A week and a half and have a few questions

[DSFA]

Sorry in advance for the long post...

Started vaping about a week and a half ago. On day one, I gave up the analogs and haven't had one since, even though I have had friends over who smoke. It was tempting, but I held firm in my resolve. Now that I'm not totally ignorant about all of this, I have some questions for the more experienced out there...

I'm finding that vaping is not as satisfying as smoking was and I have no idea why. I read post after post that once they started vaping, they had absolutely no desire for another analog. I have not yet found this to be the case. I find myself chain vaping most of the day and night to try to get satisfied. (I started on 18mg and bumped up to 24). I have spent a lot of time in a couple of different B&M's trying different juices and while I find flavors I like, I have yet to find anything that gives me that "hit", be it TH or lung hit, or whatever you want to call it, to where I think "yeah, that satisfies me like an analog". I have an eGo twist and a Vision Vivi Nova. I'm using the 2.8 heads and vaping anywhere between 4.2 and 4.8 volts. I tried a juice today that I really liked (very strong menthol) which gave me the sensation I was looking for, but they only had it in 0 nic. Bummer...

I started vaping to replace smoking. I was hoping that I could vape exactly like I smoked. Smoke breaks at work, after meals, with my morning coffee, right before bed etc. I've not yet found this to be the case. I wasn't looking for a hobby, or the need to have a PV in my hand all day and night. I also wasn't looking to have to keep trying all kinds of different equipment, juices etc. I simply wanted to replace my analogs with a safer alternative. I basically wanted to simply be able to vape, whenever it would have been that I would have smoked. Do I have unrealistic expectations out of all of this?

Maybe I have the wrong equipment for what I want? In addition to the twist, I bought an eRoll because I read great things about it. I'd never tried a cig a like and while I absolutely LOVE the form factor, and I think would totally replicate the analog experience, regardless of the juice I use, I can't seem to find that it satisfies me like an analog did. I have to take a couple of primer hits and then take a long drag in order to get even the smallest of TH. It's almost like smoking air.

Any help you nice folks can give a noob to be able to stick this out would be most beneficial. I've seen the huge plumes coming out of equipment at the B&M's and I'm assuming it's because of the equipment they're using. I don't really want to spend 200 on a Prevari at this point, but if it will give me the sensation and satisfaction I am looking for, I gladly will.

Finally, it seems that just about everybody has 4, 5, 6, 10 different PVs with all kinds of different delivery systems. Each one seems to have it's own purpose for vaping in different situations or the mood that you happen to be in. Didn't anyone just want to replace analogs with a ecig, found what they liked and use that all day, every day? That's my ultimate goal.

 

[jfalbanese]

can't really wrap my head around getting pleasure from heart disease and cancer. but ok. here goes. making the switch from smoking to vaping. obviously a good idea if you can successfully make the switch. i never planned to quit when i picked up one of these. i hope to stop vaping at some point. there is no magic bullet. read any of these threads for do's and don't s. you will never get as much satisfaction from vaping as opposed to cigs. the satisfaction should come from extending your lifespan, and not smelling like an ashtray. if you are having problems with your dosage not doing the job, then up your dosage. i started with nasty 36 mg tobacco juice. that helped me put the cigs down. currently at 24 mg, and i drip with 18 mg for a break in the routine. hydration and backups for your backups key rules not to ignore. start looking for a permanent daily go to unit. my "omega" from altsmoke is that go to unit for me. all my other starters are used for backups, and different flavors. good luck.

 

[Telescope Neil]

I felt exactly the same when I first started vaping. When I was smoking, I love it. It was my favorite vice and I didn't care what some people think of it. But I knew my lifespan was shortening, so I had to put it away. I learned about vaping, and it helped a lot, but I still badly wanted cigs even though I already have my nicotine fit. after my fit goes away, i'm craving for analogs and not vaping, but I still kept on vaping and it went away. Now it's been 2 months, and what I crave for now is vapor, not smoke. It's a temporary thing if you're main goal is quitting analogs. It's really not that hard if you're committed to it.

About your TH and vapor, the only thing you can do about it is what atomizer you're using on your battery device, and the juice itself. Lower ohms at lower volts is more favorable for me IMO but it's personal preference. And then the juice, more VG in it will give you more vapor, but somehow less flavor and TH. PG will give you more flavor and more TH, but less vapor. 50/50 is a good choice, but i like my vaping experience smooth with a small kick on the throat. I mix my own juices at a 70/30 or 80/20 VG/PG ratio.

 

[Haktuspit]

It wasn't all that easy for me but I was determined. Had dreams about smoking cigs every single night for a month. The vaping didn't exactly do it like a cig but it was good enough. I was also after the throat hit and lung feeling, that goes away pretty fast. Now I can't stand throat hit, I like smooth juices that I only get taste from.

As far as the chain vaping and only using it as often as a cig... that's not going to happen at first. I was basically vaping every 2-3 breathes, and didn't care. I didn't even have my ego twist before I quit, I had a Blu starter kit (with WAY too many pre-filled carts) and a bunch of 901 batteries and empty carts/juices. I liked enough of my juices to get by, but after a while I was completely sick of the taste of them.

I honestly feel like I'm getting huge plooms out of my twist but then again I haven't really seen anyone else vape besides videos and it's hard to determine how much vape is actually coming out from those. I'm perfectly happy with my twist, and I don't plan on buying any other batteries until I break even. Then I'm going to get myself a present for breaking even. (I've made some bad purchases... it's a ways out)

I'd try some different juices and tanks/cartos. It's worth the effort. Also VG produces more vapor, PG gives you more throat hit. A lot of people like 50/50 mixes. I personally stick to 100%VG, also a factor in how much vapor I'm getting.

One last thing... if you aren't getting enough nicotine you can "cheat" every once in a while with some Snus. I usually save it for emergencies but it's better than a cig and gives me a nice long nic buzz.

 

[Lessifer]

I'm by no means a veteran, been at this for a month now. I still crave the analogs but haven't had one, there are so many other things in them besides the nicotine that your body becomes dependent on, but the vaping helps. I'm not sure what you've read but the nicotine delivery is also different from a PV than from a cig, it's slower and you get less of it per puff, so it's completely natural to vape more than you smoked. I've read that this will usually go down after your first few weeks and that it's a good idea to get yourself on a schedule to keep your nicotine levels up throughout the day. Throat hit can be effected by a few things including your voltage, delivery device(clearo/carto etc.), nicotine level, and pg/vg ratio.

One tip that I've stumbled onto that works for me: when I'm really craving a true cig, I vape a higher nic level tobacco/cherry juice. I don't really enjoy the flavor of this, it's not horrible, just not really something I want to vape endlessly. This helps me a) satiate my initial craving, the higher nic and kind of off taste simulate a cig for me, and b) I don't over vape it. The flavors I like I tend to forget how long I'm vaping and just keep going.

Hope some of that helps, and good luck

 

[stacee jaxx]

Hey man !...........

 

[The Ocelot]

Hi DSFA

Not everyone stops smoking at the same rate. Trying relaxing and giving yourself some time. It sounds like you're on the right track - a Twist & a Vivi are a good way to start, as is keeping your nic level up for now.

As others have posted, trying different kinds of juices would be a good plan; another would be to try a couple of other delivery systems like a Kanger T3 or bottom coil clearos like the CE3 (CE4/CE5 are a lot like vivi novas, which you've already experienced). I'm not fond of vivi novas, I find the taste muted, although they certainly have fans. You can also explore cartomizers (if you haven't tried them) or carto tanks.

A power source is just that - a battery. You already have a VV device with the Twist, so another mod isn't going to change anything until you get a delivery system and juice that are doing something for you. You do not need a ProVari at this point. It's a great mod, but it's basically just a power source. 8 watts is 8 watts no matter what device produces it.

Vaping has a learning curve that can be very frustrating, but unfortunately is unavoidable. It isn't the same as smoking cigarettes. Best of luck to you!

 

[Baditude]

I agree with what everyone has said thus far. You might try to find a flavor, perhaps another menthol, that has 36mg nicotine for those times when you really have a craving for an analog.

There are several different juice delivery devices available for your size battery. I made a picture dictionary of these in my blog, with descriptions, pictures on device, and videos: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...k-what-primer-juice-delivery-attachments.html

All of these devices provide a little different vaping experience. Individual vapors prefer one over another. Perhaps one will be better for you.

I will have to admit, until the last few days I would not have believed that anything could be better than a cartotank, but since I've had my RBA (rebuildable atomizer) up working in top form, it is superior to anything that I have tried before. I liken it to the first couple drags of an analog from what I remember of them. However, these are advanced devices that don't work right out of the box, required a good deal of research and personal education; not generally recommended for beginner vapors. Something to look into for your future.

Before closing, I'd like to talk about vaping technique, since no one has mentioned that yet. Vaping is not like drawing on a cigarette. With vaping, you will get the most benefit by taking your time. Slow, gentle, consistant draws of between 3-6 seconds length. Suck into your mouth as if using a straw in a milkshake. Hold temporarily in the mouth, then inhale. Exhale some of the vapor through your nose to be able to allow your nose to help "taste" your flavors.

The nicotine in vapor is absorbed differently than the nicotine in tobacco smoke. Most is absorbed in the mouth, throat, and nose. Additionally, your taste buds have been damaged from years of smoking, so your sense of taste will be off for a few weeks until your taste buds begin to heal. Another reason to exhale some vapor from your nose.

Oh, and drink PLENTY of water. The pg and vg in our liquids are humectants, meaning they pull water from our tissues. This can cause dry mouth (also affecting taste) and even dehydration.

Good luck. I'm confident that you will be successful with vaping.

 

[Thepinfamily]

Unfortunately vaping has a fairly steep learning curve we all have to go through. The forum is great but you need to wade through a bunch of noise to get to the heart of it. A few people have put together guides to vaping that compile info in one easy to read article. Here's one.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/50295644/Beginners Guide to Vaping_Final_orachel.doc

A thread title search on guide to vaping will give you some more. Check the dates before you read them. Some are dated 2009 and while some of the info is still good the info on hardware is out dated.
Owning a good ego twist is the first step. I would recommend buying one of each type of delivery system to see what you like. A CE 3,4 & 5, T2 & 3, carto tank, dripping atty, etc. this will give you a lot of experience and you can pick up all the ones I listed for $30-40. Then I would go to this thread
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...63-reals-time-2012-ecf-juice-year-awards.html

And pick a juice or two from each category that interests you. They are all great juices. Order them in different mixtures of PG and VG to see what you like. I would stick with 24 & 36mg for now. Unless you want to tough it out and keep the nic down.
It's a lot of trial and error. No one can tell you what juice works for you or what hardware works for you. If your going to switch to vaping a be satisfied by it you need to find what works for you. Everyone here will swear by a different combo of juice and equipment. You need to find one you swear by. It's a pain in the .... You will waste some money on stuff you don't like. In the end you will be happy and save some money. Once you get through the learning curve it no longer takes up so much time or seems like a hobby.
I didn't want a hobby either. I just wanted something that worked. Until I bit the bullet and tried all the stuff listed above I wasn't happy. Now I just order what I like and carry on. When I want a new juice or have interest in a new delivery system I come here and check the reviews. Hope this all make sense and helps. Good luck.

Oh, and the above post about how nic is absorbed through vaping and analogs should be taken to heart. It's the sole reason you need to vape all the time. We all went through it. Once you find your sweet spot and proper nic level the vaping will taper off. It did for me.

 

[Rapture]

I felt the same way too when I first started. After about a year of vaping and trying out different equipment ive found what I like. I would MUCH rather vape then smoke. Everyones different but I am happy with cartomizers and tanks. I almost quit vaping because I just wasnt getting what I wanted out of my ego and vivi nova. I then got a variable voltage device and boge cartomizers and tanks. Now I have 6 tanks and about 300 mls of juice and im happy. I went from disposables to variable voltages. I research tips and tricks on here every day. Im finally satisfied. Stick with it man. A few times a almost threw all my juice and e-cig stuff away out of frustration with leaks, limited vapor production, burnt taste, and whatever esle. It takes practice

 

[aikanae1]

I think others have said it, but vaping is an aid to quitting cigarettes. I don't consider it a replacement for them. It's a lot better of a replacement than patches, pills, gum or cinnamon sticks. Cigarettes have 4,000 other substances than nicotine that need to be flushed out of your body. I also tend to time everything based on how long it took me to smoke a cigarette so I didn't know how long 10min was without one. That's another habit I was breaking and there's tons of those. I've gotten really good at quitting, but staying quit? Not so good. It's been a process for me lasting decades. I learn more each time.

 

[Vapoor eyes er]

I have an eGo twist and a Vision Vivi Nova. I'm using the 2.8 heads and vaping anywhere between 4.2 and 4.8 volts.

This is your problem IMO. Try a 1.8 head @ 3.7- 4.0 volts or a 2.4 head @ 4- 4.5 volts.

2.8 ohms @ 4.2- 4.8 volts will give a weak vape.

Matching the right ohms to the voltage is far more important than the actual PV being used.

I tried a juice today that I really liked (very strong menthol) which gave me the sensation I was looking for, but they only had it in 0 nic. Bummer...

I LOVE my menthol and buy menthol drops and add it to my juice.

 

[UncHellMatt]

I've been at this for just over three weeks, and here's what I ran into.

At first, like you, I didn't find the vape experience as "satisfying" as analog. I had two different levels of liquid, 12mg and 18mg. I found myself gravitating to the 18 a LOT more, and having a strong desire to smoke. I went and picked up some 24mg and that really did the trick, also reducing the amount of times I wanted to hit the vape.

Another thing I did was pick up an eGo Twist (actually just got another), and a few SmokTech 3.5ml DCT Tank V2 with additional parts. Frankly, going to a tank from little cartos made a huge, HUGE difference. Not only did I not need to refill as often, I found it to be so much more satisfying. I can take big draws with nice vapor exhale. The additional tanks I keep on hand with different flavors (one French vanilla, another variation of that, and now a fruity juice called "Lava Flow" given to me by the local shop, sort of a piña colada taste), and for now they're all at 24mg. Huge, huge difference for me!

The mornings can be tough. My routine was always get up, pour coffee, go stand on my porch and have a smoke (can't smoke inside my apartment). I mean for the last 4 years, that was what I did, then another smoke as I reached my office. It was completely "set" in my routine, ditto going out on the porch before bed for a smoke. Now, however, I've been slowly replacing that routine. I admit, it's not exactly like what I'd had, and there really is something I miss about the smoke with coffee. Over the span of the last week, though, I've really stopped missing it. Instead I sit and read up on the news, sipping my coffee and catching up on emails.

It may take a little while for you, too, but personally I'd suggest keeping at it for a little while. Now I can't even imagine going back.

 

[RosaJ]

I've been vaping for a year now and weaned myself from cigarettes, did not have the mind set of all or nothing at all. I started vaping full time a week and a half after I started vaping and quit cigarettes not because vaping took the place of cigarettes (though that was the result) but because the experience of smoking cigarettes became disgusting.

You don't have to have a hoard of pv's in order to have a good vape. After all, it is just a battery device. I only own 3 pv's which are a Provari (consistent and well built with a one year warranty); a Lambo 4.0; and, eGo C variable volt passthrough.

I don't have an all day vape flavor, my tastebuds change and need to have 3 different flavors going at any one time. This is something I couldn't do when I smoked for more than 40 years. I'm down to vaping 0mg of nicotime 50% of the time now.

My monthly expense went from $250 a month for cigarettes to no more than $100 a month after I broke even (that was quite a few months ago).

 

[Robino1]

Vaping is also different from smoking. Draw the vapor slowly into your mouth then inhale into your lungs. If you need more of a nic hit, draw the vapor into your mouth then French inhale with your nose. Filling your mouth with vapor then directly exhaling out your nose will give you a lot of nic. Even filling your mouth with vapor, inhale into your lungs then exhale through the nose will get you going. Like Baditude said, nic is absorbed more efficiently through your mucus membranes, the mouth and nose.

There is no real right way to vape but there is a wrong way. You don't vape like you smoked. Short puffs and direct lung hits will not satisfy your cig craving. You need to give the vapor time to enter the tissues in your mouth. Just slow it down and savor the vape.

 

[Over_Stimulation]

thx for the guides y'all posted in ur responses, very helpful

 

[Grimwald]

Vaping and smoking are 2 different things...in many ways. You can replace smoking with vaping, but it's hard to replicate it. The taste is different, the TH or LH is different, and the nic absorption is different. What I found was that using a cig-a-like or smaller 650 style battery with cartos, came close to replicating a cigarette, but not exactly. In the end, I was able to substitute vaping for smoking...but still it's not the same. I hope that makes some sense.

 

[Erling]

There is no real right way to vape but there is a wrong way. You don't vape like you smoked. Short puffs and direct lung hits will not satisfy your cig craving. You need to give the vapor time to enter the tissues in your mouth. Just slow it down and savor the vape.

This. As a bonus, I notice how I used to frantically suck on an analog when I was stressed, and now I have to slow down and pay attention to how I breathe.

 

[klynnn]

Definitely try the lower resistance head like the 2.4 at about 4.3v. Also the throat hit depends somewhat on the pg/vg ratio of the juice. More pg gives a bit more flavor and stronger throat hit for me. More vg gives the big vapor plumes.

 

[chadsmo]

Not gonna add too much more that already hasn't been said but ill toss my 2 cents in. I've been vaping for a little over one month after 20 years of 1.5 packs a day. I managed to quit analogs on day one, but that being said i vape a lot. I'm going through about 4ml of juice a day on average. Ive got my evic set to shut off after 30 min of non use and its only done it once or twice. I'm always using it throughout the day. Sneaking in a puff here or there where I can at work etc. At night time reading the forums or watching TV it never leaves my hand. And I don't feel bad or anything about chain vaping so much , its just what it's currently taking to keep me off the analogs.