5 tips to Improve your Shisha Etiquette

5 tips to Improve your Shisha Etiquette

Whether you've been enjoying shisha for a while, or you've just been invited to your first event, it's worth knowing a few of the do's and don'ts to ensure everything goes smoothly. The following tips will give you an insight into shisha etiquette and help you feel comfortable at any hookah party.


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1. Know your left and right

Generally speaking, it’s considered proper etiquette to pass the hose to the left-hand side, that is, clockwise. However, this isn’t a defined rule, and as long as you keep to a consistent direction, everyone will get their turn. Similarly, many cultures consider it polite to use only the right hand to handle the hose, but again, if you’re with a group of friends, you may choose a more relaxed approach. Overall, it’s best to ask at the beginning of a session and see what the group rules are.

2. Talk or smoke, don’t do both

Seasoned hookah smokers will know that one of the worst breaches of shisha etiquette is to hang on to the hose while regaling the assembled group with your jokes or words of wisdom. If you’re taking the opportunity to speak, the polite thing is to pass the hose and give the next guest the opportunity to puff.

3. Keep it low, keep it safe

Ensure you keep your shisha pipe on a stable surface on the floor. Placing it on a table runs the risk of it being knocked over, which is potentially dangerous. This could also ruin the relaxed atmosphere you’re trying to create! Once the pipe is set up correctly, there’s no need to touch it or fiddle with it either. If you must move it, ensure you do so by the base, and with care.

4. Share the experience, not the smoke

Whilst smoking shisha in a group usually takes place in a fairly intimate setting, with a group of friends sitting close together in a circle, it’s still important that you avoid blowing smoke into your fellow hookah smokers’ faces. Not only is it unpleasant, it’s also seen as inconsiderate of the comfort of your fellow smokers, and certainly not good shisha etiquette.

5. Perfect your handover

There are certain traditions relating to the passing of the hose in a shisha smoking session. The reasons behind some are obvious, others less so. For example, take care not to tug or pull on the hose, or entangle it as you pass it to the next guest. When you pass the hose, it’s also considered shisha etiquette to point the mouthpiece away from the recipient. Turn the hookah slightly to avoid the hose gradually coiling around the pipe.

If you require a new pipe, charcoal, or a range of shisha flavours you need, you're sure to find everything at The Shisha Shop. We've got what you need, from complete sets and bundle packs to separate accessories.  This includes components such as shisha pipes, hoses, flavours and handy accessories like mouth tips. We also stock a vast range of tobacco products, including tar and nicotine free options!

The Shisha Shop, 11-13 Fairways Business Park, Lammas Road, E10 7QB London, United Kingdom


TEL: +44 20 8133 3263

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