The Ultimate Guide to Vaping for Beginners


The Ultimate Guide to Vaping for Beginners Oliver Norman

My First Vape: A Vaping Guide For Beginners

If you're considering making the switch from smoking to vaping, the task itself can seem pretty daunting, especially if you're completely new to vaping and you may not know where to start. There's a lot of jargon to understand as well as a lot of different things you need to learn about before you make the switch to vaping. 

The crucial steps you must get right are picking the right vape kit for you, as well as the right nicotine strength in your vape juice that you've picked. As getting these two things right will make your vaping experience much more pleasurable as well as your quitting smoking attempt will be successful as well! 

Join us as we teach you everything you need to know about vaping, and help you get set up with the right vaping device, right type of vape juice and explain everything you need to know as you embark on your vaping journey!

Introduction to the Basics of Vaping

Before you give vaping a go, it's essential that you understand the basics of vaping and what exactly an e-cigarette is and how vaping works. 

Vaping differs from smoking due to the primary reason that whilst smoking involves tobacco products being heated up to produce the cigarette smoke, vaping doesn't do any of this. Because a) there isn't a single trace of tobacco products involved with vaping and b) there's no burning either.

Instead, the vape juice which is used is heated up from the coil/heating element, situated in either the vape tank or vape pod, and this is then turned into vapour aerosol, which is inhaled and exhaled much like how a cigarette is smoked. 

Cigarette smoke is known to contain thousands of different chemicals, with some seriously toxic ones, and these are harboured in the smoke which is formed when tobacco is burnt. Whilst vapour does contain a small amount of the same chemicals (not toxic ones) as what is in cigarette smoke, it's at such miniscule levels that it's not considered dangerous to your health. This is because there's no burning nor is there any tobacco involved with vaping. 

Why Do People Vape? 

Many people will choose to give vaping a try as a way to quit smoking. In fact, there's currently more adult vapers in the UK than ever before according to recent statistics and the amount of adult smokers was the lowest it's ever been, which is a clear indicator that people are deciding to quit smoking for good and start vaping.

As another study showed, using an e-cigarette for smoking cessation has proved to be the most effective method for continual abstinence from smoking cigarettes. Vaping is the closest replicant of what smoking a cigarette is, and this is done by simulating the same hand to mouth actions, as well as inhaling and exhaling and also getting the nicotine absorbed into the body from the vapour, like it would from cigarette smoke. 

So, most people will transition from smoking to vaping for smoking cessation but there's also a high number of people who use a vape more as a hobbyist or simply because they enjoy the flavour of whatever vape juice they're using, and might not even use nicotine in their e liquids. The ideal scenario when you start vaping is to gradually lower your nicotine levels down so you become less dependant on it, and then you can either quit vaping or continue vaping just for enjoyment. 

Tips on How To Switch from Smoking to Vaping

  • Set Goals - Understand your reasons why you're wanting to quit smoking and start vaping, and set yourself some realistic goals that you'd like to reach on your vaping journey
  • Understand the Benefits of Vaping - Vaping comes with so many benefits. Not only is it safer and healthier than smoking, it's also a lot cheaper than what the cost of smoking is. Enjoy your health improving as well as your bank balance when you make the switch! 
  • Willpower and Determination - These two things are essential when you're wanting to quit smoking. Have that drive and determination to quit and resist temptations, and remember the reasons why you quit!

Exploring Different Vape Devices

Find the right vape device that will suit your needs is an essential step when you're seeking to quit smoking. But if you're new to vaping, understanding what different devices do and picking which type of vape kit can be confusing, but that's what this blog is all about! To eliminate the confusion and give you a full understanding so that you pick the perfect vape kit that is suited to your needs. 

There's different vape kits which are designed to cater to every vaping style, which we will explain in depth a little further on in this blog. But for now, let's look at the different vape kits that are on the market currently. 

Disposable Vapes 

The current "in thing" in the vaping world. These have really surged in popularity and usage amongst adult vapers over the last two years. Offering a simplistic and easy route in to vaping by being ready to go straight out of the packet, with no need to charge or refill them with vape juice as it's already done for you.

However, whilst convenient, they are not the most efficient nor cost effective way to vape. Due to the fact they cannot be refilled, or recharged, they can only last someone who's a frequent vaper one day before either the vape juice inside the device runs out, or the battery runs out of power. This then renders the device unusable and it's then disposed of. 

But the days of disposable vapes being used and sold in the UK are numbered, as Rishi Sunak announced in January that there is a disposable vape ban coming to the UK in the near future. This is being done because it's not just adults who are using disposable vapes, as a considerable amount of youths aged 11-17 are also using them and it's creating big problems across the country. 

Many people are now seeking out alternative kits for disposable vapes, which leads us nicely on to our next point!

Pod Vapes

In our opinion, vape pod kits are the best alternative for disposable vapes as they give a similar vaping experience to what disposable do, but the difference being you can refill the pods as well as recharging the pod vape device itself, both of which you cannot do with a disposable vape. 

Most pod style vape kits offer a really simplistic approach to vaping and make the ideal starter vape, as well as being a good device for those with more experience of vaping. Most of the devices will use pods that already have vape coils preinstalled in them, meaning you won't have to get your hands messy changing coils, as you just replace the entire pod rather than just the coil. 

They also are really easy to refill, and most devices won't have any technical features like adjustable wattage for you to get your head around if it's your first vape which makes them the perfect choice for beginners.

Vape Mods/Sub-Ohm Vape Kits

These devices are not recommended as a beginner vape kit, and are more designed and marketed towards people who have more experience with vaping and a good knowledge. 

These are normally larger sized devices with a vape mod that has a vape tank on top of it, and the mod itself will have adjustable wattage. These are the devices which can be run at high wattages to produce thicker and bigger clouds of vapour that you might have seen people doing. As tempting as these may look, we would not recommend these as an introduction to vaping device as they are for DTL vaping. Which we will now explain what that is exactly in more detail.

Exploring Different Styles of Vaping And Choosing the Ideal Vaping Style for Beginners

If you're new to vaping, you might not be familiar with the fact that there is in fact different styles of vaping. Two to be exact, and both of these styles are very different from one another as we explain. 

Mouth To Lung Vaping

Or MTL Vaping as it's often shortened to. This is the style of vaping which is most associated with beginner vapers and is achieved by using pod vapes or pen style vape kits that use a coil that is 1.0ohm or higher and has a lower wattage output of around 10-12 watts. 

This is so that when you inhale on your vape, it will create a tighter draw to give a throat hit from the vapour produced from your e-cigarette. You then inhale the vapour, hold it in your mouth and then exhale. This sounds familiar right? Well it should, as this is the same motion you previously done when smoking a cigarette! 

And this is why mouth to lung vaping is so popular with vapers who have recently quit smoking, as you will get the same feeling and experience of smoking a cigarette, just without inhaling the smoke and nasty chemicals that comes with it! 

The vape juices that are best used in MTL vape devices would be standard 50-50 e-liquids like freebase nicotine vape juices or nic salt e-liquids.

Direct To Lung Vaping

Often referred to as DTL vaping or sub-ohm vaping, this style is vaping is more catered for those who have more experience with vaping and may now vape for the enjoyment of it, rather than as a replacement for smoking and may not want the throat hit and high nicotine e liquids. 

Direct to lung vaping is where you inhale the vapour as normal, but instead of holding it it, you take it down direct to the lungs (see where the name comes from now?!) and then exhale. This is normally achieved by using higher powered vape mods as DTL vaping produces the more thick and dense clouds of vapour.

The vape juice most associated with DTL vaping would be High VG (70-30) vape juice. Which has more vegetable glycerine in, which when heated up at a higher wattage will ultimately create bigger plumes of vapour, as well as enhancing the flavour

Understanding MTL Vape Kits and DTL Vape Kits

Choosing a vape kit that's right for you is essential, and you should have an understanding of what you want to achieve and get out of your kit as you get ready to start your vaping journey. 

If you're someone who's recently quit smoking and have never vaped before, you're going to want to find a vape kit that is easy to use, as well as being able to replicate that feeling and sensation of smoking a cigarette, and as we have just established, a mouth to lung vape kit is the best vape for beginners. 

This is why these kind of vape kits are classed as vape starter kits, because they are great for beginners and will have everything you need to get you started on the right track and away from smoking. 

Chances are you'll stick to using this type of vape kit for a while, and gradually start tapering down your nicotine strength in your e-liquid and then you might want to consider getting yourself a more advanced kit with some additional features such as adjustable wattage to have a different vaping experience. This is where you can naturally progress into using a DTL vape kit, and then move onto using High VG vape juice that has a low nicotine content. 

You can always stick to using a MTL vape pen style kit without having to change, it's just good to have an understanding of what your options are within the vaping world as this might help you make some goals or targets to work towards.

How To Choose Your First Vape Kit

We hope we have explained everything you need to know about vaping devices so that choosing the best vape kit that will suit your needs will feel an easier task than what it was before. But we'll still give you some of our top tips on how to choose your first kit and make sure what you pick is right for you. 

  • Pick A Kit in your Budget - There really is no need to put out a lot of money for your first vape kit. Buy a vape kit that's in your budget, and don't over spend especially on your first kit! We have some of the best MTL vape kits on the market and the best prices possible here at LiQuid. We recommend the Innokin Klypse. Priced at just £10.99, this is one of our best selling pod vape kits and it's simple and easy to use with minimal maintenance required!
  • Pick A Device Suited To Your Needs - Don't go and buy a sub ohm vape kit straight off the bat! As tempting as blowing those big vape clouds may look, DTL vaping is not the best way you vape with your first vape kit, especially if you're quitting smoking. Pick a device used for vaping Freebase 50-50 or Nic Salt vape juice as this will be key in making the quitting process easier. 

Understanding Vape Coils and Maintenance

We've mentioned about vape coils throughout this blog and coils are one of the big things about vaping which people may not understand, so we thought it's best that we dedicate a section to explain what vape coils are to give you an understand as well as the importance of keeping your vape coils well maintained, as this will determine how much of a good vaping experience you have.

A coil in a vape is like what the heart is in a human body, it keeps everything running how it should, and if it's not looked after, then your vape isn't going to function properly and that's the last thing you want! 

We've spoken about how the coil acts as the heating element in your vape, where it heats up the vape juice to produce the vapour you inhale and exhale, and also this is where the nicotine is which is then absorbed into your body when you inhale it. 

Coils have a normal lifespan of around 7-10 days before they will need replacing. You will know when they need replacing as you may start to get a burnt taste when you inhale on your vape, which is a tell tale sign because the cotton wick inside your atomiser will have started to burn away from being heated up, so when this happens it's time for a change! 

A lot of pod vapes will use pods which have the coils pre-installed in them and the pods are fully sealed, meaning you just replace the whole pod when the coil inside has burnt out. Although some will use pods where the coils are removeable and replaceable, the design of these make it really simple to change the coils though as they normally are just pull out and push fit for the replacement, really simple!

Getting Started With Vaping And Exploring Vape Juice Flavours

Trying all of the different vape juice flavours that are on the market is part of the fun of getting started with vaping. The options available now are the most varied and abundant they've ever been, and there really is a flavour out there for everyone! 

Finding a vape juice flavour that you enjoy vaping is at least one of the key factors in whether your quest to quit smoking and continue vaping is a success. Because if you find something you like, you're going to want to continue vaping it so that you will enjoy the rich flavour of that vape juice. This will then help you forget about wanting to smoke cigarettes and remind you just how horrible tobacco tastes! 

Fruit flavoured e-liquids are the most popular flavour preference amongst vapers according to a recent survey conducted by Action on Smoking and Health. People have gradually moved away from the standard tobacco or menthol flavour vape juices now that there are more options available to choose from. Because in the early days of vaping, tobacco and menthol were the only flavours you could get and a fruity flavour e-liquid was a mere myth!

However, using a tobacco flavour e-liquid might not be a bad thing, as people do enjoy the tastes and you might find that fruit e-liquids are too sickly or sweet for you, so get yourself a traditional tobacco vape juice if you think that will help. The same goes for menthol too, as if you were a menthol cigarette smoker (before they got banned) or used things like menthol infused rolling papers or filter tips, you can get a standard Menthol flavour vape juice and enjoy the freshness it gives with every vape!

Understanding Different Nicotine Levels

We'll round off this blog with a brief explanation about how to determine what nicotine strength you should go for in your vape juice so that making the switch will be as seamless as possible. Picking the right nicotine strength is crucial as this will keep those pesky cravings at bay and removing the urge to want to smoke, as you'll be getting enough satisfaction from the nicotine in your vape juice. 

5mg/6mg - This strength is suitable for people who smoked up to 10 cigarettes a day

10mg/12mg - This strength is suitable for people who smoked up to 15 cigarettes a day

18mg/20mg - This strength is suitable for people who were heavy smokers of at least 20 cigarettes a day.

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