Hey, this your first time? Don’t worry, we’ll go slow - the climb to Vape Mountain’s peak is steep, but it’s where the best clouds are! Don’t worry if your first steps into vaping seem to be mainly coughing, cursing and more coughing, vaping is a cloudy business and one that is unique even from regular cigarette smoking. Just remember, vaping is something you’re supposed to enjoy, not force yourself to learn, so take your time and keep in mind all the great flavours you can reward yourself with once you get over the learning curve!
The Artful Vaper
The way you vape can affect your enjoyment, or success in the early stages, in fact most vapers admit that their introduction to vaping was less baptism of fire and more coughing fit of clouds, so you're not alone! Unlike smoking a regular ‘analogue’ cigarette, which can be inhaled in short puffs for quick ‘lung hits’, vapour should be inhaled slowly from your vape-pen, with each inhalation lasting around 5 seconds compared to the much shorter time needed for tobacco. Here are some top tips to make sure you’re vaping right:
Breathe slow: Vapour inhalation should be done with the same amount of effort as you would normally inhale.
Don’t suck: Words to live by, Vape-pens do not require the sucking motion you may practise with a cigarette and vapour should be ‘breathed in’ rather than sucked in, treating your vaporiser like a cigarette can cause your tank to flood and leave you cleaning it out and starting again.
Step by step: Rather than the short motions of inhale-exhale you use when smoking normal cigarettes, vaping should be done in more distinct stages. Gather vapour into your mouth, hold it there, inhale slowly and exhale.
Have a Mouthful: Vapour should be held in the mouth and then slowly inhaled. Doing so too fast can lead to even the most seasoned smoker spluttering strawberry-scented smoke everywhere. Not cool.
Water Way to Vape: Keeping hydrated when vaping is not only key to keep your tongue from drying out, keeping flavours more vivid and fending off the dreaded Vaper's Tongue, it also helps stop your throat from becoming dry and more likely to leave you with a sore throat or suffering from a fit of the coughs.
Pick Your Poison
Being aware of what you're putting in your tank is key to getting the best vaping experience, Vegetable Glycerine (or VG) e-juices produce more vapour than Propylene Glycol (PG), so higher PG content liquids might be a good starting point if you're getting overwhelmed by vapour. If you're graduating to vape pen from e-cigarette then you should be warned that you'll be getting more vapour bang for your buck than in neat 'cigalike' products.
Nicotine levels are also important, picking a level that is too high can lead to coughing and too strong a hit for your tastes, too weak and you’re sure to just feel disappointed. For tobacco smokers, nicotine levels of your e-liquid should be matched to your smoking habits:
Nicotine Level
Strength
Smoking Habits
24mg
Very Strong
Heavy smokers
18mg
Strong
Smokers of high nicotine/strong cigarettes
12mg
Light
Suitable for most smokers (smoking less than a pack a day)
6mg
Very Light
For smokers of light cigarettes
0mg
None
For smokers who have successfully quit nicotine
For vapers who have never smoked, zero is the recommended dose – no reason to become addicted to nicotine to enjoy vaping!
Practise Makes Perfect
Alright, so we've covered the theory, now it's on to the practical! Head over to our online store and find just what you're looking for!
