i've chased down a few cutties in irrigation and landscaping trucks to ask if i can have thier scrap. sometimes i have to dive in dumpsters... other places keep thier scrap for me.. pieces range anywhere from 2 ft to 16 ft. makes me think i'm dong my best for the earth too...

blis

thank you, Ariel for this post. It's true! It's hard to find and many people don't like to share their info. I know they live for this but ...
I shouldn't express my feelings about this anyway.

Lowe's in Burbank, CA has it. But you have to orderit online first and then go in to pick it up in order to find it. :)

If you have a local hardware store affiliated w/ True Value they may be able to specail order it for you. The stores usually place orders w/ True Value once or twice a wk. - and there's no shipping charge involved. It's probably a little more expensive than Lowe's though . (The problem for me was that no Lowe's in NYC carries the tubing.)

Good luck!

I live in Madison WI, and in the midwest, we have Menard's Stores. They are a lot like Home Depot, or Lowe's, and I found what I needed for the hoops there, I got 3/4 in 160 psi tubing in 100ft roll, and 8 connectors for $16.81. Sweet deal! They also have 1 inch, and other length choices as well, like 400 ft for $48? Thought that might help any other midwesterners on their quest for hoops!

Thanks, Cara,
I live in Madison too and have just gotten the hooping bug, I will definitely try Menard's first!! I am planning a big bash for my 40th birthday party and want to get as many people there hooping as possible. Want to come and help teach?
Rebecca

P.S. Re: supplies in the Berkeley, CA/ Bay area -- I was out there on vacation and tried everywhere to find tubing, finally found it at Irrigation Equipment Co. on 8th St., 510-841-9651 (they know about this alternative use for it!)

in the UK you can blue mdup water pipe from good diy stors although its expensive, you can try local builders merchants though.

how do you make a weighted hoop for exercise purpose?

Thanks so much for all the helpful info.

My sister had a cheap Wal-mart hoop the other day and I was saying I could never hula hoop. She said that she'd read somewhere that the size of the hoop made a difference.... and after a short google search I stumbled on to your page and learned that it was the weight more than the size. I'm anxious to make my own and some for the kids. I'd wanted some aerobic exercise and this appeals to me so much more than lifting weights.

I live in the boonies (Michigan's U.P.) and the local Ace Hdwe wanted to sell me tubing at $1 a foot - or $52 a roll. Yikes!

I couldn't find any polyethylene tubing over 100psi tubing from US Plastics (one of your links).

McMaster-Carr was $44 for 100 feet before shipping (that was your other link, frames navigation, can't link to page)

Also found it at Grainger for $45 before shipping( http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/6MP20 )

Home Improvement Superstore has it currently (I don't know how long) on sale for $31 with $27 shipping.

Best price I found was at drillspot.com for $19 plus $13 shipping ( http://www.drillspot.com/products/287397/3_4x100_160_PSI_Pipe ) Strangely enough they don't seem to carry the right size couplings ( http://www.drillspot.com/category/8120/Insert_Fittings_Nylon_and_Poly ) but that's OK, I can get those locally!

So that's $32 for a roll shipped (tax added in CO) ...from what you all are saying, that sounds like about $4 per hoop not counting connectors (.50 ea) or decoration - and probably shipping would be cheaper on multiples. I can handle that.

drillspot.com DOES also 400' rolls but the shipping (on $74) is something like $100 because it exceeds weight limits, so it would be cheaper to buy a few $100 foot rolls.

But first I might chase down some of our local contractors and see if I can beg or buy their scrap! That's a great idea.

I might do it for a craft for the family camps at the camp my husband works at... tons more fun and more useful than making yet another trinket box! If we do it, I'll send hooping.org photos!

So excited to try it out. Thanks so much for all the pictures, links, advice and general enthusiasm!!!

--Kelly Harman

Home Depot has it! $16 for 100ft!

Hi Kelly
I live in Lansing, Mi but will be traveling to Marquette for a few days to visit the in-laws.(July 6-10) Need anything from Lowes, Menards, Home Depot, ACE, Meijer, etc.
I can pick up something. Free delivery to fellow "Yooper Hoopers." :)

So I just bought some of the tubing from the Irrigation Equipment Company in Berkeley and I looked online at the companies website (aquarius) and found out that it is only 59 psi. =( I guess I will have to keep searching.

okay, I am very new to this but how important is it to buy the 3/4 or the one inch tubing? What will occur if its 1/4 inch? Very hard to find this tubing is!

I would like to say thank you very much for the knowledge that size makes a difference! A friend and I were trying all night to hula hoop with a target kid-sized one. Very funny! Should like to make an adult sized one now!

I live in bay area, but my stores aren't carrying it!

I found my "hoop" material at ace hardware in the back yard. The yardman helped me find it and cut it to length for me so I didn't have to buy the pipe cutter tool.

I just bought tubing today at Home Depot, however, it was white. It said exactly what I had copied from the site so I am going to try it. Any one else found or used the white tubing? Did I mess up?

For anyone having trouble finding this material and you are searching for it under the names Polyethylene or Poly tubing, try searching for it under the names "Funny Pipe" or "Swing Pipe" it can be purchased at the Home Depot as well as Amazon. Lawn care workers use it a lot for sprinkler repairs.

i used the white tubing from home depot and i never will again. it is brittle and inflexible, and does not get bendy when heated. i am currently looking for another supplier up here in canada >.

Very excited- but what if I want to buy one from someone who makes them- How much should I expect to pay?

Hi I am in sales for John Deere Landscapes. We are the largest distributor/supplier
to the irrigation&landscape industry. We sell all the poly & flex pipe you are looking. I know exactly what u need. Call me.
located in NJ. but we have
nearly 700 loacations nationwide.

I bought a roll of Toro Super Funny Pipe (3/4 OD, 120 psi, 100 ft) at Home Depot. It's flexible poly piping. Problem being that it's not sturdy enough. Thought the 120 psi would work. Perhaps the material is by nature not appropriate for hooping. I tried doubling it to make it more sturdy, but the integrity of the circle is compromised, which makes getting a steady flow difficult. I will say it's good practice to work with it though. Anyhow, I'm still looking for the appropriate poly tubing and welcome more specific directions.

Happy Hooping!

i bought 125 psi tubing from home depot and tried it out but it was way too flexible and uh... wobbly? just not firm/taut enough to hoop with, anyone know what might have been wrong?

Don't forget when calling around to make sure that 3/4 inches is the INNER diameter, otherwise your 3/4" tube connector won't fit!!

Just bought 150 feet of 3/4 inch tubing, but it's apparently the "nominal" diameter, meaning the overall outer edge. My connectors won't fit. :(

Also check the return policy before you buy from a commercial supplier.

Double :( :(

I used 1/2" labeled (I.D.) 3/4" (o.D.) 120 psi black poly from Lowes and it works. Taping it makes it a bit heavier or you can add some water inside tubing for a workout hoop. The larger the overall hoop the easier to keep it spinning.

After playing around with the skinnier 1/2" which was OK but harder to keep spinning I went and bought the fatter poly pipe. Home Depot had two 3/4" 160 psi grades; utility and a premium one. Bought the premium one and now it seems too heavy. I may go back and get the utility grade which was lighter and 10 dollars cheaper. It may be easier to hoop with.

My tubing said 160 psi at 73degrees, 100 psi at 180 degrees and 80 psi at 200degrees. I held it in boiling water for 15 minutes and it never softened enough for the connectors to insert. Also the 3/4" may have been the outside measurement and not the inside. I got a bunch of heavy tube and am having to glue the connections. not going well.

We are in Madison Wisco as well. Thanks fellow Madisonians for the tubing info. We are haveing Talula Palooza Sat Oct 18 www.talula802.com
We are having hula hoop making and contests. Bring it on Madison hoopers.

For hula hoops you want polyethylene coil pipe, not funny pipe. Funny pipe is soft and wobbly. Hula hoop pipe is also called irrigation pipe, or polyethylene plastic water pipe. It is stiff and made of hard black plastic and is usually sold in coils of 100 ft, 300ft, or 500ft. You can use 100, 125, or 160 psi.
Here is one place I found it online: http://www.idealtruevalue.com/servlet/the-2677/3-fdsh-4%22-x-100%27%2C-125/Detail

Here is another: http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(lebcv3qe3ndrte55jmelzcbf)/productDetails.aspx?SKU=41754

I have not ordered from these places, so I cannot vouch for them. But that is kind of pipe you are looking for to make hula hoops.

Hi ! I am a newby to the world of hooping and have been sucked in from head to toe. I purchased my first hoop and am having a ball! I wanted to make a suggestion for all those looking to find tubing to make your own hoops. I called a plumbing store that installs lawn irrigation systems. I asked if they ahd any scrap tubing and to my surprise they said YESsss !!! Come over and take all you want. So my husband drove me over to the store and in the back, they had reels of left over tubing that they just heap in piles to usualy go to the landfill at some time. So I just wanted to post this suggestion as a way to save money and to recycle what they would have just thrown away. Good luck to all, and happy hooping !

To fellow Hoopers in So. Cal. I have found 100 psi tubing and want to share with everyone. I paid only $34.10 and was able to drive to get it. Check out www.aquaflo.com YAYYYY

I have bought 80 PSI 3/4" x 100' pipeline tubing in HOMEDEPOT for $15 and it works great. In order to make it heavier I had staffed it with metal wire. I think it was around $5-$8 for a roll of it. I did not use it all, just one layer was enough for me. Plus now I can make extras. Have fun Hooping!

I really want to make my own hoop (since I have a child hoop) but I live in Sweden and I can't find any polyethylene pipe here. Doh! :(

I'll just have to look further...

How much does a homemade hoop weigh? (assuming black poly, 160 psi, 1" and that it's 11.5-13' circumference)

I want to know if Home Depot will sell me this stuff by the foot? I don't want 100 foot of the stuff.

I found the 3/4 inch 160 psi at farm supply in san luis obispo california, and the guys are really helpful : ) hoop on!

I just moved to Spain and am having a rough time starting up the hoop making action. Pretty sure the tubing I am using isn't the ultimate 100 PSI PVC pipe, its called ferroplast, but it will work if it has too. I work in a touristy place and will be selling the hoops to travelers so I am working on making collapsable hoops, which is easy breeze with the materials I used to get in Denver but has eaten weeks of my time and patients here.
The main problem is that I can not find internal connctors. I have tried different materials bamboo, copper pipe, smaller tubing, and can't find the perfect size it is too big or too small. The bamboo has come closest but I hooped with it for like 15 min and sent the thing flying! I can order the connctors and the proper tubing if need be but I would prefer to keep it local.
SO I guess my questions is if anyone can suggest a connector, if anyone lives in Spain and has an idea if I can order the right stuff from a particular company in Spain (I am close to Granada), or if a friend from the UK can suggest a company that I can order supplies from without killing my pocket. Much love and thanks hoops brothers and sisters.