Airy vs Chuggy, Why does it matter?
Airy and Chuggy describe the feeling of the pull you experience when using the glass. This is a matter of personal preference. If you have never tried a CH tube or similar, and do not know where to start, I suggest getting a Natty Beacon, Compass 2 Hole, or a Net 2 Hole to start. This allows you to get a foot in the door to understand where it lies in the lineup, as well as how and why the kind of pull matters.
Here are the function tests of every major tube / custom options :
On Instagram : ALL TUBES Instagram Function Test Video
On Youtube : ALL TUBES youtube function video (20 mins)
An airy one (Ex. Nets) would have generally a lighter, smoother draw with both smaller forming bubbles and effortless smoke. These do tend to be extremely smooth, but have less flavor.
As where a chuggy one (Ex. Natty Buoy, Natty Beacon, Hollowfoot) will generally have a deep glug to it with function highly depending on water levels. These can generally take anything you can throw at them and have the smoke remain flavorful and not get stale.
For me, its a make or break for a tube, I personally enjoy the pieces with more chug. However about half of my customers are quite the opposite and prefer airy pieces, its truly up to individual preferences. They are all fun to use but you’d have to try them both to see which you would enjoy the most. As for my favorite tube in the lineup its got to be the 2 Hole Crows Nest with a Beacon for the bottom perk.
Water Levels are up to personal preference, I suggest trying every water level until you find your favorite. In general, as a rule the more water added the more chuggy it will be in any setup.
However, if the tube is filled to the brim, this will make the smoke denser and taste stale, with more chance of splash near the mouthpiece.
Smoke Density
There are some tubes that are effortless to smoke, and yet may not be a good choice for a daily driver piece. Some have too much function / restriction to the smoke, so although they are “effortless” you may lose both the flavor and effect by creating dense harsh smoke. Tasting the terps is the best part about smoking, and some more complex / multi-perk tubes can take that away. All of my tubes have been created to be below a certain threshold of restriction as to not create dense smoke. However, you can still customize with different perks to tune it to your tastes and preferences.
– Double Perks fit right in the sweet spot, where they are nearly effortless/smooth and yet still has a bunch of flavor. These have the most smoke density aside from the triples.
– Single Perks are generally extremely flavorful and easy to clean. Least smoke density but generally more harsh than the others.
– Compass 2 Hole, Net 2 Hole, and Beacon 2 Hole are perfectly balanced between smoothness and chug and can be changed easily with the amount of water put into the tube. Not only are these great budget tubes but they are some of the best functioning without sacrificing any flavor.
-Drain Tubes are the most efficient and often the most fun to use. The water is continuously recycled through the drain, and keeps the pull of the tube more consistent throughout use. It definitely takes it up another notch and is definitely worth the upgrade to the standard tubes. Double with the crows nests, as they are a game changer and my favorite in the lineup. These do have effortless smoke with the drain working overtime to recycle the water back down.
