For new users, vaping can seem overwhelming and complicated. If you're looking to start vaping, the article below explores the first steps and factors to consider when considering your first vape.
Source: Dominick-Abe @ Digital Imports
What is Vaping?
According to the Government of Canada website:
“Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling an aerosol produced by a vaping product, such as an electronic cigarette. Vaping doesn't require burning like cigarette smoking. The device heats a liquid into an aerosol (sometimes known as 'vapour' and mistakenly called 'water vapour'". (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/smoking-tobacco/vaping.html)
The fact that vaping is different from smoking a cigarette can help you disassociate from regular smoking habits by providing a similar cessation while satiating your nicotine craving. However, there’s no doubt that there is a learning curve when you first start vaping. To help you understand your vape, we’ll start with some tips to help you choose your first vaping setup.
Types of Devices
The device you choose will influence a majority of factors that affect your vaping experience such as ease-of-use, vapor production, hit strength/throat hit “roughness”, and maintenance. The main types of vapes you will see on the market include: Disposables, pre-filled/closed pod devices, refillable/open pod devices, and box mods.
Disposables are the easiest to use because they are one-time use devices. They are prefiled devices with a specified flavour and built in coil. By design, these devices are typically ready to puff right out of the package and the only maintenance required is to charge the battery if it’s dead. These devices are great for those seeking maximum convenience - once the juice is used up, throw it out and buy a new one!
Pre-filled pods are similar to disposables in a sense that they are generally pre-filled with a specific flavor. The main difference comes from the fact that they require a proprietary battery to operate. Users will keep the rechargeable battery, and replace the pre-filled pod once it is finished. This option is great for those looking for a more cost-effective alternative to disposables.
Refillable pod devices give the satisfaction of both disposable pods and pre-filled pods, while offering more customization to tailor your vaping experience. The open-pod nature of these devices allow users to select from a variety of flavours, nicotine strengths, and coil resistances to help them achieve that perfect puff. The availability of a variety premium e-liquid options lets you try a broad range of flavours to help you find a tasty alternative to smoking. This device option is perfect for consumers who wish to tailor their vaping experience while keeping maintenance easy and convenient.
Box mods are an older style of vape that offer the most customizability out of all the listed devices. These set ups will involve the box mod itself, a tank (along with coils, seals, and tips), external batteries (if applicable), and your choice of quality e-juice. They are typically sold as kits (mod and tank) or standalone mods. Standalone mods are great because they allow the consumer to choose from a variety of different tanks that will suit them the best. Box mod vapes are perfect for individuals who are looking for high-power, long battery life, and maximum customizability.
You can find a more in-depth breakdown of the different types of vaping devices here!
First Vape Checklist
Now that you’ve chosen your vape, let’s explore the common ways that these devices operate.
1. Turning Your Vape On and Off
Most, but not all, vapes can be turned on and off. A good indicator of this is whether or not there are any buttons on the device. Most vaping devices require a to be clicked button anywhere between 3-5 times within 2 seconds. Worst case scenario, the device manual and online guides will teach you exactly how to turn the device on and off.
2. Filling Your Vape
Every type of pod or tank will have a different method of filling. Filling is as easy a pressing the nozzle of your juice into the juice-fill opening, and squeezing the bottle. Due to Child-Safety requirements in Western Canada, pods and tanks will feature a secondary mechanism to prevent the juice-fill opening from being easily accessed. Consult the user manual of your specific device to find out how to access your juice-fill opening.
3. Firing Your Vape
There are two main ways that vapour production will be triggered by the device: Button firing, and auto-inhale or draw firing. Button firing requires a button on the device to be held down to create vapour. Draw firing removes this requirement and produces vapour by triggering an air sensor in the device.
4. Adjust Your Power (If Applicable)
While some vapes allow you to adjust the voltage output of the device, the most common power adjustment is wattage. The higher the wattage/voltage, the more vapor produced. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to start low and adjust to higher temps as you go in order to find your vaping sweet spot. Before you begin, make sure your settings are on the lowest setting recommended for your coil (for your first time) and gradually increase the power as you see fit. Keep in mind that most coils will have a minimum and maximum wattage recommended printed on the box or on the coil. If your wattage is under the recommended setting, you may face leaking issues as the juice isn’t vaporizing quicker than the coil is absorbing. Alternatively, going over the recommended wattage can lead to burning the cotton, resulting in a gross burnt taste.
Now that you’ve set your device up, you’re ready to take your first puff! Make sure that you are vaping only where it is permitted as many spaces are governed by bylaws. Non-compliance with these laws can result in a hefty fine or a ban from the property.
Looking for specific knowledge on particular components of a vape? Discover the parts that make a vape and how they affect your vaping experience here!