Off Days?

[Deutsch am Herzen]

ok, so from time to time i have off days when smoking. like sometimes, for what ever reason, O's just dont wanna work. lol. does that ever happen to anyone else??

completely random, delete if you want. haha

[nars2k]

Yeah I know what you're saying, a few summers ago I had a period where I couldn't do O's if my life depended on it, lasted about a month or so then everything went back to normal. Maybe you're trying too hard?

[Arcane]

have had a few off days where my bowl was shit....i blame hawaii though... Edited February 24, 2010 by Arcane

[Hojo]

That's the beauty of hookah, though. It has so many variables and requires such a precise technique that you will rarely get the same experience back-to-back. We all KNOW the glory of having everything click: you've packed it perfectly, you're heating it right, everything is firing on all cylinders, and the thick clouds and smooth, rich flavor reflect it. That feeling, especially to non-hookah smokers, is indescribable.

Then there are times that, for whatever reason, it is less than ideal. It is still smokeable by all means, but it isn't QUITE where you want it in terms of smoke/flavor/smoothness/what have you. The majesty of hookah is that we are all chasing that perfect bowl, that feeling we get when we nail everything. It's more than chasing a chemical buzz from nicotine: it's trying to achieve hookah Nirvana.

With cigarettes, every stick is the same and we are at the mercy of the manufacturers. Not so with hookah. With hookah, bad batches and shitty coals aside, WE are the masters of our own destinies. We can take full credit for a finely packed hookah bowl, because we can see that bowls vary even when using the same batch of shisha. This is why we are considered masters of hookah in our respective communities/circles of friends: a non-hookah smoker can tell the difference when a hookah owner knows what he or she is doing, and we know more or less how to achieve that. THAT is what makes hookah beautiful - user control. Anyone can light a cigarette, but it takes a learned hand to pack a damn fine hookah bowl.

Yes, I know this is about blowing Os, but I figured I would ramble for a bit on why I think hookah is above and beyond other forms of smoking.

[Allstar]

I had one of these last night. I just couldn't get the massive clouds I have been getting normally. I suspected it was a bad pack, because I rushed it. Usually I get big storm looking clouds. But none the less it was still smokable and enjoyable.

[Chreees]

[quote name='Hojo' date='24 February 2010 - 01:27 AM' timestamp='1266996452' post='453362']
That's the beauty of hookah, though. It has so many variables and requires such a precise technique that you will rarely get the same experience back-to-back. We all KNOW the glory of having everything click: you've packed it perfectly, you're heating it right, everything is firing on all cylinders, and the thick clouds and smooth, rich flavor reflect it. That feeling, especially to non-hookah smokers, is indescribable.

Then there are times that, for whatever reason, it is less than ideal. It is still smokeable by all means, but it isn't QUITE where you want it in terms of smoke/flavor/smoothness/what have you. The majesty of hookah is that we are all chasing that perfect bowl, that feeling we get when we nail everything. It's more than chasing a chemical buzz from nicotine: it's trying to achieve hookah Nirvana.

With cigarettes, every stick is the same and we are at the mercy of the manufacturers. Not so with hookah. With hookah, bad batches and shitty coals aside, WE are the masters of our own destinies. We can take full credit for a finely packed hookah bowl, because we can see that bowls vary even when using the same batch of shisha. This is why we are considered masters of hookah in our respective communities/circles of friends: a non-hookah smoker can tell the difference when a hookah owner knows what he or she is doing, and we know more or less how to achieve that. THAT is what makes hookah beautiful - user control. Anyone can light a cigarette, but it takes a learned hand to pack a damn fine hookah bowl.

Yes, I know this is about blowing Os, but I figured I would ramble for a bit on why I think hookah is above and beyond other forms of smoking.
[/quote]

Hojo, kudos to you man. This post is epic.

[Allstar]

Hojo, I agree it is an art, like packing and smoking a normal pipe. It took me 3 months to figure out how to pack my pipes. It takes about a month for each new one I get too.

[Travis]

[quote name='Arcane' date='24 February 2010 - 12:46 AM' timestamp='1266993989' post='453357']
have had a few off days where my bowl was shit....i blame hawaii though...
[/quote]

I blame HI for everything that goes wrong..............jk

[Deutsch am Herzen]

yup exactly. great post hojo. couldnt agree more. im still trying to get the optimal amount of tangiers in my bowl. i started packing too much but now i think im not packing enough...idk. itll prolly take many more 250's to get it right, but with tangiers...i dont mind. lol

[Guest Cheng]

Yes, sometimes bowls do go wrong for me, but not very often.
As for "O's" I can always do them, some days they dont come out as nice as I want. I believe its because of cracked lips.
Apply some lip balm and smooth out my lips then its back to perfect smoke rings

I learnt to do smoke rings from cigarette smoking, so maybe that gives me an advantage? I smoke cigs so I get to practise/do smoke rings when im not smoking shisha.

[Deutsch am Herzen]

gotcha. well, i just repacked some more cactus fruit...added a little more, back to about 1/2 in above the rim before packing...O's like a champ now...eh, whatever haha

[KeepItSimple]

[quote name='Hojo' date='23 February 2010 - 11:27 PM' timestamp='1266996452' post='453362']
That's the beauty of hookah, though. It has so many variables and requires such a precise technique that you will rarely get the same experience back-to-back. We all KNOW the glory of having everything click: you've packed it perfectly, you're heating it right, everything is firing on all cylinders, and the thick clouds and smooth, rich flavor reflect it. That feeling, especially to non-hookah smokers, is indescribable.

Then there are times that, for whatever reason, it is less than ideal. It is still smokeable by all means, but it isn't QUITE where you want it in terms of smoke/flavor/smoothness/what have you. The majesty of hookah is that we are all chasing that perfect bowl, that feeling we get when we nail everything. It's more than chasing a chemical buzz from nicotine: it's trying to achieve hookah Nirvana.

With cigarettes, every stick is the same and we are at the mercy of the manufacturers. Not so with hookah. With hookah, bad batches and shitty coals aside, WE are the masters of our own destinies. We can take full credit for a finely packed hookah bowl, because we can see that bowls vary even when using the same batch of shisha. This is why we are considered masters of hookah in our respective communities/circles of friends: a non-hookah smoker can tell the difference when a hookah owner knows what he or she is doing, and we know more or less how to achieve that. THAT is what makes hookah beautiful - user control. Anyone can light a cigarette, but it takes a learned hand to pack a damn fine hookah bowl.

Yes, I know this is about blowing Os, but I figured I would ramble for a bit on why I think hookah is above and beyond other forms of smoking.
[/quote]

+1 i want that as a sig but it's too big haha