What is Foil Drag?

Some of us here have been smoking hookah for 20+ years and we still make mistakes in our hookah session preparation. Whether it be not enough water in the base or not enough shisha in the bowl, stuff happens.

There's one mistake that can ruin a session instantly and cause you to receive less smoke than desired; we call it foil drag. If you use a heat management device you'll never have to worry about this and it also might be a reason for you to use such devices. But did you know there are some bowls that prevent your foil from ever sagging?

Today, we'll pass on a couple tips and let you know about the selection of bowls we offer that create the perfect foil sessions. There's a video at the bottom ;)

The best hookah sessions that use foil happen when you make the foil drum tight, flat, and use evenly placed holes. It's more important for drum tight foil when you're using a phunnel style hookah bowl or any bowl with a raised central spire. If your foil were to ever sag during a phunnel bowl session the air flow would be cut off and "Foil Drag" would occur.

Depending on how the bowl was prepared you might be able to smoke through the foil drag, you'll just experience an increased amount of restriction but other sessions are KA-PUT!

PLEASE TAKE CAUTION!

Since foil drag only occurs within foil sessions this means any adjustments that you'll will need to make will be done on extremely hot foil.

If you feel like your inhale is restricted, remove the charcoal pieces and add a few extra holes around the spire with a sharp foil poker. Using a dull poker will cause the foil to sag even more or create wrinkles in your shiny partner.

If you leave the charcoal off long enough for the foil to cool down, take this time to quickly apply a firm grasp to the edges of the bowl and create a tight fit. Just be prepared to fire up some more charcoal just in case it takes a moment to reheat your session.

If all of this sounds like a bummer let's talk about HOW TO PREVENT IT.

A firm grip and a sharp foil poker will have you in top gear for your session, and you won't have to worry about any sags. I'm a huge advocate of the toothpick foil poker for larger circles, but once you make a couple of holes the sharpness is decreased and you could seriously indent your foil in a negative way.

When you have your foil nice and tight, keep that tight grasp while you poke holes. If you let it slip there's a chance your foil will sag inward with each hole punch, so use the force grip.

If you're having a hard time keeping your foil flat while you punch holes, try and go after the holes around the spire first, then tighten the foil before punching the rest.

Hookah foil comes in several different thicknesses and it may take a moment to get your foil gripped around the edge. Before you apply your charcoal, take a moment to make sure your foil is tight around the edges by running your thumb on the outer rim to prevent any air leaks.

If you never want to worry about poking holes in foil, check out the pre-punched hookah foil options. The hard work is already done with this type of accessory and you just need to apply it to your bowl with a snug fit.

Creating a drum tight foil may not be the easiest task for everyone. Luckily, we have a popular selection of bowls that feature a foil bridge that works effortlessly for beginners to everyday smokers. 

This thick clay piece lays horizontal over the center spire and never allows the foil to cut off any air flow. The Alpaca Predator hookah bowl will serve as your standard deep phunnel bowl with a useful spire bridge.

How is your foil looking?

Is foil drag something you've experienced before? Are you using a foil bridge for your session? Les us know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading

YOU ROCK!

- SMOKEorPASS -