How to Use a Bong: A Complete Guide for Beginners | Weeday
Using a bong is a healthier alternative to smoking joints, but limits do exist.
How do you use a bong? It’s a question that can be answered simply. Put water inside, light the flower, and smoke it. But is there more you need to know about how to use a bong? Is it over once you smoke and enjoy the experience? So many questions lie ahead for newcomers, let alone finding the answers to them. This article will give you a complete guide on how to prepare to smoke, how to use a bong during your smoke session, and the maintenance that follows.
WHAT’S SO HARD ABOUT IT?
It’s not hard to use a bong. In fact, it’s almost as simple as boiling an egg. Boiling an egg requires preparation (pot, bowl, stove, etc), action (boiling the egg), and afterwork (doing the dishes, throwing away the garbage). Although some people may find it hard, once you learn how to do it, it becomes simple.
The same logic follows on how to use a bong. But even with its simplicity, we see so many people in our community not knowing, understanding, or simply just ignoring the ways to use the bong properly. We want our community to use their accessory properly and thereby keep their health in check, so we prepared this article. Let’s dive into the question of how to use a bong properly, and the things you need to consider, step by step.
THE PREPARATION: BONG ANATOMY & INGREDIENTS
Bongs consist of the following:
- Bowl: The bowl is the part where you insert your flower, and is connected to the stem.
- Downstem or Stem: The stem lets the smoke from the bowl. Smoke travels through the water in the bong using slits on the bottom.
- Bong: The main body of the bong is where the smoke is brewed and stored, ready to smoke.
Note: Some bongs may have different parts depending on their material, add-ons etc. We will focus on normal bong types.
Now that the components of the bong are covered, let's show you the other ingredients you need to learn how to smoke a bong:
- Bong
- Grinder
- Groundlower
- Water (for your bowl)
- Lighter
- Glass of water (for your cough)
- Your choice of entertainment (TV, video games, Youtube, music playlist, etc.)
- Snacks (For your munchies)
Before you go to the next step, please be sure that the bong you are using is clean and ready for use. Using a dirty bong is not ideal for your health and smoking experience. Typical bongs are made out of glass, and any broken part could potentially be dangerous, so check your bong to make sure that it’s not broken and safe to use. Lighters can also be dangerous, so please use them with care.
Now that you have prepared the ingredients above, let’s now dive into the action of how to use a bong.
THE ACTION: HOW TO USE & SMOKE A BONG
1. Fill your bong with water
The first step is pouring water into your bong. Fill half of your bong’s base. If you are unsure about how much water to use, insert the stem and see if the slits on the bottom are all covered by the water. The smoke will pass through the slits to the air, so it is essential to have the water covering them. Note that filling your bong too much can cause the water to splash while you’re smoking, so don’t overfill it.
2. Insert the downstem and the bowl, then add the flower
Once the downstem is inserted, grind the flower with the grinder, then add the grounded flower into the bowl. Bongs are typically a lot more effective than other accessories, so pack your bowl modestly. If you are a beginner, we recommend packing about 1/4th of the bowl.
3. Light the flower, gently inhale, and build the smoke
Use your lighter to light the flower. As you gently inhale from the top of your bong, you will start to see the smoke brew inside the water. The bowl placed on the downstem blocks the air passage, so unless you are inhaling like a vacuum cleaner, you won’t have to worry about the smoke brewing too fast.
TIP: Before you smoke, prepare your entertainment. The high makes you relaxed, so turn on the TV or set up a game, and definitely don’t forget your snacks! (I recommend Oreo ice cream.)
TIP 2: Torchlights are very strong and may burn all of your flowers before smoke is able to pass through. Use a lighter or a match instead, or hold the torch far from the cannabis.
4. Remove the bowl and inhale the smoke
Once the smoke has filled the base of the bong, it is time to inhale. Removing the bowl from the downstem will let you inhale the smoke with much less force. But before you remove the bowl, take a moment to breathe a little. The next step is going to be quite painful and we want you to be prepared.
When you are ready, remove the bowl, inhale the air inside the bong, then exhale. Within 5 seconds, you will probably feel a burning sensation in your throat, and you will have no choice but to cough. Within five seconds, you'll feel a burning sensation that will probably cause you to cough. Don't be afraid to cough it out, and drink water until you feel better.
TIP: If you’re not careful, the dirty bong water could splash into your mouth. Don’t inhale with too much force.
5. Drink water, and wait for the pain to go away. Enjoy your high!
The throat pain will last for at least 2-3 minutes, so it is essential you keep yourself hydrated. The pain could last longer especially if you are a beginner, but it will eventually die down. Once you are able to breathe without coughing, you will start to feel the relaxation hit. Press the play button of your entertainment, and you’ll soon enjoy the feeling of reaching a new height. After a while, you’ll start to feel extremely hungry. As long as you prepared the munchies we recommended, enjoy the taste journey of your life.
TIP: While enjoying the experience, drink plenty of water to ease your throat. The more water you drink, the more relaxed your throat will feel the next day.
THE AFTERWORK: POST-HIGH
Now that you’ve enjoyed your unbelievable high, let’s talk about the cleanup. Just like doing the dishes post-meal, your bong will need some cleaning at the conclusion of your smoking session. Here are the cleanup steps of how to use a bong:
1. CHANGE THE BONG WATER
Throw away the used water inside your bong. This water could potentially bring you health problems if you continue to smoke with it, so it is always recommended that you change the bong water after every session.
2. CLEAN THE BONG
Clean your bowl, stem, and bong thoroughly for your next use. Any left over debris from the previous session could cause potential harm. Make sure no resin or ash stains are present. Storing your bong while it’s still dirty could cause a variety of problems, so make sure you clean it properly.
3. CLEANING CAN BE HARD
Cleaning your bong can be difficult, especially depending on its shape. For users tired of washing the bong, consider modular bongs that are made for easy cleaning.
Also, resin in bowls can be stubborn and hard to clean. Switch to our bowls featuring a solid glass design that prevents resin buildup, and make your cleaning routine more efficient.
When cleaning downstem, handle them with care, as it can be fragile. Explore our durable borosilicate glass downstems for a study alternative.
APPENDIX: THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR WHILE SMOKING
1. AIR PRESSURE CONTROL
Controlling the pressure of the smoke can be a hassle for beginners as the smoke is hot and can make users cough. If you inhale too strongly while you are brewing the smoke, the weed may be sucked into the bowl through the stem. Always be gentle during the brewing process. It is better to avoid getting ashes in the base of your bong for your hygiene, the taste of the smoke, and to be courteous to the next person.
2. BONG ÉTIQUETTE
Nobody wants to smoke a dirty bong. When smoking with more than one person, there are some etiquette rules you might want to consider so that both you and your friend can get the best high. When smoking a bong, always finish all of the smoke inside so the next person can brew a brand new one. When you’re done, clean the top with a wet-wipe. If you are the last smoker of the night, make sure the bowl is clean and doesn’t have any burnt ash inside after you finish smoking. It is best you clear the clogged bowl for the next person’s session. Normally cloggings can be pinched by toothpicks, but there are also bongs that provide pokers, making life a little easier.
3. OVERPACKING
It is okay to overpack when you are smoking with a bunch of friends, since everybody will take turns finishing it. But when you are smoking alone, it’s better to pack mildly. When overpacked, air pressure control may suck in the weed, wasting unburnt packed weed in the bowl. This will also leave you with a dirty bong. Remember, a bong hit is quite different from that of joint or pipe, so even if you want to be extra high, we suggest you pack mildly.
EASE YOUR HIGH WITH WEEDAY
We hope you enjoyed our article on how to use a bong. Smoking a bong is always a fun experience. But as you’ve seen above, bongs have their own set of problems, such as difficult cleaning, generic design, and health concerns. Luckily, we’ve created a solution for you.
By simply being able to detach the bong’s tube and base, Weeday bong enables you to clean the dirty bong much easier than any other bongs out there. The bong also comes with a brush, so there is no need to prepare for any other tools. For your best experience, hygiene and health, why not try Weeday today?
Weeday's bongs are incredibly easy to clean. You can detach the bong's tube and base, allowing you to clean it thoroughly every time. Plus, it comes with silicone covers which you can choose the color for your own personalization. Why not try Weeday today?
