New Smoker - Need Advice From The Pro's

[blindcipher]

Hello HookahForum,

I have smoked hookah's before and have enjoyed them very much but they were always with friends or at bars. I recently took on a small project and made a custom hookah.

I know this has probably been brought up before, but please dont get mad at me. The review section is awesome, but at the same time doesnt really come out and answer the questions i have.

1. What is good to smoke with alot of flavor? (I am looking at probably trying Hookah-Freak blends)
2. What should i stay away from?
3. Who is a good retailer to deal with online? (Price, quality, speed - i am east coast if this matters)
4. Any tips or advice to enhance smoking experience?

I have gone through alot of the forums, and i realize you all are masters at this, so anything you can teach a newbie would be greatly appreciated. Edited June 15, 2009 by blindcipher

[ryno]

1. What is good to smoke with alot of flavor? (I am looking at probably trying Hookah-Freak blends)
2. What should i stay away from?
3. Who is a good retailer to deal with online? (Price, quality, speed - i am east coast if this matters)
4. Any tips or advice to enhance smoking experience?

Well your 1 and 2 contradict each other, I would stay away from Hookah Freak at all costs. If you're looking for alot of flavor, I'd suggest Nakhla, Layalina, Al Fakher, Fusion, or Tangiers Lucid

3. hookahjohn.com mnhookah.com hookahcompany.com those are the main 3 I order from with no problems

4. Take care of your hookah and it will take care of you. Also, a wide hose and phunnel bowl makes any hookah hit better, but its mainly in the bowl packing and heat management!

[Zinite]

Hello HookahForum,

I have smoked hookah's before and have enjoyed them very much but they were always with friends or at bars. I recently took on a small project and made a custom hookah.

I know this has probably been brought up before, but please dont get mad at me. The review section is awesome, but at the same time doesnt really come out and answer the questions i have.

1. What is good to smoke with alot of flavor? (I am looking at probably trying Hookah-Freak blends)
2. What should i stay away from?
3. Who is a good retailer to deal with online? (Price, quality, speed - i am east coast if this matters)
4. Any tips or advice to enhance smoking experience?

I have gone through alot of the forums, and i realize you all are masters at this, so anything you can teach a newbie would be greatly appreciated.

1. Nakhla and Al Fakher for a beginner. Nakhla is very forgiving with heat and cheap.
2. Stay away from Hookah-Hookah and Hookah-Freak. Obviously it's a matter of opinion, but I'm just giving you mine.
3. MNHookah.com should be good if you're on the east coast. Otherwise use Hookah-Shisha.com, HookahJohn.com
4. Practice makes perfect. There's no other way to master it.

[mavsfan31]

1. Starbuzz is another brand to get going pretty easy. I was able to get great smoke the first time I ever used my hookah with Starbuzz.
2. Hookah hookah and hookah freak. I also don't like the herbal stuff.
3. I've used hookahcompany and hookah-shisha. No complaints, I've also heard that hookah john and mnhookah are great too.
4. If you don't like your results, just keep trying something new to you like what you are getting. Every person does it a little different. You might not get the best smoke at first, but you'll figure out how to make it better with heat management.

[Imsomint]

1. What is good to smoke with alot of flavor? (I am looking at probably trying Hookah-Freak blends)
TANGIERS!

2. What should i stay away from?
not tangiers

3. Who is a good retailer to deal with online? (Price, quality, speed - i am east coast if this matters)
hookah john

4. Any tips or advice to enhance smoking experience?
Order some Tangiers (brambleberry, orange soda, and kasmir peach are the best in the world) from HookahJohn along with a nammor, small phunnel, coconara coals and tri-metal KM.

[Berked]

You made a custom hookah? Sounds cool, any pics?

Smoke whatever you enjoy smoking. #'s 1 and 2 are for you to decide. If something sounds or smells good to you, then try it! I started off smoking Nakhla and Fusion. Went on to Starbuzz, Al Fakher, Layalina, etc... and eventually Tangiers. They were all fantastic. Don't get caught up in any brand loyalty stuff. There's so much good out there that you will be missing out on.

As others mentioned, Minnesota Hookah (MNHookah.com) is a good online store with good selection run by great people. HookahJohn is great, I've also had good experiences with hookahcompany.com.

The best change I made in my hookah smoking experience was going to a wider hose. A hose like a KM or Nammor/Razan will do a lot to improve your experience. You could even try local shops, you might be able to find a cheap generic Egyptian hose that will do just as good of a job as a KM or Nammor/Razan.

Good luck!

[likespaceships]

1. What is good to smoke with alot of flavor? (I am looking at probably trying Hookah-Freak blends)
I think starbuzz is the easiest stuff to get good smoke out of and it is full of flavor. Starbuzz tends to taste more like candy so if you are looking for more natural tasting flavor I'd say go with tangiers lucid, al fakher, or nakhla.

2. What should i stay away from?
King mossael, black label herbal, afzal, soex

3. Who is a good retailer to deal with online? (Price, quality, speed - i am east coast if this matters
So far I've shopped with southsmoke.com thehookah.com hookahcompany.com hookah-shisha.com mnhookah.com and nazarhookah.com and all have had no problems.

4. Any tips or advice to enhance smoking experience?
maybe a wider hose. Not really necessary but you might want to try one out.
a phunnel will help keep your tobacco nice and juicy and will keep your stem cleaner.

[awhurst011]

Hello HookahForum,

I have smoked hookah's before and have enjoyed them very much but they were always with friends or at bars. I recently took on a small project and made a custom hookah.

I know this has probably been brought up before, but please dont get mad at me. The review section is awesome, but at the same time doesnt really come out and answer the questions i have.

1. What is good to smoke with alot of flavor? (I am looking at probably trying Hookah-Freak blends)
2. What should i stay away from?
3. Who is a good retailer to deal with online? (Price, quality, speed - i am east coast if this matters)
4. Any tips or advice to enhance smoking experience?

I have gone through alot of the forums, and i realize you all are masters at this, so anything you can teach a newbie would be greatly appreciated.

I have hookah freaks citrus assault, melon sour and sweet tang they are all very flavorful

[Arcane]

1. What is good to smoke with alot of flavor? (I am looking at probably trying Hookah-Freak blends)
Tangiers Lucid and Nakhla....when you get your technique down, try a couple flavors of OG Tangiers...

2. What should i stay away from?
Hookah Hookah, Hookah Freak, and Starbuzz. My opinion, but the first 2 suck. The cut is shit and the flavor doesn't tend to last that long...which may be a good thing, since I'm not sure I'd want crap to last forever. I put Starbuzz here too, because I think you can get tobacco that's just as good, if not better, for less money. However, Starbuzz has a lot of off-the-wall flavors...so, if you're into that stuff and can't get it from another brand, buy that flavor of Starbuzz

3. Who is a good retailer to deal with online? (Price, quality, speed - i am east coast if this matters)
www.hookahjohn.com FTW!

4. Any tips or advice to enhance smoking experience?
Drinking water during your session.
Wait for your coals to be fully lit before placing them on the bowl
Put on some nice tunes or a movie
Invite some good friends if you want company

Seeing as you're probably new, don't get discourage if your first 5-10 sessions aren't great or even plain out suck...it takes practice and people catch on at different rates.

If by session 50 or so, if you still can't get it right...then stick to the lounges...lol! Edited June 16, 2009 by arcane

[shisha fan]

Hello HookahForum,

I have smoked hookah's before and have enjoyed them very much but they were always with friends or at bars. I recently took on a small project and made a custom hookah.

I know this has probably been brought up before, but please dont get mad at me. The review section is awesome, but at the same time doesnt really come out and answer the questions i have.

1. What is good to smoke with alot of flavor? (I am looking at probably trying Hookah-Freak blends)

nakhla; good flavour, smoke and price.

2. What should i stay away from?

tangiers

3. Who is a good retailer to deal with online? (Price, quality, speed - i am east coast if this matters)

mnhookah.com

4. Any tips or advice to enhance smoking experience?

read this forum alot, its got a ton of information.
I have gone through alot of the forums, and i realize you all are masters at this, so anything you can teach a newbie would be greatly appreciated.

[Sonthert]

For #1 and 2, I would say Tangiers. Try something a little lighter first.

Personally, I don't think Shisha Fan has ever tried Tangiers...

[shisha fan]

Personally, I don't think Shisha Fan has ever tried Tangiers...

oh i tried it plenty of times, i just think its crap.

[blindcipher]

WOW!

What a turnout. Thank you all for the information. I will keep reading and build my skills as we go. I am an avid cigar smoker so I 'hope' this will be an easy addition to my skill set.

I did place an order yesterday with hookah company (i needed a real bowl, and they had what i wanted/needed). Fusion Blueberry, Layalina Black Grape, and Nakhla Mixed Fruit are on the way.

I will also get pictures uploaded this week sometime, but to give you an idea, i used a very large Heineken bottle (about 21 inches tall) like the one in the picture below.

[ilikemyusername]

WOW!

What a turnout. Thank you all for the information. I will keep reading and build my skills as we go. I am an avid cigar smoker so I 'hope' this will be an easy addition to my skill set.

I did place an order yesterday with hookah company (i needed a real bowl, and they had what i wanted/needed). Fusion Blueberry, Layalina Black Grape, and Nakhla Mixed Fruit are on the way.

I will also get pictures uploaded this week sometime, but to give you an idea, i used a very large Heineken bottle (about 21 inches tall) like the one in the picture below.

was that fakhfakhina mixed fruits or original mixed fruit?
alot of people don't like the mixed fruits nakhla, but it was the 1st shisha I ever had, and I love it, but the fakhfakhina version is everything I like about the original, only better. oddly enough it has just a touch of anise to it, but its not at all bad.its balanced by the sweetness and complexity of a single "mixed" fruit flavor. Sorta like when you drink a "fruitpunch drink" you can't exactly put your finger on apple, grape, pineapple,cherry and all the other fruits on the box... unless its juicy juice, That stuff I can swirl around in my mouth and dissect the delicious flavo... okay, I'm going to stop talking now.

[Arcane]

Personally, I don't think Shisha Fan has ever tried Tangiers...

oh i tried it plenty of times, i just think its crap.

could you elaborate? seriously, i would like to know why you think Tangiers is so bad...and what flavors?

[gunsboy]

Personally, I don't think Shisha Fan has ever tried Tangiers...

oh i tried it plenty of times, i just think its crap.

could you elaborate? seriously, i would like to know why you think Tangiers is so bad...and what flavors?

Hahaha, nice. I tried red tea and Kashmir Peach. I just did not like them.

But I am the type of a person that has no patience to get something to work right, so on the first two tries, no results, I quit.

Back to your questions:

1)
- Most new shisha smokers started with Nakhla Double Apple or other flavors the tried other kinds,
- If you do not mind Anis (AlFakher double apple)
- If you like a sweet/sour taste (AlFakher Grapes)

2)
I hated herbal shisha, it tastes like wood.

3)
I really likee the service of hookahjohn.com mnhookah.com. Most of the vendors mentioned above are good for US customers.

4)
- Keep hose clean.
- Keep Hookah Clean
- If smoking anything but Tangiers it is good to spread the shisha and not pack too much of it in the bowl.
- You can put some Ice in the base without breaking it.
- Use two foils instead of one shiny side down.
- I squeeze Alfakher double apple because it is too juicy and starts producing a weird flavor if I don't.
- Use NATURAL coals because quicklites suck, I am a slave to Coconut coals now, they harder to keep lit but make sure they stay moving and you would love them.

Some of the above are just my personal preferences, everyone has their own techniques but the best way to master yours is to try each technique once or twice and then have your way with the hookah.

Welcome to this crazy forum and have fun.

[Lunatic768]

1. What is good to smoke with alot of flavor? (I am looking at probably trying Hookah-Freak blends)
TANGIERS!

2. What should i stay away from?
not tangiers

3. Who is a good retailer to deal with online? (Price, quality, speed - i am east coast if this matters)
hookah john

4. Any tips or advice to enhance smoking experience?
Order some Tangiers (brambleberry, orange soda, and kasmir peach are the best in the world) from HookahJohn along with a nammor, small phunnel, coconara coals and tri-metal KM.

i dont see how tangiers and only tangiers is sound advice for a brand new hookah smoker

[ilikemyusername]

1. What is good to smoke with alot of flavor? (I am looking at probably trying Hookah-Freak blends)
TANGIERS!

2. What should i stay away from?
not tangiers

3. Who is a good retailer to deal with online? (Price, quality, speed - i am east coast if this matters)
hookah john

4. Any tips or advice to enhance smoking experience?
Order some Tangiers (brambleberry, orange soda, and kasmir peach are the best in the world) from HookahJohn along with a nammor, small phunnel, coconara coals and tri-metal KM.

i dont see how tangiers and only tangiers is sound advice for a brand new hookah smoker

first timer... NAKHLA OF COURSE!

[evilded777]

Hey... did anybody say: Welcome!?

If you haven't figured it out, we tend to be an opinionated and outspoken bunch.

I'll go right along with most of the above replies: recommend against Hookah Freak; suggest Nahkla, Al Fakher, possibly Romman or Starbuzz if you want to go all pricey/designer; a good hose and a phunnel bowl are really nice additions to any hookah; Hookah John, Minnesota Hookah, Texas Hookah -- all good vendors.

On the subject of Tangiers: it ain't for everybody, and its probably not for admitted beginners. That said, I have had minimal trouble with it... and I still consider myself to be a beginner. I also think its one of the best, most flavorful smokes there is. You'll get both sides here, on Tangiers; those who love it and those who don't. Its up to you to give it a try and make up your own mind. Or don't try it, and ignore both sides ;-)

Either way, enjoy your new passion!

[Sonthert]

I told him Tangiers was a bad idea...