Vaping through a water filtration system (i.e. a bong or bubbler) isn’t a new phenomenon but it’s also not widely practised. For a lot of people (including me) it seems like a bit of a hassle or even redundant. Yet, there are some advantages to filtering your vapour through water and, hopefully, after reading this article, you too (like me) will change your mind about vaping with glass add-ons.
Why vaping with glass is even better than vaping without
For a long time, I ignored vaping with a glass watertool. Out of pure unfamiliarity, I may add. I might have hit a bong or two, back when I was still combusting herb, but other than that I completely disregarded using a water pipe, bong or bubbler with a vaporizer. I just didn’t see the point, to be honest.
Now I know better. Vaping is good, great even, but vaping through a percolating water filtration setup, preferably one made from glass is levels beyond that!
Why I hear you ask? Well, let me give you a couple of reasons:
1: Vaping with water filtration is even cleaner.
This might sound a bit redundant, seeing that vaping is already the clean form of inhaling cannabis goodness, right?
Well, yes and no. Sure, vaping is exceptionally cleaner than smoking cannabis, no doubt. But, even when vaping herb, you’ll still have to contend with unwanted biological material.
This could be those teensy-weensy flower or leaf particles, which can be a minor nuisance when the filter screen doesn’t catch them and they end up in your mouth or throat (we’ve all been there).
More importantly, however, are the lipids of the cannabis flower you inhale directly from your vaporizer. Lipids are fatty/waxy tissue cells of cannabis trichomes that encapsulate cannabinoids and terpenes. That brown, waxy and sticky residue you find in the oven, airpath and mouthpiece of your vaporizer after a couple of hits, those are lipids -what you’re probably used to calling gunk!
Just look at my daily driver setup for at-home (A Magic Flight Orbiter + DynaVap 2021 Vong, if you were wondering):
This gunk buildup is the result of just one afternoon of vaping! And I thoroughly cleaned it before the sesh.
I’m not saying that this lipid gunk is harmful in any way. Our lungs seem to handle substances like these pretty easily, but knowing the water in my glass piece is filtering out most of this stuff definitely puts my mind at ease.
2: Vaping with water filtration gives smoother hits
Some portable vaporizers have a harder time cooling the vapour than others. If you happen to own a vape that produces vapour that’s slightly too hot for comfort, you might want to consider using a bubbler or bong for your next sesh. Water filtration cools down the vapour considerably.
On the other hand, if you’re vaping herb that is slightly too dry, you might be in for a nasty surprise. Herb that is too dry usually means harsh vapour, which in turn can cause a throat tickle or even a proper coughing fit. Filtering the vapour through water can smooth out those harsh hits.
3: Adding a glass piece changes the vaping experience and ritual
I love the ritual of vaping. Grinding (or crumbling) the buds, filling up the heating chamber, getting it up to temperature, taking that first hit, it’s almost cathartic.
I personally think that using a bubbler, bong or any other glass water filtration system adds an extra layer to that experience. I love the sight and sound of those bubbles when I’m milking up that sucker.
The Vong + Orbiter combo in action. The extra suction provided by the water allows me to thoroughly milk up that sucker!
Another thing I’ve noticed since I’ve been using glass is that I can get a lot more vapour out of one hit. The extra airflow and the pressure produced by the water allows me to add more suction on the inhale, extracting more vapour out of the bowl and blow out thicker clouds on the exhale.