Common Vaping Mistakes (Not Just for Beginners!)

Whether you’re just making the transition from smoking to vaping or you’ve been at this a while, there’s a lot of general vaping mistakes people are making out there. If you’re new, there’s a ton of information to take in all at once. If you’re a veteran, you might be locked into your habits with a certain amount of ego regarding lists like this. Either way, take a look. It’s never too late to learn something new about your favorite hobby or the thing you’re just getting into.

Quality

This is a big one, especially for beginners, and it spans every single area of vaping. From the e-juices you’re vaping to the devices you’re using to vape them, quality needs to be your priority in every single aspect of your vaping life.

While inexpensive vape devices can be tempting, make sure you’re not sacrificing decent construction for a low price. Lower quality hardware may sacrifice key design features like safety protections and quality control. This can negatively impact your vaping in all kinds of ways. If you’re new, these cheaper products may provide a less fulfilling vape experience, worse flavor, or inconsistent performance. Each of these issues can make vaping a much less attractive alternative to smoking, contributing to a possible relapse. At the far end of the spectrum, cheaply made vapes can pose health hazards thanks to their shoddy construction. Always choose reputable vendors (like ProVape.com, for instance) and manufacturers with a track record of high-quality products.

Going from 0 – 100

In the world of vaping, there’s devices for every level of vaper. If you’re new to the scene, it might be tempting to go for the biggest, most powerful, and most complicated devices you can get your hands on. Like anything else, however, this is rarely the right call.

As a general rule of thumb, the more powerful a vape device is, the more experience is required to operate it properly. You know those large, multi-battery, cloud-chucking box mods you see people walking around with? Ask them what kind of device they started on. The answer is likely that they started on something much smaller.

In addition to being more complex, bigger vapes aren’t necessarily better. Beginning vapers honestly probably wouldn’t find the experience of hitting a giant sub-ohm tank to be all that satisfying. In almost every case, a person switching from cigarettes to vaping will find a smaller pod system much more enjoyable than a box mod. The key is to take it slow, start small, and find exactly what you like before dumping hundreds of dollars into a system you don’t even like.

Neglecting Maintenance

Vapes are just like any other investment in your life. Whether it’s your car, your home, a laptop, or kitchen appliances, maintenance is necessary to the lifespan and general upkeep of your valuable possessions. Here are some general rules to follow:

• Clean your tank regularly. Depending upon the size and style of your tank, this could mean weekly, monthly, or even every time you change the juice.
• Inspect your set-up. Again, this depends upon the size and complexity of your set-up, but you should take the time every so often to break things down, look at all the components and make sure everything looks good. Check for signs of wear and tear, make sure all connections are fitting properly, and nothing is loose or damaged.
• Clean the coils. This is primarily for more experienced vapers, but if you’re using rebuildables, make sure you’re cleaning the coils properly on a regular basis.

Using the wrong e-liquid

I’ve found that e-liquid composition is something that isn’t discussed often enough. There’s way more to picking the right e-liquid than first meets the eye.

For one thing, be clear on the difference between nicotine salts and freebase e-liquid. Nicotine salts are going to be far stronger than freebase liquids. Make sure you’re only using them with lower power devices and higher resistance coils.  Nothing is going to end your vaping career more quickly than shredding your lungs on 50mg nicotine salts in a 0.15ohm sub-ohm tank. Likewise, make sure you’re only using freebase with higher power devices. If you’re putting 3mg freebase in a little 1.8ohm pod system and wondering why it feels like you’re vaping air, it’s time to switch to those nicotine salts we were just talking about.

The other thing to consider is the composition of your e-liquid. Most reputable e-liquid companies put their VG/PG ratio right there on the bottle for you. Higher VG liquids are going to be a lot thicker than 50/50 options. As such, you’re going to need more power to get a satisfying vape from them. Likewise, you may get leaking or other spitback using them in underpowered setups. If you’re experiencing these issues, switch up the juice you’re using. Sites like ProVape.com include a ton of different options, so take the time to find the right stuff.

Vaping etiquette

For some people, this might be a no-brainer. After all, vaping etiquette should seem like common sense, but it never hurts to take a refresher course. When you’re vaping in public, it’s up to you to be an ambassador for the entire scene. Vaping is currently under attack by legislators, journalists, and even some opinionated scientists. Don’t add to the negative propaganda by being a selfish jerk while vaping.

• Be mindful of the clouds. Nobody likes a huge fat cloud blown directly into their face. Whether you’re in a conversation or walking around town, keep an eye on where you’re blowing your clouds.
• Follow laws and rules! I know, it sucks right now, but please follow all the regulations in place. We all know that you can’t vape on planes or inside restaurants, for instance, but did you know that some entire cities have banned vaping? Sure, San Francisco is making the news right now, but smoking is illegal in several U.S. cities and vaping is often lumped into the same category. Know the rules, know the laws, and do your best to follow them.
• General snobbery. Vapers being snobs?? Who ever heard of such a thing! It might be an old cliché, and you may be absolutely certain you don’t fall into this category but check yourself anyway. If someone is smoking a cigarette around you, maybe don’t cause a scene about how gross it is. Strike up a conversation casually mentioning how vaping helped you quit. If someone is new to vaping, mentor them. Et cetera. There’s all kinds of opportunities in this life to either be a snob or be helpful. Choose the latter.
• Open-mindedness. I hear this one all the time. “I don’t like fruit e-liquids.” “I only use rebuildable coils.” Get out of your comfort zone every now and then and try something new. I know that in my own experience, I’ve had my mind blown more than once. Vape technology is advancing at incredible rates all the time, and companies are constantly putting out new and exciting stuff. Don’t rob yourself of potential enjoyment by falling into a rut, thinking you know everything.