Hooping.org

After nine years, I estimate that I’ve received over 1000 emails and phone calls that focus on questions about hoop sizing. And now that there are more tubing options than ever, hoop size confusion is understandably a bigger issue than ever! How do I know when I’m ready for a smaller hoop? What size hoop should I start with? What about LED and fire hoops? How are hoops measured, anyway?

That’s a negative, Swirly Girl!

Almost all PEX (Cross-linked polyethylene) is HDPE (high-density polyethylene) tubing. It’s not identical to the black stuff you most commonly see, but it’s close enough that lots of folks do use it for hoop-making. You may have seen the tubing in its opaque white, blue, or red forms at festivals or at your neighborhood hardware store. Its most common use is in plumbing.

Polypropylene, on the other hand, is a whole other animal. I won’t attempt to delve into its unique chemical properties, because I honestly can’t claim to understand them fully. But the stuff is found in everything from clothing to aircraft. Look for the recycling number on your household plastics. (Fun fact: over 50% of the stuff is used in diapers … it’s very good at absorbing water!). To your eye, it will be appear translucent next to PEX. For hooping purposes, it translates, to light, fast, and responsive! It is also non-toxic.

Oh, I doubt your LED hoop is made from PEX. That would be very unusual. PEX will generally be used for day hoops-only.

Your LED hoop is likely made from LDPE (low-density polyethylene) or HDPE “Natural-colored” tubing. It’s the same as the black stuff, but is white and may have a thinner wall to allow for the LED light to shine through. The “natural-colored” (or white) HDPE tubing is used (in irrigation/plumbing) in places where the pipes don’t need to be sunlight-resistant. Luckily for us hoopers … ‘cuz it’s perfect for LED hoops!

If one, like myself, has to start out with 1 inch piping and huge hoop, will I eventually be able to downgrade with practice? I really hate that I can’t do hand hooping much with it cause it’s so big but I want to be able to try to mix all the things I know together. It’s discouraging that I have to switch hoops depending on if I’m doing hand or body hooping. I wind up having 3 hoops at my feet. Although I am so very happy that using 1 inch piping has given me the ability to waist hoop for at least 10+ seconds. ^_^

Swirly Girl, Basically we’re talking about three different kinds of tubing here:
1) Your standard Poly – which comes in high-density (HDPE) or low-density (LDPE) and also in black or “natural. It’s used for making most day and LED hoops.
2) Polypro, and
3) PEX – which, yes, is HDPE but cross-linked (that’s what the X is for), which has something to do with polymers and the tubing’s basic chemical structure. Used less commonly for making day hoops.

Hi Kamala!

Well, before you give up on your trusty ol’ hoop, know that knees can give anybody trouble! I’m pretty sure I spent about a year on it with a 42″ 160psi hoop. It came SO slowly for me. But I think it would have taken longer with a lighter hoop. That because I was certainly no dancer. I needed to be beaten into submission by new plastic dance partner. I literally had no sense of my body in space.

YOU, on the other hand, are likely in a much different situation. It could very well be that your body, more used to its graceful existence, would appreciate some of the weight being taken off.

Let us know how your experimenting with the 100psi goes! Grip (gaffers) tape will help a lot with those knees and take a little edge off the weight difference.

I have one hoopnotica travel hoop 42″, probably a 45″ ??psi (I’m assuming 160) that my friend made for me knowing that I was a absolute beginner, a 50″+ 100 psi hoop (accidently got the wrong psi but I think it helped me become more aware), and a gaiam hoop from 4 years ago (wobbly), and a ??psi probably 40″ hoop that vinyl covered(elephant gift that I wanted!).
Total at moment: 6. Three on a daily basis. I was expected to bring 3 of my hoops today at my other job because they all love to hoop now cause of me!

Now I have my 48″+ 1″ 160 PSI. I’m planning to make a few smaller hoops out of the 100 psi piping to practice isolations or hand hooping when I want. It is definitely an arm workout! After trying to hoop for 5 minutes, I can feel it in my arms. At least I don’t feel so odd now. The only reason I didn’t get 1inch PSI the first time was cause I read “it’d be a very heavy hoop” which is what I needed! I can actually feel the hoop. I had gotten lovely suggestions like close yours eyes and feel the hoop except how can you feel to pump when you can’t feel it?! Now I can!

I have been wanting to learn how to hoop for years. I have tried every few years and this is the first year it clicked (or with the right hoop). That’s why I have a collection already.

As of this morning the switching has became hoopnotica hoop with knee hooping, my flaming hoop (my huge one) for waist, the 45″ that my friend made me for hand if I’m not using the hoopnotica hoop. I can start walking to the side a bit and do a 360 or 340. I can’t wait for the good weather although the flamer is SO hard to get in my car.

Would gaffer tape be better for sticking on me than duct tape? I just want to make sure that hooping is here to stay in my mind before investing in a ton of tape (because Lowe’s already thinks I’m crazy with all this piping and have no clue what that tape is..lol). I’ve been using a mix of duct tape with hockey tape in small increments. Although on second thought I’ve probably already spent a ton of money on hooping just including my past efforts!

Thank you again!

Update on the lighter hoop. I hooped with it yesterday – 39.5″ 100 PSI with a mix of regular & gaf tape. I alternated between my heavier hoop & lighter hoop. I could obviously feel a major difference; some things were easier, some more difficult. Regarding knee hooping & moving it up from there, the lighter hoop felt less stressful to my rather bony & sensitive knees. I felt less stressed & therefore a little more confident, and my pushing leg naturally bumped that hoop upward, although I didn’t complete the skill & get it up to the waist. I also played a bit with preliminaries for chest roll, which I would never do with my heavier hoop. My next plan is to make 3-4 more hoops and play with size/weight combination. Reading recent posts, I also plan to make a hoop with 100% gaff tape for knee hooping. All my hoops do have gaff tape, but none are 100%. This is all so helpful. Thanks!