So I want to get a bubbler, but

We have like 4 head shops in the next town over (1.5 miles away.) And another head shop in my parent's town which is new and I haven't gone to yet. I go to this one called Northern Lights cause I really love the people who work there, and they have nice stuff, but their bubblers start at 80. Then there is this other one called Habbits that I haven't gone to yet, but I hear they have some nice stuff.

What did you pay for your bubbler, and for me to get a good deal what should I pay?

Also I use bongs on a regular basis. Aren't bubblers the same as bongs only with a carb? What should I do?

 

the head shop i go to costs that much for bubblers too but it's buy one get one free. but yeah bongs/bubblers similar but with bong you slide bowl out to clear, bubbler you let go of the carb to clear. bubbler is basically just a mix between bong and pipe...water pipe on the go lol.

i wouldnt buy one at my shop if it wasnt buy one get one free. i dont feel like it's worth the 80...id probably only pay like 30 or 40 for a bubbler, but that's only because i dont really want or need one since i have a bong and pipes.

 

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like maybe I don't need one then since I already have a bong.

It's cool though how you have buy one get one deals!!! That's so awesome.

Maybe I'll just get another glass bowl just to have. I'm starting to want more and more pieces for some reason, but is it really just a waste of money? Should I just stick to my favorite piece or what?

 

bubblers are generally more expensive than dry handpipes, but it really depends on how they're made. there are dry pipes that are far better looking pieces and sturdier to boot that will cost much more than some cheap bubblers you can find.

the one i have is a sidecar, and a very nice looking pipe. i've never had a problem with it, and it ran me like 60 or 65.

there are a few things to consider when purchasing and using bubblers

they generally look and work just like fancy handpipes, rather than being an upright bong with a carb. once the water is in it, it works just like a normal pipe, just with the addition of water filtration.

i've never seen a good bubbler with an actual slide. some cheaper ones are built with a rubber grommet with a slide jammed down in there with no female piece, so while it is removable its not actually a "slide." these pieces still -usually- have carb openings.

the water resevoir is much smaller than a bong's, so the feel of the hit is somewhere inbetween a bong hit and a bowl hit, but leans more towards the bong side USUALLY. since the resevoirs on most bubblers are so small, the water gets REALLY smelly. if you spill it or get TOO stoned and try to overturn it and tap it out on your hand like a bowl, you'll have worse issues than with a small amount of spilt bongwater. you'll want to change the water more frequently than you would with a bong.

most bubblers have built in downpipes attached to the opening at the bottom of the bowl, rather than a slide jammed into the rubber o-ring like i mentioned before. this raises two options pertaining to finishing a bowl: when its cashed you can either suck the ashes right through into the water, or you can empty the water and then tap it out like a bowl when you're done.

emptying the resevoir every time you want to get rid of the ashes and pack up a fresh bowl is tedious but not too inconvenient so long as you're at home.

sucking the ashes through is convenient, but the downstem is going to be narrower than a bong's female piece. this means its very common for a bubbler to get clogged up from a mixture of resin and ash. its easily fixed with a paperclip (or better yet a bristly pipecleaner meant for legit tobacco pipes) but still a nuissance, and airflow can be reduced after only a week or two if you smoke from it extensively.

if you're really worried about ashes clogging the downpiece, use a screen. but then you have no options and MUST empty it out to pack a new bowl, unless you have a tiny spoon or something to scoop the ashes out with (like a pipe nail, or a coke spoon [but dont use it for coke, thats lame])

anyway, a good bubbler will likely run you 40-80 bucks, and a REALLY good bubbler will be quite expensive.

here are some that are reasonably priced for what they are, starting at $60 and running much higher for the better ones:

http://www.chunkyglasspipes.com/bubblers.html

but they're all good, and all look worth the pricetags....

i really want the black and white ones....and the three chambered one.....

bubblers are great, but a bit more tedious in-between sessions, in my personal opinion

 

btw, it depends on my mood, but i sometimes prefer bubblers to bongs, and sometimes prefer them to regular dry pipes, too. but sometimes i choose other pipes over my bubbler. its all about what you like!

if you have any summertime arts/music festivals in your area that allow vendors to set up booths, there may be at least one or two places you can find nice glass pieces for prices more reasonable than you'd get in a store. a friend of mine got a 1.5 foot glass, four-hose hookah (not a traditional one, one designed for pot, with a slide and everything) for 90 bucks at such a festival we have around here, and i've seen a number of local glass shops set up booths and sell glass for cheaper than they would in their stores. its good exposure for them, so its good business.

 

my friend got my sherlock bubbler at a head shop in the mall up near his school in the upper peninsula of michigan. it was only 30 bucks and i think that its a good solid piece. there are some pics of it in my gallery its orange and blue. i use it all the time and i think its the best way to smoke. i dont have a bong but i dont think id really want one since it bruns the weed so fast. bubblers burn it pretty quick but not as fast as a bong but a little faster then a regular pipe. my friend bought a double bubbler at a head shop for a 100 bucks and that thing is pretty sweet but i dont know if its really that much better to filter the water more then once. it would get so hard to clean. after a while in a double bubbler.

 

Thanks nesta and donvito.

Well I think from your explanation nesta I'd have to say that I should just stick to my bong. I like it because of the convenience. I can just pack the bowl/slide, and smoke from it when I want, and then put it down. I would hate to have to bother with cleaning and emptying water and all that all the time. Since I can just leave my pipes wherever I please around the house I don't mind leaving them full.

But then we have donvito who says that smoking from a bubbler is his 1st choice! lol So I think I should just try someone elses sometime.
Also donvito- I don't find the bong wasteful as long as I don't torch the bowl. I can usually get 5 or 6 good hits off of a bowl pack. Plus I don't usually put that much in anyway. I guess I can see why using a dry pipe might be less wasteful though. But since I started using the bong regularly I hate using dry pipes. It's much smoother on my lungs and all.

Thanks for all of your advice. Maybe I'll just go find a neat little glass bowl just for the fun of it.

 

yeah, i like bubblers a lot and definitely recommend them, they just aren't the most convenient...but i understand why they are the favorites of many smokers

i do agree though that bongs are only a little more wasteful than bubblers, if at all more wasteful. so long as you take a smaller, slower hit and don't hit the bowl full-on with your lighter but only gently light a part of it, it is no quicker to burn than any other bowl. it's all in how you hit it.

 

Bubblers are awsome! You get fat fucking hits which arn't too much because it still goes through the water.
oh man I just love bubblers.

 

bubblers are really nice i had one my friend gave me and i got some huge fucking hits off that shit i mean my room was white but i love bongs because they dont fall over so easily and they are just usually cooler looking i would suggest trying a bubbler for yourself and then decide if you want one