|
To put it simply, a hookah is a water pipe. The purpose of a hookah is to smoke shisha (flavored tobacco). Though its origins come from the Middle East and Asia, there have been may variations found all over the world that make this a global phenomenon for the last 1,000 years. - Check out these Hookah Set Up Instructions |
Are there any health risks?
Since it is a tobacco product that your are smoking, there is the potential for nicotine addiction and lung damage. However, since the water pipe filters out most of the harsh additives, tar, and other toxic chemicals before it ever enters the human body, the damage caused by smoking from a hookah is far less than that of smoking from a cigarette. What you are smoking is tobacco leaves that have been satuated in flavored mollasses. The water in the vase (located at the bottom of the pipe) filters out a lot of the nicotine, thus, in the worse case scenario, you'll be ingesting only 0.05% nicotine and 0% tar (this stays in the bowl at the top). Add in the fact that most hookah smokers use the pipe sparingly (at most 3-1 bowl-sessions a week). In our experiance, usage equates to one 40 minute session a month. With the lack of regular smoking from the hookah, nicotine addiction is very unlikely as compared to smoking other tobacco products. We have been looking into every source of info we can find about hookah smoking, via medical journals or the internet (we all know how trustworthy the internet is..) the only facts we can find is that there has been no long term studies done exclusively on hookah smoking, thus the answer to the question of whether hookah smoking is more dangerous than cigarettes has never been scientifically proven either way. Thus, the only sure advice we can give is to smoke at your own risk. If anyone can provide us with any credible documentation or studies, then we will post them here so you to make an informed decision if hookah smoking is for you. Again, any member of the OET will not band you froma Hookahpalozoa event or other offical gathering just because you don't want to smoke from a hookah. Its all about having a gootime, not converting you to the hookah lifestyle. |
What is Shisha/Sheesha?
What Makes the Shisha so special? Shisha is were the unique flavor comes from and there are a wide variety of flavors. The most common is Apple, but we have seen and smoked stuff as exotic as licorice and cola. How long should a bowl of the tobacco last? The tobacco in your bowl should last anywhere from 35 minutes to 1 hour. Take into account how many people are smoking from that bowl as well. How long should a 250 box of Shisha last? A 250 gram box should yield between 15-18 bowls (18-20 g. each). Thus in most cases,even with constant smoking , a 250 box of shisha should last you a long time (longer than a pack of tasteless cigarettes!). The shelf life of an opened box of shsiha is 6 months. Are there other shisha box sizes available? Yes. We have seen a50 and a 500 gram box of the Shisha tobacco available for sale during our travels. Note:In the Arab world, the tobacco is also known as maassell, while the hookah is referred to as a sheesha. |
What's this about charcoal?
Important Note: Even though a hookah charcoal, natural or quick light, looks small in stature, its important to realize that a lit charcoal gives off a lot of heat. With this in mind, we recommend having a pair of tongs and a non flammable surface within a few inches of the hookah you wish to light. Through our own experimentation and spillage experiences, hookah charcoals have a nasty habit of burning through flammable materials (such as carpets) within seconds of coming in contact with them, thus having safe metal tongs to pick up the piece(s) and a place to toss them that is safe from burn age/damage is very important to keep in min the next time you light a hookah. The best place to light and maintain a hookah is in the outdoors, cause such an environment greatly reduces the damage caused or fire potential a fallen coal can cause. The following is a brief list of recommended charcoal brands that will enhance your smoking experience. Quick Lights:
Currently, Sinbad's Imports (located on the corner of Scio and Main Street in downtown Rochester) is the place to get this kind of charcoal.
Currently, Sinbad's Imports (located on the corner of Scio and Main Street in downtown Rochester) is the place to get this kind of charcoal. Natural Charcoal: There are many brands of Natural Charcoals currently on the market that we have had great experiences with. The difference between this type of coal and the quick light is in the flavoring...here isn't any added by this kind of coal, thus you'll only get the molasses's flavoring with each toke...no coal aftertaste what so ever! The key drawback is that it takes a few minutes to get the first coal ready to use and a little experimenting on how much to use, and when to light new coals for replacement of dead ones. However, once one coal is lit and ready for use, all it takes is the placement of a fresh coal on top of a dieing one in order to get the new piece heated up for use. Generally, natural coals last a little longer than the quick lights and give off now smoke when initially lit. In fact, when lighting your first coal, you can tell when its ready when its giving off a lot of heat...there is no discernable visual evidence that its ready to use (unlike the quick lights). |
Key Hookah Assessories Generally, when you buy your first hookah, it comes with everything you need to smoke (minus the charcoals, foil, and shisha). Through trial and error, we have found a few assessories worth acquiring for your pipe. |
Metal Bowl Screen & Hookha Foils
Aluminum foil is good to use in a pinch, but prolonged use can lead to health problems, mainly due to the impurities and plastics that exists in common household foil. There are hookah specific foil sheets available on the market that are specially designed for hookah smoking (they don't contain these toxic elements) . However, for ease of use and safety, we recommend obtaining a metal bowl screen or usuing foils that are designed spacifically for use with the hookah. You can get these either through the web or at a local smoke shop that sells hookahs. |
This is a must for indoor smoking. Though this is designed for outdoor use, having a wind cover on top of your hookah will significantly cut down any chance of a stray coal cinder from cascading from the top of your hookah (which is bad if your smoking near a carpet). |
Hookah smokers tend to differ on whether or not to use plastic hose tips during their smoking session. Since your lips won't come in contact with the hose tip when using this cheap device, the use of a tip will help prevent the spread of disease (colds) when more than one person is using the hookah. |
Yes and No.
The key components to any hookah smoking experience is the hookah itself, shisha, and charcoals. In order to start the smoking process, you have to place a lit charcoal on top of a covered shisha bowl. The coal cooks the shisha, which in turn creates the smoke that is sucked through he rest of the pipe. 
3 Kings is a quick light charcoal that you don't have to constantly tap the ash off of. Though this brand of charcoal can be tasted slightly during each puff, the coal taste doesn't dominate the shisha flavor . This brand of coal lasts around a half hour before having to replace it with a new coal. 
Shisha-Lite is a quick light charcoal that you don't have to constantly tap the ash off of. Burning this brand of coals leaves little to charcoal taste within the smoke, thus you can fully enjoy the molasses flavor. Each coal lasts around 30-40 minutes and the best part is that the coal burns evenly from the outside in, thus leaving you with a compact ash pile to dispose of. 
