How to Vape for the First Time
There are a number of reasons why you might want to start vaping. One of the most common reasons why people are turning to vaporizers is because they offer an alternative to traditional cigarettes. If you want to give up smoking, vaping nicotine is a great alternative, as it contains none of the harmful tar and other chemicals found in tobacco. Many smokers find vaping the most appealing way to wean off cigarettes, as unlike the experience with gum, patches or lozenges, you still get the sensation of inhaling and exhaling ‘smoke’.
Vaping isn’t only popular with smokers who want to quit: for many, it is a fun way to enjoy a version of smoking that can be personalized to your own unique tastes. E-liquids are available in a wide range of different flavours, so you can tantalize your taste buds while enjoying the fun of blowing huge vapour clouds.
There is even an online community who specialize in inventing cool vaping tricks. Vaping clouds are much bigger and thicker than regular cigarette clouds, so it’s easy to create awesome shapes and do tricks with them. There are YouTube channels dedicated to vaping cloud tricks, which shows just how popular the activity has become.
If you’re thinking of giving vaping a go, you’ve come to the right place. Find out everything you need to know about how to choose the right vaping products as a beginner - we wish you the best of luck on your vaping journey.
What Exactly Is Vaping?
In its simplest form, a vaping device consists of three main components: the battery, the atomizer, and the liquid. The battery generates energy, which flows through and is heated by the atomizer, the key part that is made up of a wick and coil - both of which are needed to heat the liquid. This produces the vapour that we inhale and exhale when we vape.
Each and every vaping device, from vaping pen to box mod, is built around these three parts. Anything beyond these basic components are customizations on the original design, but, ultimately, underneath it’s all the same technology.
Choosing the Right Vape for You.
When it comes to vaping for the first time, make yourself aware of the different options available to you. The vaping industry has exploded in the last few years, and with so many products and vaping jargon being thrown around, it can be tricky to know where to begin. E-cigarettes, vaping pens, coils, mods, eliquids… it can all be a bit overwhelming.
When you start off vaping, it’s a good idea to buy vaping gear that is designed for beginners or infrequent vapers.
Everything you need to know to get started!
There are many reasons to want to start vaping, the most common being that you want to stop using traditional cigarettes and give up smoking.
Vaping can be a great way to do this as you will still get the nicotine fix you need but with none of the harmful chemicals found in tobacco products.
The Easiest way to start vaping is to look at a “starter kit”. There are loads of different designs to chose from, and it can be a bit confusing at first, but the important thing to remember is they all do basically the same thing!
The most common “first stop” in to vaping is picking up a pen-style or pod system kit. These devices usually have a built-in battery that will offer at least a full days worth of use, replaceable coils, and refillable tanks.
If you are fresh into vaping, then here is some important and useful information to help you make your decision on what device & products may be best for you.
Glossary of basic vaping terms:
- MTL — mouth to lung
- DTL — Direct to Lung
- Coil — a push fit or screw fit part that holds a coil of wire and cotton to provide heat and vaporize the liquid.
- AIO — all in one
- Sub Ohm — A tank, device, or coil designed to fire at high wattage and usually lower than 1.0OHM
- OHM — how coil resistance is measured
- Coil Resistance — how much wattage is needed to power the coil
- Pod System — small, compact device
- Box Mod — A larger, more powerful device
- VG — Vegetable Glycerine (found in E liquid)
- PG — Propylene Glycol (found in E liquid
How does it actually work?
Vaping is quite simple, you have a device that contains a battery, When you push the button the device will send a regulated amount of power to a coil inside the tank. This coil is surrounded by cotton that is soaked with E liquid. Once the coil heats up, it vaporizes this liquid. That is then inhaled just like tobacco smoke and the nicotine will be absorbed into the body.
Device
These are usually referred to as “mods” or “pods” and are separated into a few different options.
You have Pod/Pen mods that offer a small compact user-friendly vaping experience, with a mouth to lung (MTL) inhale and are designed to mimic regular smoking sensations.
You then have your AIO (all in one) systems, these are a cross between a pod and a mod, with larger battery life, sometimes even using external batteries. AIOs usually offer an adjustable airflow, so you can inhale the device MTL (mouth to lung) or DTL (direct to lung) Because of this airflow option they can also produce a bit more vapour (clouds)
Finally, you have Box Mods. These are high-powered dual battery devices that 9 times out of 10 will need 2 external batteries to power them. These devices are designed to be used with sub-ohm tanks at higher wattage and provide larger clouds, more vapour, flavour, and heat. Due to the output of these devices with “sub ohm” tanks, they can be a bit too much for new vapers to handle, as they will not be used to the amount of vapour and warmth that is produced.
What would we recommend?
As an experienced vaper I would highly recommend any new starter look at a small pod or pen system. Something like this will provide you with a smooth mouth to lung vape and allow you to use higher strength liquids, giving you enough of a nicotine hit so you no longer crave a cigarette. Alongside this, they are also not a massive investment, with a lot of kits for less than £20.
Our range of kits to help you start your vaping journey can be found here!
Juice / E-Liquid
To a new starter, one of the most daunting things when walking in to a store, or looking at a website can be the HUGE selection of liquids available. What will work for you? What do you buy? What’s the difference between this 50ml and this 10ml?
Here are a few answers that may help you in this decision.
What to consider as a new starter when looking at juice.
The most important thing to think about is ratio. This refers to the mix ratio of VG and PG in the liquid. Some larger bottles (known as shortfills) are a 70/30 mixture. This means they are thicker, hold a bit more flavour, but can also clog up smaller coils very, very quickly.
With a smaller starter device, the recommended ratio of juice is a 50/50 blend. These are commonly found as 10ml bottles with the nicotine already added and come in a range of different strengths.
Strength of the E-Liquid.
Depending on how much you smoke, the strength of nicotine will go up. Most new starters will be on anything from a 12mg to a 20mg. This will provide the amount of nicotine your body is used to and help you cut down on cravings.
If you are using a larger sub ohm tank, then a 3 to 6MG may be better for you due to how much vapour is produced. Strong liquids at high wattage can make you cough quite a bit or get a scratchy throat if you are not used to it.
Different types of E-Liquid.
We do have a blog post that goes into detail about this subject, but in short, you have free base and salt nicotine. Both are ideal to use in starter kits. Salt nicotine being a little faster at getting into your system and giving you a stronger nicotine hit.
Flavour
The choice of flavour is entirely up to you. We would recommend starting with something fruity or tobacco based at first, just as some cake and dessert flavours can get a little sickly after a while due to how sweet they are.
The easiest way to choose the flavour is just to think, “what do I like?”
If you love orange juice, get an orange flavour, if you like energy drinks then we have you covered… Want something that tastes like gummy bears or lollipops?…. They make that too!
The choice is endless, but just pick something that you know you like and that will make the transition from tobacco to vaping a lot easier.
Our range of juices ideal for new starters can be found using the two links below.
Maintenance
Most kits don’t require that much upkeep on the day to day. The most common thing you will be doing is recharging the battery and refilling the pod.
Kits with built-in batteries will have a Type C or Micro USB port and can be charged via a low amp charger.
DO NOT USE A PHONE CHARGER. These are too powerful and will cause the battery to break. Make sure to use a device with a USB output such as a computer, games console, TV etc. Or use a 1A wall plug.
Filling the tank is also very simple, but something you will do at least once a day. Most tanks are very easy to fill, offering a screw open lid, or a rubber stopper that you just have to pop out. Simply insert the nozzle of the juice bottle into the tank and fill it up!
Another thing you will need to do here and there is swap out the coil. As you can imagine, after a bit of time being heated up, the cotton in the coil will start to burn out. You will taste this when it happens, and it’s nothing to worry about!
Simply pull the old coil out and replace it! All tanks and kits come with a handy user guide showing you exactly how to do this, but it will either be a push fit style or a screw down style.
When you do install a new coil, it is a good practice to drop a bit of liquid on the cotton before fitting it into the pod or tank. This will help the juice absorb into it quickly and avoid a dry hit right away.
Hopefully that all helps you make a decision and if you have any more questions just get in touch with our customer service team.
The buzz around vaping shows no sign of going away, and at present there are no negative side effects reported as a result of vaping. If you want to quit smoking, especially if you’ve tried other cessation products, and they haven’t helped you, making the move to vaping could be the decision that changes your life. Check our starter kit section and eliquids sections to get going!
As with all new experiences, start off slow with vaping. If you notice any negative effects on your health, stop vaping immediately and seek medical advice. Otherwise, enjoy your vaping experience, and, if you’re interested in learning about vaping tricks and more, join an online forum or have a browse through YouTube for inspiration. Happy vaping!
