Whether you're an absolute beginner or seasoned smoker, it never hurts to go back to basics and double check if you've been overlooking something the whole time.

Things You'll Need:

-Foil:

You'll need a barrier to keep your charcoal from being in direct contact with your TOBACCO.

-TOP/Bowl (Head):

This holds your TOBACCO/FLAVOUR, while there are varying designs and types of bowls on the market, they serve the same purpose, to hold and heat your tobacco evenly.

-Tobacco/Flavour:

This goes into the TOP/HEAD. To prepare your TOP/HEAD, lightly feather it in to fill roughly 90% of your bowl, this keeps the COAL out of contact with the TOBACCO, preventing direct combustion, which in turn extends the longevity of your session, as well as easing heat management requirements.

-Charcoal (Coal):

This heats the TOBACCO to the point of creating smoke and vapour, which in turn is cooled by the stem and base.

-Stem (Pipe):

This is the main piece of the hookah pipe, with varying dimensions, densities and designs. Don't be intimidated or discouraged by the size of the stem, they generally serve the same purpose and most hookahs can produce respectable smoke density and volume.

-BOTTLE/Base (Vase):

This holds the water, as well as cooling and filtering the smoke. The general consensus is to use cold or room temperature water to fill the base.

-Water:

Water acts as a filter and cools the hot smoke, ice can also be added for an added cooling effect, or other liquids for enhanced taste and flavour.

-Hose:

The hose aids in cooling the smoke, as well as increasing the mobility and comfort of your smoking session. Though technically speaking you don't need a hose, unless you prefer smoking straight from the pipe.

-Grommets:

Bowl, Stem, Hose: When aiming for the perfect session, you need to minimize or eliminate air leaks. You'll need a rubber grommet for the bowl, stem, and hose to create an airtight draw. To check for air leaks, simply blow into your hose and observe any smoke being visible from anywhere besides the VALVE.

FILLING THE BASE:

-Filling the base with the proper level of water is crucial for the perfect session, for most Egyptian or standard size hookahs, I find filling the base to submerge the stem ABOUT 2CM is perfect.

-The temperature of the water isn't of much importance, although cold or room temperature water is preferred.

-For a Cooler Session: try adding ice cubes to your base with cold water. This significantly lowers the temperature of the water, subtly chilling the smoke further. When adding ice cubes to your base, be sure to partially fill your base with water, as the ice cubes can damage your base if dropped harshly without some water to dampen the impact.

ATTACHING THE STEM:

Slide the grommet onto the stem and gently insert the stem into the base, once the stem is attached, push down on the stem more firmly to ensure it's connected to the base and won't leak air. Now place the tray on the rest.

Preparing the Bowl:

-To Prepare Your Bowl:

Lightly feather in your FLAVOUR of choice, filling your bowl to roughly 90% capacity.

Next, observe your bowl from the side, looking for stray TOBACCO that stands higher than the rest, you can lightly press down or pick THEM out.

When you have too much tobacco in your bowl, you'll encounter problems with air-flow, or worse; burning.

Keeping your bowl under it's capacity allows even for heat distribution as well as optimal air-flow.

-Applying Foil: To prepare the foil, tear a generous amount large enough to cover your bowl from the head to the handle, using more foil allows it to cling to the bowl better, reducing the risk of an air leak or the foil tearing. Apply the foil with the dull side on the top. Next, use the hole poker of your choice, and poke holes in a circular pattern, spaced evenly apart, with one hole in the centre.

Attaching the Bowl:

-Place your grommet lightly either on the bowl or on the stem, then firmly fix the bowl the stem.

-Checking for Air Leaks:

Air leaks inhibit your hookah from hitting optimally, to check for leaks, try twisting your bowl to make sure it's firmly attached to your stem, if it rotates it's a sign that it will leak air.

-If you've already started your session, air leaks can be felt if the pull seems too 'air-y' or there is visible smoke from where the bowl is attached to the stem.

-If your Grommet doesn't fit perfectly: Paper towels, napkins, or cardboard work well in a pinch, tear off a rectangular strip and wrap it in layers around the stem, then while holding the strip, reattach your bowl.

Beginning Your Session:

MAKE SURE THAT YOUR COAL IS FULLY LIT AND RED. Place coal ON THE SIDE OF YOUR TOP, NOT DIRECTLY IN THE CENTRE. you are now ready to start!

WAIT ABOUT 2-5 MINS FOR THE COAL TO HEAT THE TOP AND FLAVOUR. Now begin taking SLOW, long pulls, fully exhale before you move on to the next pull, take breaths in between pulls if necessary.

-When the Smoke is Harsh:

When the smoke is harsh, softly blow into the hose to purge the stale smoke from the base, this may take multiple attempts. Additionally, you can remove the bowl from the stem and blow into it, this clears some of the built up heat from the shisha. If you choose to 'blow out' the bowl, lightly shake the bowl to agitate the TOBACCO, this should mix the bowl to let fresher FLAVOUR be heated by the charcoal.

Last but not Least...