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Trying Hookah For First Time Tomorrow


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Hi all. I decided that I wanted to try a hookah for the first time tomorrow. I am meeting up with a friend at a Hookah bar in NYC. I was just wondering what to expect. I have never even smoked a cigarrette. Should I expect to be coughing up a storm? Any tips/suggestions? Thanks.
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Hookah bar expierences are usualy not the best ones. The Hookah bars usualy dont setup the hookah properly. They usualy over pack the bowls and throw too many coals on top which result in burning the shisha.

If you want to get a true hookah expierence find a friend who owns a hookah and knows what they are doing.

Or you can always buy your own after some research here on the board.

Hookah bars also tend to use a cheap shisha(with some exceptions)

when you are smoking, if you feel the smoke is very harsh, or if you are feeling a burning in your throat while taking hits, it means the shisha is burning. Edited by clickhea
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Not all hookah bars are crap, the ones we had here (UK) were really good. They always knew what they were doing and using what but some small hookah bars can be crap.
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ive had some good hookah bar experiences , as other people have already said take it easy at first and slowly start taking bigger hits, if you do cough dont feel bad and if you end up not liking it or the smoke is to harsh dont think that all hookahs are like that give it another try, hope ya have fun ohh and hookah bars are way over priced, the one by my house charges 12 buck a bowl or something , you can get 250g of shisha for that so if you do end up liking it save up your money and buy one smile.gif
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If it's your first time you should just have fun. Don't worry about coughing, even people who smoke all the time cough. I actually took a really hard, long pull from a super harsh bowl the other day with some friends to show i could do it biggrin.gif If you like it (you probably will) and you have the time, money (initial investment is the most expensive), and the desire, get yourself a nice hookah, maybe a phunnel bowl or new superchief bowl since tangiers is pretty strong and your not used to the tobacco. Just have fun and enjoy yourself, thats what its for. Dont worry about doing something wrong, just dont go all crazy and knock the hookah over/ try to pick up coals with your hands or something.
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GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN WITH IT!!!! HOPEFULLY YOULL BECOME ANOTHER HOOKAH CONNOISSEUR....
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Don't do it. Smoking is a nasty habit. Its addictive and dangerous. Take it from a tobacco manufacturer...don't start...you'll never know what you're missing. Which is a good thing.
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Which bar are you going to? There are too many overpriced crappy ones in NYC... just be careful.

As long as the bar sets up the hookah well, you shouldn't be coughing too much at all. I didn't cough my first time, and I had never smoked anything before. (O.K. a couple Black & Milds, but that's all.) Ask the person at the bar which flavors he/she thinks are the smoothest, and try one of those... or get mint shisha mixed in with a complimentary flavor- that will make it more smooth.

Oh, and request that they put ice in the base for you. A lot of places don't do this, but it never hurts to ask.

Have fun!
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QUOTE (tingjunkie @ Jul 5 2007, 05:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Schmurg @ Jul 5 2007, 07:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Thanks for the responses guys. Think I might head to Karma or Hookah Cafe.


I'd avoid Karma if I were you... (see here)

Don't know anything about Hookah Cafe. I usually go to a place called Habibi Lounge. I know it's NYC, but I would never pay more than $20 for a bowl.



thanks for the heads up. Knowing nothing about this, let me ask this. I was looking to go with 1 other person tomorrow in the evening (6 or 7 probably closer to 6), is the place you mentioned ok for two people? Will we be able to get a hookah for us? When we go is there something we should ask for or something we should do? Thanks.
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Yeah, no prob for two people I'm sure. Especially that early in the evening- probably won't be very crowded yet. Ask for Mahmoud- he's good people.

Oh, and don't forget to ask for ice water in the base! They will usually do that at Habibi if you ask nicely. Edited by tingjunkie
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Do yourself a favor and TAKE IT EASY. I have been smoking hookah since 1997, and I still get a little nauseous and cough sometimes. Fact is: The human respiratory tract was not designed by nature, to accept hot gases. Your respiratory system will react to the introduction of any foreign substance. And since you do not already smoke cigarettes, your system is not prepared for the "shock". You will be introducing nicotine and other substances into your blood stream, and your physiology will react as well. You will feel slightly "woozy", the reduction of oxygen in the bloodstream, and the introduction of psycho-active chemicals into your brain, will cause this reaction.

Hookah smoking is an adult custom, and should only be practiced by adults, and then only in moderation. I enjoy hookah smoking very much, but I smoke rarely, and I have never used cigarettes in my life. Even though I have enjoyed Hookah for 10 years, I have never been to a hookah lounge (Although I would like to!). The experiences I read about on this board are both positive and negative, so I guess I better see for myself.

I hope your introduction is pleasant, and you can report back to the board on what it was like for you.
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Just got back from trying it. Went to the Habibi Longue per tingjunkie's suggestion. We smoked for like 1.5 hours. At first no coughing or anything but towards the end we both started to. I am guess, just from reading here, that it probably happened since the coals weren't changed. We tried watermelon and peach flavors. To be honest I couldn't really taste or tell the difference. Overall though I enjoyed it and wouldn't mind doing it again once in a while (one a month or every 2 months or so) but not going to rush out and buy my own set.

Thanks for the help again.
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My personal guess is that if you met up and tried someone on the forums hookah you would want to own one just cause you would get nice rich flavor and such but hey atleast you had a decent time wink.gif
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