Beginners problems and solutions.

Hello Friends.

I've been through the process of being the experienced vaper offering advice to friends, family, co-workers etc for at least 3 years or so
As such, I've witnessed my fair share of success/partial success and failure when it comes to quitting/substituting full time or still needing tobacco.
Here are a collection of thoughts and experiences for what it's worth. Some may use these as tips, others may completely disagree and that's ok too.
Just my opinions and observations, nothing more.

1: Make sure to the best of your ability that you are ready to quit smoking for good before you start your journey.

A large % of people consider success being cutting down but not stopping smokes. Your goal is to eliminate tobacco completely, as quickly as possible. Nicotine replacement is just that. Replacement. In my experiences, those that finish that last smoke and go straight to vaping have been significantly more successful in quitting for good and never going back. Those that "cut down" to stop never actually stop. There are exceptions of course, but it's pretty easy to learn to hate tobacco after a week without it.

2: Buy good hardware, but not too powerful too quickly.

We have to remember that most "enthusiast vaper" started a long time ago on some pretty different hardware. It's a pretty easy/common mistake for beginners to get sub-ohm dual-coil cloud devices 50watts and 18mg nicotine, cough a lung up for 3 days then get scared and go back to tobacco. These guys are much better off getting some midrange 1.5-1.8 ohm set ups and something with a built in battery and USB charging. Convenient, reliable and low-maintenance for your first car/house/partner and yes indeed, your vaping set up as well. This is more important (USUALLY) in women than men. I've never seen a successful sub-ohm beginner lady, I've seen 2 guys do it successfully and both had my guidance on low nicotine juice to start with, but even then it was harder for them. As you cut down your Nic, you can up your hardware strength, but don't rush it!

3: Learn to be proud to Vape.

You're smarter than smokers. Your switching to something less harmful is a b.comtiful thing. It's cheaper. It's safer. It tastes better. It smells better. You smell better. You can do it inside your house and your house smells BETTER. That whole smoking is cool shit stopped a long time ago. There are many that will never accept that, so they continue to pump thousands of dollars into ash, tar and death every year. You will get smokers telling you about that 1 article that their friends neighbours cross-fit partners fiancé who shared something on facebook. People will still look at you strange with the deer in headlights look. Of course remember to be polite about it and vape in appropriate places but always remember that in comparison to tobacco there is no negative to vaping. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

4. That crap you're coughing up? That's usually a good thing.

Your lungs go through a cleaning phase. It gets scary sometimes. See your doctor if you get worried, but usually that black crap is the tar coming out the only way it can. Carry around a pack of tissues and clear your throat when appropriate. I've seen ALOT of people back out when this starts happening. These people also usually don't drink enough water when vaping. That cough clears up. You go through the same thing quitting most other ways too! Please again, see your doctor if you are worried. They aren't going to tell you to buy another packet of smokes, which is what alot of people do.

5. Ask questions, no matter how silly it may seem. Don't assume, do research.

Vaping does become a significant part of your life. Learn as much as you can. It helps...
I had someone come up to me once, telling me it was great how water proof his 30watt Istick is, he just rinses it under water when it gets dirty... Another vaped flavour concentrate straight. Another ordered a sub-ohm tank with an ego battery. Someone else bought an "ecig starter kit" for $300 worth no more than $30. These mistakes usually end up in the new vaper going straight back to smokes "be.comse they are more convenient" Better to ask....

6. Flavour is a big key.

Try as many as you can, and pick out 3 or 4 relatively different flavours. Tobacco flavour can sometimes work, but sometimes getting completely rid of that taste is more effective if you are stopping rather than cutting down. Again, there will always be exceptions, but the change of flavour away from tobacco is often very helpful. Try to have a combination of sweet and savoury flavours, be.comse throughout the day you may like the change up.

7. Have more than 1 vaping device. Grab a few coils. Get plenty of juice.

You have to purchase things in advance. If you run out of coils, or you break your tank, or you drop your battery (or give it a bath), you want to have a backup. Even if you buy a new device every other week, it's usually still way cheaper than smoking. Exceptions will always be found (easily in this forum...) but please have a backup be.comse without one, you might buy another pack. Juice has a long shelf life if kept cool and dark, so learn how much you use over a period of time, and always have enough to spare.

Feel free to add your own opinions, observations and feedback, and good luck where ever your vaping journey takes you.

 

Worthy of a Sticky I reckon!

I would also add

Don't be afraid to try unflavoured, I personally think vaping is orders of magnitudes safer than vaping, but be aware that possibly one of the lesser evils of it is flavourings.
Most flavouring is not designed or tested for inhalation risk as such. Don't get me wrong I am NOT saying they are bad for you , but I am saying in my opinion if anything about vaping is, its more likely to be additives and flavouring. Compared to what you inhale while smoking, I would think our flavourings are a minimal risk , but still a risk nonetheless.

BACKUPS AND PLANNING! Backups have been mentioned above, but its certainly no crime to have multiples of devices that work for you.. try and get at least one combo you like and duplicate it, that way you future proof yourself a little when something goes wrong or breaks... PLANNING is what lets most new vapers down ... now while you can get hardware locally these days ( mostly) you need to ensure you always have at least a few months of "consumables" on hand, be that e-liquid, coils, tanks, batteries etc... if you have a stash there is no panic when something lets go ... and when you toss something, or finish a bottle ORDER another one ... keep that stock level up !
If you plan ahead , you will never come onto a forum begging LOL, instead you will always have stuff on hand to help someone ELSE out ... strange concept hey

 

If you have an ego type device, get 2, and get a spare charger.

 

• When buying your first kit, ask a vaper or visit a vape shop - tobacconists are overpriced and less informed (from my own experience with 4 stores).
135$ was the cost of my first kit. An evod clone (1 battery and atomiser only) , 2 -10 mls e-juice and a pack of cigs to fall back on.
I hope you won't and shouldn't pay the way I did.

• Go Glass

My first starter kit was an evod clone with a clearo made of plastic. It lasted only a month and then it cracked.
The cracking might have been .comsed by several factors one of which might have been my .comlt of over tightening.

try - an ego / evod battery paired with an Aspire K1 or Kanger mini protank, whichever the cheapest setup you can afford.
(or a Freemax iFree20 which I'll be getting next week that have garnered great reviews)