A Basic Guide To Vaping
So, you’re ready to quit smoking and start vaping. While we know it can seem daunting at first, let us assure you that vaping is actually a fairly straightforward process, and that we’re here to guide you through it. With that said, if you’re totally in the dark as to what vaping is, we recommend starting with our ‘New to Vaping?’ page first.
If you’ve familiarised yourself with that, this page is your next step toward getting started with vaping. We’ll be covering the key components of vape kits, as well how to find the right nicotine strength for your needs. Lastly, we’ll point you in the right direction so you can get started with finding the vaping setup that’s right for you.
What are the Core Aspects of Vaping?
E Liquid
This is the liquid you’ll be vaping. E liquid is basically a mixture of vegetable oil, flavouring and, typically, nicotine —although nicotine-free e liquids are also readily available.
When e liquid is heated by the vape kit, it turns into vapour, which is inhaled by the user.If you’re keen to learn more about e liquid, you could do a lot worse than starting with our Beginners E Liquid Guide.
We’ve also got a quick guide covering the primary ingredients in e liquid. For a more in-depth read, check out our blog that answers the big question: What is an E Liquid?
Tank
The tank of a vape kit has three key aspects to it. It consists of a chamber for holding e liquid, and is fitted with a mouthpiece to allow the user to comfortably inhale vapour. It also houses an essential part of any vape kit—the coil.
You’ll find more information about tanks in our handy Beginners Vape Tank Guide, and our guide on How to fill your tank ensures that you’ll never have to worry about mess or spillage.
Coil
The vape coil, housed in the bottom of the tank, performs a crucial function for vape kits. It creates the heat which turns e liquid into vapour.
Typically, vape tanks come pre-fitted with a coil, so beginners don’t need to worry about matching coils to their devices.
However, as your skill and knowledge of vaping increase, you may find yourself wanting to experiment with different coil setups. Either way, coils are a crucial component in any vaping setup, and we’ve got a bunch of guides that map out this vital bit of hardware. Our Beginner Vape Coils Guide will get you sorted on a need-to-know basis, with further info covered in our in-depth blog.
We’ve also got guides for coil materials, how to clean coils, and a comparison to help you find the coils that suit you.
Battery
Shocking as it may sound, the battery provides power to a vape device! Pretty wild, we know. Jokes aside, the main function of the battery is to send electrical current to the coil, which is what causes the coil to heat up.
The battery often also serves to power other aspects of a vape device, such as LEDs and —in more advanced kits —OLED screens. Many vape devices come with the correct battery included, or will otherwise clearly let you know which kind of battery you’ll need.
If you want to know a little bit more about batteries, head on over to our Beginners Vape Batteries Guide. That pretty much covers it. While vaping may initially seem complicated, it can be reassuring to remember that it all hinges on this basic physical process. Power from the battery causes the coil to heat up, this heat goes on to heat the liquid in the tank, and the liquid is vaporised.
What is Nicotine?
Nicotine is a naturally occurring chemical found in several types of plants, including the tobacco plant. In small doses, nicotine functions as a stimulant similar to caffeine, increasing alertness and staving off tiredness.
We know that nicotine is addictive. However, switching from smoking to vaping gives you a much greater level of control of your nicotine intake. One of the major advantages of vaping rather than smoking is that it makes it much easier to gradually taper off your nicotine consumption, and to eventually quit entirely.
What is the Right Nicotine Strength for Me?
Choosing the right nicotine strength is important, as going either too high or too low will have undesired consequences. Using a nicotine strength that’s too strong can cause side effects such as nausea and dizziness.
On the other hand, if you use a strength that’s too weak, it might not sufficiently soothe your craving for nicotine, and you run the risk of still wanting to smoke. To get you started head over to our nicotine strength convertor and gauge your required level move from cigarettes to vaping. As a good starting point, this quick guide will help you calculate the right nicotine strength for you.
●8mg/ml (low) –for users who smoke on average 5-10 cigarettes a day
●12mg/ml (medium) –for users who smoke on average 10-15 cigarettes a day
●18mg/ml (high) –for user who smoke on average 20+ cigarettes a day
How Do I Find the Right Vape Kit for Me?
As mentioned above, all vaping setups operate according to the same basic physical process. What type of vape kit works best for you, will depend on your individual needs, wants and preferences.
Finding the right kit is key, as ideally you should be reaching for your vape kit everytime you feel the urge to smoke —so you’ll want a kit that you feel comfortable using. We’ve worked out a range of guides and blogs to help customers find their perfect match. Some of these guides are aimed at total beginners, and some are more geared towards users who already have an idea of what they’re after. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by choices, never fear.
Just check out our Beginners Vape Kits Guide, which offers a further breakdown of the different types of vape kits, including starter kits, pens, pods and mods.If you feel like you’ve got a rough idea of what you want from your vaping experience, and want to get straight into some of our recommendations, take a look at our blog covering the Top 5 Vape Kits to Quit Smoking.