Mouthpiece: This is the opening at the end of the tube where you place your mouth. When placing your mouth on the inhale hole, place your lips inside, not over, the hole. Purse them slightly and force them gently into the hole so that the outside of your lips creates an airtight seal. Chamber: This is where the smoke accumulates, ready to be inhaled. Smoking a bong is a two-part activity – you fill the chamber of smoke, then “clear” it with quick inhale at the end. Bowl (Slide): This holds your smoking material. It is sometimes called a slide because you remove it from the downstem as the final step before inhaling the smoke in the smoke chamber. Downstem: A small tube that connects the water in the bottom of the bong to the bottom of the slide. It may be defused (notched at the bottom) or a simple tube. The smoke travels through the downstem and into the water. Some bongs do not have downstems and instead have a molded glass tube leading from the slide into the chamber. The water should always be higher than the downstem. Carb (Optional): A hole on the side of the bond above the water level, the carb is kept covered while the slide is being lit and then uncovered when the user is ready to inhale the smoke. Most water bongs, however, do not have a carb, unless they are wooden or porcelain. [1] X Research source You can find great water bong options on retailers like Headshop. A classic example can be found here.
Contrary to popular belief, more water does not lead to a better experience. It takes your lungs effort to pull air through water, so more water just means you are working harder to pull the smoke through. Test the amount of water by taking a quick, deep breath through the mouthpiece – it should bubble up but never come to your lips.
You may have to fill a percolator through the mouthpiece instead of the downstem.
Some bongs have “ice pinches,” where the glass of the chamber is pinched to allow ice cubes to rest. This forces the smoke to travel around the cold air in the neck, cooling it right before it goes into your mouth. On the other hand, some smokers prefer hot water in the chamber because the steam helps bring moisture into the lungs. This is a matter of personal preference.
If you do choose to use a grinder you should give it a quick, coarse grind. Finely ground smoking material can get sucked into the chamber and become extinguished before it has time to release its seductive smoke. This is sometimes referred to as “snapping the bowl. "
Make sure the bowl is not so full that your smoking material falls out, or so tightly-packed that no air can pass through. You should pack your material to a medium-light consistency. You want to get as much material in your bowl as possible while still being able to pull air through it with each inhale.
If you can’t find a flat surface to hold the bong on, rest the bong on your stomach area or in between your legs if it’s big enough. If the bong has a carb, grip the piece so that one finger plugs up the hole. If you don’t, you will draw in outside air, not the air through the burning bowl, and end up with no smoke in the chamber. Make sure you can safely uncover the hole as well.
Practice good bong etiquette by wiping your mouth, drying your lips, and placing your lips inside the inhale hole instead or entirely around it. You’ll create a better vacuum and you won’t slobber all over the top of the bong, making the next hit unpleasant.
If you don’t want to inhale the fumes of a lighter, or simply don’t want to deal with the hassle of many moving parts, try lighting hemp wick instead. Also known as “bee line,” hemp wick is an organic lighting string that burn slowly and stay lit. You light the end, like a candle, and use this to light the bowl.
Once the smoking material is lit, it will stay lit as you pull air through it, helping the rest of the bowl catch as well. It should only take 1-2 seconds of direct flame. Move on when you start running out of breath. You don’t want to be completely winded before you inhale the smoke– you should have one big, quick breath left in your lungs.
Many beginning smokers struggle to know how much air they have left for this final inhalation. If you are unsure, remove the bowl after the chamber has filled up with smoke, before the smoke gets into the neck.
Do not ever exhale back into the top of a bong, as this usually spills the water out the downstem or carb and can wet the bowl, ruining any extra smoking material. [3] X Research source
If you feel drool start to drip out, stop inhaling, put out the bowl with the heel of your lighter and close your mouth. Do this while your mouth is still in its original position, without moving it from the inhale hole. Try to swallow as much drool as possible without exhaling. Stop inhaling and put the bowl out. Take your mouth from the inhale hole without exhaling and cover the inhale hole with an open palm. Wipe your mouth on your sleeve and try again.
Focus the flame of your lighter on the side of the bowl, only dipping a little bit of the flame into the bowl. Leave as much of the top of the bowl unburnt as possible, as this has the best taste. The center and sides will light for you, saving the rest for someone else’s “fresher” hit.
Vinegar and baking soda Hot water and denture tablets.
Try not to dump water out the mouthpiece, as this may bring residue up to the top that you don’t want to taste later. [5] X Research source
Whenever possible, use 91% isopropyl alcohol, as it is far more effective than 70% alcohol at removing resin. If they are very dirty, you should soak the pieces overnight to make cleaning easier.
This is why you should use separate bags for the two pieces, as the shaking can cause them to damage one another.
