We periodically blog with the vaping newbie in mind, because as interest in electronic cigarettes grow, more and more people search for current and relevant information on what an electronic cigarette is, what vaping is all about and how to avoid common pitfalls. Obviously, switching to electronic cigarettes is a no-brainer for any smoker, but the massive range of complicated ecigs on the market, plus the truly mind-boggling array of technical jargon can easily be, and frequently is, confusing, frustrating and intimidating for new vapers. As a result, many smokers are put off vaping, and that is a tragedy.
As unfortunate as it is, there are countless smokers who try to make the transition to e-cigs, only to revert back to smoking because of simple mistakes and a general lack of information. In this article, we will go over the five most common mistakes new vapers make. Hopefully, if you are planning to switch to electronic cigarettes and come across this article, you will have a much better chance to quit smoking. So, one by one, here are the major mistakes you want to avoid if you want to successfully stop smoking and enter the world of vaping:
E-Cigarette Quality
Vaping with low quality hardware is like using an umbrella with holes in it. Without any doubt, poor quality vaping gear is one of the prime culprits responsible for putting off people from vaping because a bad e-cigarette makes eliquid taste horrible and can easily break, leak and/or malfunction. This is a serious concern because as the global vaping markets grows, more and more low quality electronic cigarette manufacturers turn up to make an easy buck and this translates into problems for the new vaper.
The main problem here is that the average smoker wanting to quit doesn’t really know what to look out for. What's even worse, there are downright crooked businesses that sell low quality electronic cigarettes at astronomic prices, trying to take advantage of uninformed vaping newbies. There is a real risk of spending good money on a bad e-cig which breaks in two days.
WHAT TO DO: Reviews; read a LOT of electronic cigarette reviews. You need to know what type of e-cigarette is best for your vaping needs and budget. Fortify yourself with as much information as possible before shelling out any money. There are great vaping resources online, just search Google and you are on your way to a great start.
E-Liquid Flavors
Most smokers wanting to switch to e-cigarettes don't even know ecigs work with e-liquids, let alone what sort of eliquid to use. The market is flooded with eliquids that range from cactus fruit to liquids made with extracts from the rarest tobacco cultivars - it's no surprise a new vaper can feel overwhelmed and without a clue as to what to buy.
The most commonly accepted wisdom for ex-smokers just starting vaping is to start with some form of realistic tobacco liquid (as opposed to a Pina Colada liquid or Belgian chocolate cake). Starting vaping with tobacco ejuice helps you adjust better and doesn't make you feel alienated in terms of how vaping feels when you first start.
Of course, there is much more to choosing an e-liquid than just selecting a tobacco e-liquid. Base ingredients (diluents) are another factor that will strongly impact your first vaping experience. In terms of diluents, propylene glycol is a tasteless and odorless compound used in making e-liquids - higher PG ratios mean harder throat hits. Vegetable glycerin (VG) is a natural organic glycerol. It is a thick and sweet substance also used in making e-liquids - higher VG ratios mean thicker and sweeter vapor.
WHAT TO DO: The most important thing is to figure out which PG/VG ratio is best for you. Trying liquids different PG/VG ratios can be costly, so if there is a brick-and-mortar vape shop in your vicinity, stop by and ask to sample liquids with different PG/VG ratios. If you don’t have access physical vape store, we suggest you start vaping with a 50& PG, 50% VG eliquid and take it from there.
Nicotine Strength
Too much or too little nicotine - that is the problem. A huge newbie mistake is buying e-juice with an inappropriate nicotine levels. Too much nicotine can cause nausea, dizziness and headaches. Too little of it, and you are most likely not going to be satisfied and will want to go back to smoking. We suggest the following nicotine regimen as a general rule of thumb for new vapers:
- CHAIN SMOKER (40+ cigarettes a day) - Start with 24mg nicotine
- HEAVY SMOKER (20+ cigarettes a day) - Start with 18mg nicotine
- MEDIUM SMOKER (10-20 cigarettes a day) - Start with 12mg nicotine
- LIGHT SMOKER (5-10 cigarettes a day) - Start with 6-9mg nicotine
- DABBLERS (Up to 5 cigarettes a day) - Start with 3mg nicotine
Ohms, Watts, Volts
Unless you are thinking of diving straight into complex mods (which, as a newbie, you should not) you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to start vaping. Electrical principals come into play at further stages so as long as you stay away from complicated electronic cigarettes (and there are some SERIOUSLY complicated ones out there), you should be fine. For a crash course on electrical laws and vaping calculators, check out our blog post here.
Maintaining Your Electronic Cigarette
You clean your car, you clean your house, you clean your clothes - the same goes for your electronic cigarette. If you don't periodically clean your e-cigarette, the performance of your device will slowly drop - and this can easily make you to go back to smoking. The most commonly replaced part of an electronic cigarette is the atomizer head (coil). This is the part that atomizes eliquid into vapor. Atomizer heads get dirty and clogged up with use and need to changed every so often for optimal satisfaction when vaping. If you don't switch atomizer heads regularly, flavor and vapor production will diminish to an extremely low level and stop if and when an atomizer head dies. As a general rule of thumb, atomizer heads are changed every two weeks or so (if your vapor starts developing a burnt or metallic taste, or there is a significant drop in the amount of vapor you're getting, you need to switch heads immediately).
Pro tip about heads/coils: before you vape with a new atomizer head, it is very important you prime it first. Priming means soaking the wick with eliquid BEFORE hitting the fire button. If you don't, there is a very good chance you might burn the wick, and THAT results in the incredibly disgusting phenomenon called the dry hit that tastes unbelievably bad. To prime an atomizer head, put a couple of drops of e-liquid directly into the juice holes on the atomizer head where the wicks are. Do this BEFORE screwing the atomizer head into the tank and BEFORE you fill it up. Then, gently cover the airholes (if any) on your atomizer and take a few soft drags WITHOUT pressing the fire button (doing so pulls more ejuice into the atomizer head and pushes out trapped air that keeps parts of the wick dry).
We hope you found this article useful and it helps you quit smoking.