Elevate Your Experience: Bong and Water Pipe Smoking Techniques

Hitting a bong is simple and straightforward–but there can be more to it than just packing and inhaling.  There are different ways to smoke a bong that you may not have heard of or considered. Let’s explore the world of water pipes, learning a bit about them and some different ways to smoke bongs.

Contrary to what people might believe, water bongs didn’t just show up in the scene during the ’60s and ’70s. The earliest use of a water bong is said to have taken place around 400 BC in southern Russia. Some of these bongs were even made out of gold. When it comes to the glass bongs we’re familiar with today, they didn’t show up until sometime during the ’60s. Today, bongs are made from glass, silicone, ceramic, plastic, bamboo, acrylic, and wood; some are even 3D printed.

Different Ways to Smoke a Bong: Tips and Tricks

Bongs or water pipes are designed to utilize H2O as filtration to help cool smoke while still providing potent, pungent hits. A bong consists of a chamber where water sits, a down stem with a flower bowl attached to the top, and a mouthpiece to inhale all the goodness.

Certain tips and tricks can elevate your bong experience. 

Change Your Water Often

One thing you should know about a bong is that water should be changed often. When it comes to smoking bongs, some people love them. Some people don’t. Generally, if you had a bad experience with a bong, it’s most likely because someone left old stale bong water in there, giving you a nasty taste in your mouth for doing tubes, aka bong rips. 

A clean bong with clean water not only produces a better flavor profile for the smoking experience, but it’s also better for you. Old stale bong water reeks in a way like nothing else. It’s a rancid smell that is the farthest from pleasing as possible. This water doesn’t only stink; it can also be filled with bacteria and fungi. Nobody wants to breathe big, deep hits of bacteria and fungi in along with their ganja.

Bong water should be changed with every use. Not every bowl that you smoke, but every use. Mold can begin to develop in sitting water within as little as 24 hours. So be sure to clean it up after each sesh and add fresh water when you are ready to partake again. Take the time to keep your bong prime, and you’ll be rewarded with flavorful, potent hits time after time. Now that we’ve established the importance of keeping a clean bong let’s look at some different ways to smoke a bong.

Try Adding This to Your Next Bong Rip

Are you looking for different ways to smoke your water bong? Here are some methods you might enjoy.

Ice

By adding ice to your bong along with water, you create cool hits. Many people find iced bong rips to be much easier on the lungs. Be mindful that as the ice melts, your bong’s water level will rise. This may require you to dump a little out from time to time until you’re finished with your sesh.

Warm Water 

When adding warm water, you are essentially helping to open your airways. Many people believe ice is the way to go for smoother hits; many would argue that it’s warm water. The water can’t be too hot because it’ll be uncomfortable, and you could risk doing damage to your bong.

Terpenes

cAdding terpenes to your bong water is another way to spice things up. Many companies offer food-grade edible terpenes ranging in flavors like strawberry, banana, sour apple, cherry, and other fruity flavors to botanical replicas of cannabis strains like OG Kush, sour diesel, and others. With terpenes, a little goes a long way. A few drops off of a metal toothpick will typically do the trick.

Cannabis Concentrates

When you’re taking hits from your bong, would you like a little more kick from your bong? Adding cannabis concentrates to your bong will definitely add a kick to your bong rips.  If you’re looking for a different way to smoke to get more kick from your bong, this is it. You can add any concentrate, but remember, just a dab will do. Most concentrates are high in THC, averaging between 50% -90% THC or more. Adding cannabis concentrates to your bong rips will certainly elevate the experience. 

Gravity Bong 

Try the mind-altering gravity bong. Gravity bongs force highly potent smoke into your lungs, allowing you to take bigger hits than with a pipe or normal bong. 

You can buy fancy gravity bongs, or if you’re a little inventive, you can make them yourself. A 3-liter bottle and a 2-liter bottle, along with a piece of an old metal bowl or even a flower bowl for a bong, can have you experiencing the gravitational forces of a gravity bong in no time flat. Submerge the small receptacle with your bowl on top in the larger bottle. While lighting the cannabis, slowly draw the bottle out of the water to fill it with smoke from the burning flower. Unscrew the lid, put your mouth over the bottle’s opening, and push the bottle down to let gravity push the cannabis smoke into your lungs.

If you choose the 2-liter chamber, be warned that it packs a kick, even for seasoned consumers. You can scale this down if preferred, using a 1 liter bottle with a 20oz bottle for smaller gravitational pulls.

Different Ways to Smoke a Bong: Key Takeaways

We’ve covered a few different ways to smoke in this article. There is one last thing I’d like to discuss before we wrap it up, and that’s hydration. There are many different ways to smoke water bongs, but one thing you should always do prior is ensure proper hydration. By drinking water before, during, and after your sesh, you’re effectively helping your body work better, transferring cannabinoids more efficiently and effectively.

By staying hydrated with water, you will also be effectively stopping dry mouth in its tracks. Having hydrating snacks on hand, like fresh veggies and dip or melons, berries, or other fruits, is also another sweet way to keep hydrated while putting those munchies in check.  Keep your bong clean and change that bong water frequently. Try adding ice vs. warm water. Embrace the flavor-enhancing properties of terpenes. Most importantly, enjoy trying different ways to smoke your bong. Take several small hits, or try taking a long, long, slow draw. Experience with different breathing techniques and enjoy the elevated adventure along the way!