bowl so that no extra air can get in.

5. Light your charcoal while holding it in your tongs. Specialized hookah charcoal is quick and easy to light but it is usually recommended that you do this outside.

   Now place your lit  charcoal on the foil above the tobacco. It’s best to start of with the charcoal on the edge of the foil and move it around the outside. After half an hour or so you can start to move it towards the center..

6. You’re almost there now. Take several short puffs on the hose until you start inhaling a healthy(!) amount of smoke.
7. Now settle back and smoke. It’s entirely up to you how you smoke your hookah but generally they aren’t smoked like a cigarette, or even a cigar. Instead the smoke is drawn directly into the lungs. Not first to the mouth and then the lungs.

Because of the lovely moist tobacco and cooling water, long leisurely puffs are smooth and easy.

A Few Extra Tips On How To Smoke Hookah

photo credit: prakhar

• As you smoke move the charcoal slowly around the bowl in ever decreasing circles, ending finally in the center
• If the smoke starts to taste hot or harsh then it’s probably because you are using too much charcoal. You aren’t trying to burn the tobacco, rather warm or toast it. Simply remove one of your charcoals.
• If the smoke starts to taste a little sooty, clear your charcoal of ash using your tongs.
• Clean your hookah thoroughly after use. You can find cleaning kits here.

So that’s how to smoke hookah!

Following the above steps on how to smoke hookah will give you a perfect smoke every time. Pretty soon it will all become second nature.

You can now start experimenting with different tobaccos, flavored water and so on if you choose.

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