There are a variety of reasons why you probably want to start vaping. Maybe you’ve been smoking for years, and this time, you’re convinced that you need to quit for the sake of your health and your loved ones’ peace of mind.
It’s also possible that you’ve seen someone from your favorite movie or TV show vaping, and you want to give it a try because, well, it looks cool. It’s the closest you’ll get to badassery without coming off as an embittered nihilist. Whatever your reason is, rest assured that compared to cigarettes or tobacco, vaping is more recommendable.
You can pursue vaping as either a hobby or a lifestyle. The former means you enjoy the kick you get out of inhaling flavored steam from your chosen hardware. The latter equates to taking vaping a step further by exploring different flavors and hardware, joining vaping communities online and offline, and maybe even concocting your own line of e-liquids.
Either way, it’s best to know as much as you can about vaping before officially jumpstarting your journey with those sweet clouds of smoke. Here’s how to join the vaping industry as a newbie.
Know the mechanism of an e-cigarette
While you can start vaping without any precursor knowledge on how it works, that’s not the route you want to take—you cannot just wing it.
You don’t have to be a walking vaping encyclopedia either. But at least, know the basics; for example, the core components of a vaping kit. That includes a battery, heating element, tank, and mouthpiece. You push the e-cigarette button, and the battery activates the heating element, which comes in the form of a coil. This coil turns e-liquid to vapor, which you then inhale.
Sample different e-cigs to find your best match
If you’re serious about vaping, you can’t quit after trying out an e-cig that does not give you the satisfaction you expect. That only means you got your hands on the wrong hardware, or at least, hardware that does not suit your preferences.
The best thing to do is try as many types of vaping kits as you can. Your options include the cigalike, vape pen, box mod, and refillable pod system. If you want to vape in fashion, you can’t go wrong with a refillable vape pod system. You can also choose to situate yourself on the other end of the spectrum and vape using old-school cigalikes.
Learn the different e-liquids at your disposal
If you’re not a smoker transitioning into vaping, e-liquids are the least of your concerns. You sure can enjoy vaping without the kick of nicotine. However, if you decided to vape to quit smoking, it’s crucial to learn the math and science behind e-liquids.
E-liquids have different nicotine strengths. There’s no hard-and-fast rule about what nicotine strength best matches a newbie vaper who’s quit smoking, but you can at least count the number of cigarettes you used to smoke. If you smoked 20 or more cigarettes a day, perhaps your ideal e-liquid has 1.8% of nicotine. For those who smoked less than five daily, 0.6% nicotine would do.
Get to know the flavors
After determining the nicotine strength that suits your taste, the next step is to explore available flavors. Rely on firsthand experience. Don’t depend on secondhand accounts because taste is subjective. While you can ask seasoned vapers for their views, in the end, you can only follow your taste buds.
If you recently quit smoking, tobacco or menthol flavors are right up your alley. But, of course, your end goal is to curb your tobacco craving eventually, so slowly transition to other flavors. Your taste buds will adjust in time, and before you know it, you’ve jettisoned your tobacco dependence. Don’t worry because you have hundreds of interesting flavors to choose from—you can even DIY.
Take it easy
There’s a learning curve with vaping. Your first drags will probably make you cough like crazy. The secret is to go at it slowly. Give your body, mouth, and lungs time to adjust to your new hobby.
You might miss the nicotine kick you get after taking a puff of a cigarette. That’s because vaping offers a different kind of experience. It takes longer for nicotine in e-liquids to hit you, but when it does, it’s worth the wait. And it stays longer, too.
Also, give your vaping kit time in between puffs. It’s a mechanical device that goes through a process of activation, unlike cigarettes from which you can puff without regard for timing, so long as it’s lit. Get long, slow, and steady drag, so you have enough vapor to last you while you wait.
Research vaping hardware maintenance
You throw sticks of consumed cigarettes. You cannot say the same about vaping kits. Your goal is to have yours last for as long as mechanically possible. This is where proper maintenance comes in.
The first thing to avoid is dropping your vaping kit. That might cause the device’s internal mechanism to go bonkers. Also, chips on your kit’s protective cover can lead to the intrusion of foreign materials such as dust and water. Those will eventually compromise the interior components.
Make sure to clean the e-liquid and juice containers every time you switch flavors. The same goes for the mouthpiece, especially if you’re in the habit of sharing your vape with friends.
Find ways to reduce vaping costs
Proper and regular maintenance are your primary strategies for ensuring that you do not spend more than necessary on your vaping hobby. It lengthens the shelf life of your device. You do not have to update faster than usual or pay for upkeep due to avoidable damages.
If you’re using a device with an adjustable wattage vaporizer, crank it down. Instead, use a higher resistance coil. Here, you save battery life and charge your device less frequently. Bigger e-liquid bottles prove more cost-efficient in the long run. So the next time you shop, buy more to spend less.
Join vaping communities online and offline
When you’re in the process of exploring a new hobby, you want to hear from those who’ve been into that hobby for way longer than you. You expect tips or need hacks. Those you can find through vaping communities.
A quick search on Facebook will open you to many communities devoted to vaping with worldwide membership. You can also go to Reddit for the juiciest vaping forums. You’ll learn how to spot fake Relx pods. You’ll know about the latest vaping technologies under development before they even reach the market.
Then, take your passion for vaping offline by visiting vape shops and cafes. Most shops that sell vaping and vape-adjacent products encourage the congregation of vape hobbyists. Plus, the relationships you can build by hanging out in those places don’t have to be exclusively about vaping. You’ll likely find friends who will accompany you throughout your vaping journey and beyond.
Watch videos of vaping tricks
Once you start to feel like you’ve gotten the hang of vaping, it’s time to explore tricks. You may simply learn stuff you can amuse people with or go all competitive with it. You can master vaping tricks for, let’s say, performing on the stage. Whatever your motivation, it will be fun.
Begin by checking out videos of vaping tricks on YouTube. You’ll have many to cover, so take your time. Have a go-to person to check your progress. Ideally, someone who won’t lie to you and will be an objective judge.
Start vaping on the right foot
The pleasure you get from inhaling something into your lungs that’s not quite air is undeniable. Still, it’s worth noting that you must vape responsibly. Be mindful of the people around you. Remember that not everyone appreciates being surrounded by a cloud of smoke as if the heavens are claiming them.
Moreover, regard your health and safety with the utmost priority. If you want to vape for a long time, you must keep yourself fit and your lungs in tip-top shape.