Free Standard Shipping On Orders Over $75.How to Use a Bong: A Beginner's Guide
A bong is generally a smoker’s favourite piece of equipment. Unlike other smoking methods, bongs utilise water filtration as a coolant for creating smoother hits and a more satisfying experience, and this guide will walk you through the beginner’s steps and beyond.
What you need to know before you buy your first bong
Whether you’re new to the bong world or a seasoned water pipe smoker, you will need to know how to select the right bong for yourself. If you are like most people who enjoy relaxing with herbs, you likely prefer to use a quality bong, but with so many options on the market, how do you choose?
Bongs come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some bongs are of simple design, while others include complex chambers and percolators. As cannabis (THC) use becomes normalised, and even legalised in places, the number of new products on the market to meet demand is growing, so here’s what you need to know before buying your first bong.
The bong does matter
You might sometimes wonder if the particular type of bong you use really matters when smoking cannabis. There are naturally many different opinions, as there are many different smoking methods, and after all, at the end of the day, you will still be inhaling smoke. The fact is that the bong you rely on does matter.
Your favourite bong might be something small and portable you can use while on the go, or a discreet ornamental bong that looks great on the coffee table. If yours is a large and friendly gathering house, you might even have a special large and stately bong to share that suits the party mood. When it comes to purchasing a bong, you don’t have to settle for less.
Think about the material
A nice bong design will always catch the eye, but the first thing to consider should be the bong material. The material and components of a bong will naturally affect how durable it will be, and how expensive it might be. Most experienced smokers want a bong that provides a smooth, untarnished taste when smoking weed, and glass bongs are a great first choice.
If you are on a budget and looking for a more economical bong, acrylic or plastic bongs can be good choices. However, acrylic materials do react under heat, possibly resulting in an unsatisfying taste and smoking experience. Premium bong retailers such as My Bong Shop showcase the best glass bongs on the market for savvy cannabis connoisseurs.
Sizing it up
Your lifestyle will dictate the most suitable type of bong for your needs, and an important consideration is the bong size. If you travel a lot or are a very mobile and social person, then you should probably own a very small and portable bong. You might also own a pipe that can be carried in a purse or pocket. The only real disadvantage of using a small bong or pipe is the harsher taste, as there is little or no water to cool the smoke.
Medium bongs are a great choice for a reliable bong on the homefront. They provide a much smoother hit than a mini bong and are a great choice if you smoke daily or weekly. Large bongs are ideal for home use, with benefits that include better airflow, additional filtration percolators, ice catchers, and more.
For smoke-free enjoyment, some marijuana fans prefer to use a vaporizer bong system. With this method, the vape is connected directly to your bong, so you are inhaling vapor rather than smoke.
Choosing your design style
Appearances do matter, so you will certainly want to choose a bong design that suits your style. A bong can be simple and discreet, or ornamental and showy. The choices are all yours for beautiful glass bongs, beaker bongs, gripper bongs, mini hookahs, novelty bongs, and premium bongs.
Most bong design styles are available as small bongs, medium bongs, and large bongs. If you are a beginner, it’s probably a good idea to start with a simple-to-operate bong that still delivers the best of bong technology.
The bong bowl size
There are 3 regular bowl sizes, often called small, large, and party size. If you are a solo smoker who doesn’t take big hits, you will probably prefer to use a small bowl. Otherwise, if you use a party-size bowl, you will probably end up wasting your precious herbs.
On the other hand, if you are someone who enjoys massive hits, a large bowl is probably a necessity. When using a large bowl you can take multiple hits or one massive hit. A party-size bowl can be kept at the ready for when you have lots of sharing friends over for fun times.
How to use a bong
OK, so you've chosen a bong from My Bong Shop and have purchased your favourite strain of weed - but where to begin? Don’t fret, it really is very easy and we all have to start somewhere. If you are a newbie and still uncertain how bongs work, the following handy steps will help you see through the haze.
1. Fill the bong with water
Before sitting back and relaxing, you will need to fill your bong with the right amount of water. Most bongs are topped up by pouring the water in through the mouthpiece at the top. Make sure to fill the bong chamber with enough water to submerge the downstem by about 2-3cm. The lower stem opening should be just above the bottom of the bong.
Some elaborate bongs include percolators that can be shaped as discs, spirals, domes, or other forms. These percs provide additional filtering and cooling of the smoke. If yours is a fancy bong, it will probably come with set-up and water level instructions.
As an optional and very effective extra, consider adding some ice cubes to the bong water. This will cool the smoke even more - perfect if you have a sensitive throat.
2. Grind up your weed
Now that your bong is filled with water and you are comfortably seated, it’s time to grind up your weed. A weed grinder, similar to a hand-held herb grinder, makes mixing your cannabis to the right consistency much easier. If you don’t have a grinder, you will need to use scissors or your fingers, but the resulting mix won’t burn as consistently.
3. Place a screen in the bowl
If you are a newcomer to smoking and don’t want to cut corners, then make sure to use a screen in your bong bowl. This will prevent small pieces of bud from getting sucked into the stem or into the bongwater. If you don’t have a screen, it’s a good technique to place larger pieces of ground bud at the bottom of the bowl just above the hole to prevent smaller pieces from falling through.
4. Fill the bowl with weed
Loosely pack the bowl with some ground cannabis. Fill the bowl almost to the top, but loose enough to allow air to be drawn in as the herbs burn. If you have to pull unnecessarily hard on the mouthpiece, the bowl may be packet too tight. Most bong bowls are detachable, so you might want to remove the bowl when packing it with bud. However, some people choose to pack the bowl already inserted into the downstem. Whatever suits you is probably best.
5. Hold the bong comfortably
Bongs are designed to be held comfortably. Grab the chamber of your bong firmly with your non-dominant hand. You can rest the bong on a flat surface if that helps give it a little more support. With experience, you will learn how to hold the bong comfortably on your thigh, between your legs, or even without any support at all.
6. Cover the carb hole
Many bongs are made with a carb hole that helps you to control the airflow through the chamber of the bong. Before lighting the bong, cover the carb hole with one finger. If the carb hole isn’t covered, you will only be sucking air into the bong instead of marijuana smoke.
7. Place your mouth over the mouthpiece and light up!
Success, you got this far. But don’t pull too hard or you may draw way too much smoke for a beginner. Firstly, ensure that your mouth forms a tight seal around the mouthpiece. Now, with your free hand, light a match or ignite a lighter. Hold the flame just above the bud and inhale at the same time. The suction will draw the flame toward the bud and make it burn. For healthier lighting, consider using hemp wicks.
8. Remove the flame
Once the weed is burning/smoldering nicely, you can remove the flame. You will only need to use the flame for a couple of seconds as you inhale slowly. The bowl of cannabis will stay lit as long as the air is being pulled through it. If you are testing your cannabis smoking skills for the first time, you may not want to inhale the entire bowl.
9. Release the carb hole and inhale more
While inhaling, you can remove your finger from the carb hole, leave your finger over the carb hole, or repeatedly on-off the carb hole with your finger. In no time at all, you will be developing your personal style to get the most out of your bong.
10. Exhale comfortably
After inhaling a comfortable amount of marijuana smoke, you should then be able to exhale it comfortably. There is no need to hold the smoke in for an extended time as the substances in cannabis are absorbed straight away. You may need to inhale a second time to clear the bong water chamber of any residual smoke.
Bong Etiquette
Here are a few simple bong etiquette tips to get you started.
●If sharing with others, you may want to consider wiping off the mouthpiece between hits.
●If sharing a party bowl, only light a small corner for yourself so everyone can enjoy their share.
●Inspect or clean the bowl between loads to ensure there is no residual ash.
Some more bong smoking tips and tricks
Once you have mastered the fine art of bong smoking, the rest of the experience will fall into place naturally. You will discover new cannabis smoking methods along the way and learn a whole lot of techniques. Here are some tips and tricks you will appreciate.
●Replace the bong water every 10 hits or so. If the bong is used often, the bong water will quickly turn brown and can smell unpleasant.
●Replacing the bong water frequently will make the bong much easier to clean, as there will be less resin accumulating.
●If you find yourself coughing and spluttering, you are probably inhaling too quickly or too hard. Keep relaxed, inhale and exhale slowly, and take smaller hits if necessary.
●Add lemon peels, spices, and ice cubes to the water. You can even use tea, red wine, or Gatorade in the chamber part of the bong to enjoy an extra tasty experience.
Glass bongs are considered the most attractive, and the most versatile. They are also the easiest to clean and maintain in as-new condition. Here are some cleaning items that will come in handy.
●Sea Salt
●Rubbing Alcohol
●Hot Water
●Pipe Cleaner
A glass bong can be thoroughly cleaned in a few simple steps.
Step 1 - Place your glass bong in an empty sink. Put the sea salt chunks inside of your bong. The sea salt works as an agitating scrubbing agent when you shake the bong so put in a generous amount.
Step 2 - Fill the bong chamber with rubbing alcohol slightly above the level of salt. Leave enough room so you can shake the bong without the alcohol spilling out the top.
Step 3 - Swirl the alcohol and sea salt to begin the bong cleaning process. Place your hand over the top of the bong if you need to shake it a little harder. Glass can be slippery, so make sure to hold the bong tightly and securely while shaking. The salt will crash against the sides of the bong and help to clear stubborn residue.
Step 4 - Repeat the above steps until your bong is clean. Run some hot (not boiling) water through the stem and use the pipe cleaner to remove any remaining stuck-on pieces of tar or residue.
With these simple steps, your glass bong will be shiny, clean, hygienic, and ready for an enjoyable bong rip.
For a less abrasive cleaning, you only need warm water, a toothbrush, and some dish soap. Fill the sink or a bucket with warm soapy water and soak your bong for around half an hour. After soaking, rinse the gunk out. Then scrub the remaining gunk with a toothbrush. This tough scrubbing technique will deliver very satisfying results.
Where to buy a new bong
As Australia’s favourite online store for bongs, My Bong Shop is the answer. Along with a fabulous range of high-quality glass bongs, My Bong Shop also stocks premium bong parts and smoking accessories such as rolling papers, blunts, grinders, jet lighters, scales, downstems, bowls, and a whole lot more.
Enjoy free standard shipping on orders over $75, with discreet delivery directly to your door. Choose your favourite small bong, medium bong, or large bong, and appreciate the difference that premium quality bongs can make.
