I had one of the vape things for a little while. I wouldn't knock them as a whole. What I mentioned was some sort of sup'd up vape that I've seen that fills the car.
The hookas that I've seen and tried at Lebanese festivals were all burning a Turkish mix of pipe tobacco. There must be some alternative tobaccos that some use in these things, other than pipe tobacco that would produce large quantities of smoke.
I don't knock big billowing clouds as a side interest for some, but I think the problem comes when guys get involved with the traditional pipe smokers thinking that big and billowy is "traditional." It's not at all. And, like sup'd up vaper things and special hooka tobaccos, making big billowy smoke is something outside the realm of what blenders are shooting for, pipemakers are designing pipes for, and "aficionados" of the hobby are going for. And, like vapes and hookas, it just might not set well with the rest of the forum members. "Might" be the pivotal word, since I don't speak for the forum.
But... if someone wanted to make big billowy clouds, you might look at what goes into making billowy. I know from building many fires that wet brush burns smokier than dry, wide fires burns more smokey, and lots of air is needed. So, maybe a wide bowl with thick walls, wet tobacco stacked on top of burning dry tobacco, and I know that burleys make more smoke than Virginias, so you might try one of C&D's Big and Burley blends or burley flakes, maybe hydrate them a lot first, since C&D seems to come very, very dry.
That's all I got. Hopefully it helps you big and billowy kids out. :wink: