101: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO VAPING

The world of vaping can be a big and confusing place for a newcomer. Terms like atomiser, coil, mod, PG and VG make electronic cigarettes sound a lot more complicated than they actually are. In reality, vaping is quite simple and even easier to start. However, it’s definitely best to familiarise yourself with the basic concepts of vaping to make sure that you get the most out of the experience. We’ve designed a simple three guide to walk you through the first things you’ll need to know to get yourself started.

Step 1 – Learning the basic lingo

This is a list of the essential vaping terminology that you need to know:

Mod / Device: This is the main part of your e-cigarette, where the button and screen are. They come in different sizes, colours and functionalities.

Atomiser / Tank: This is the top part of the e-cigarette, which holds the coil and the e-juice – it’s where the vapour is created.

Coil: These are the small metal pieces that contain the heat-resistance wire that vaporises the e-liquid. They come in different resistances and materials to match to the vaping device.

E-liquid / E-juice: This is the liquid that you vaporise and inhale. It contains the flavour and the nicotine. Picking the right e-liquid is vital to your vaping experience – more about that later.

Step 2 – Choosing your vaping device

Choosing your vaping device becomes the main part of vaping because it determines the style of vaping you do. Many expert vapers choose to have multiple vape devices to rotate their vaping style.

For those that are new to vaping though, we recommend having an integrated battery device with a lower output. Basically, this type of mod will be a complete one-piece design that already has a tank and battery built into it. They normally produce less vapour than a more complex device, but that doesn’t mean you’ll lose out on flavour.

Starting with this kind of mod will give you a basic understanding of what it’s like to vape and provide a nice middle ground where you can decide what type of vaping you want to pursue in the future. To check out some good starting options, look at our range of starter e-cigarette kits here.

Step 3 – Choosing your e-liquid

E-liquid is the heart of what makes vaping enjoyable. It can be split into three elements: flavour, mix and nicotine. We’ll go through these individually because getting the right combination of all three will make sure that you get the best out your vaping experience.

Flavour: When it comes to flavour, the vaping industry spoils you for choice. There are countless flavour concoctions out there for you to choose from so you it’s really a case of trying a few out and discovering your favourite. Lots of ex-smokers start off with a tobacco flavour to simulate a cigarette and then move onto different things. We recommend trying a flavour that you like the ‘real-version’ of and going from there.

Mix: ‘Normal’ e-liquids are made with a mix of PG and VG. The ratio of these two substances determines what kind of e-juice you use. PG (Propylene Glycol) provides a throat-hit which catches in your throat like smoke, it is odourless and tasteless which means the flavour ingredients in the liquid stand out and it produces less vapour. VG (Vegetable Glycerin) provides a smoother inhale, it is naturally sweet and slightly dilutes flavours in the e-liquid and produces much more vapour. Most starter kits are best to use with a 50/50 PG/VG mix.

Nicotine: Finding the right nicotine strength for you is very important: not enough and you’ll have to vape more to compensate, too much and you’ll feel sick and get headaches. Here’s a cigarette comparison to make it easy, but we recommend all new vapers starting at 6mg and adjusting accordingly:

• Lower – 6mg and below – half a pack a day or less (for lighter ex-smokers)
• Higher – 9mg to 12mg – half a pack to one pack a day (for average to heavier ex-smokers)

Final word

If you’re new to vaping and you’re looking to give it a go this 3-step guide is a good way of figuring out where you stand. It’s important to remember that vaping only has to be as complex as you want it to be. There are some vapers that like to explore the full extent of its technological limits, and there are others that are more than happy with the basics.

There is no right and wrong when it comes to vaping (it all depends on your preferences) but the only way to find out is to give it a go!