I'm still new to vaping, but I've had some little "aha!" moments that have helped me along greatly, so maybe others can use them too. Most of these are already here on the forums in some shape or form, but some of these things bear repeating, so why not?
1. How much is enough?
-- When I got my first e-cig, I was immediately sucked into the "coolness factor" and vaped non-stop till my carts were dry. I think this is pretty common to newcomers, so saying "don't do that!" would be fruitless. Besides, any side effects can be turned into learning experiences. So when you decide that you need to pace yourself, what do you do? An analog is done when it's microns away from the filter (or so short your fingers get burned for filterless) and that's the one advantage analogs have by default. Their very design encourages smoking one at a time and having a definite end point. The thing you have to do with vaping is exercise a little self discipline, but there is one trick to this that has been extremely helpful to me: Dripping. I drip 95% of the time, since my vaping style averages 10 good hits per 2 drops of liquid (or 1 in the case of Totally Wicked's larger dropper gage.) So what I do when I'm ready to have a "smoke" is add my drops to the atomizer and vape til nothing is produced. Put it away and repeat in .5 to 1 hour, when the craving comes back. It's easy and it allows you to pace yourself to keep from getting sick, PLUS it helps you monitor and ration out your liquid. True, vaping works out cheaper than analog smoking, but money is money all the same.
2. My throat hits are erratic.
---The simple answer is to suck slowly and steadily rather than toking hard like a real cigarette. Go slow and the vapor particles are smaller, allowing for more efficient nicotine delivery to feed the craving, and less in the way of wasted juice in the form of larger vapor particles or full blown liquid seepage into your mouth. I figured this out after trying to figure out why my hits were as smooth as butter one minute and as harsh as an American Spirit Perique that sat out in the sun for a week the next. The reason is because if I'm not really paying attention, my vaping is affected by whatever I'm doing. For example, right now, as I relax in my office chair typing this, I'm taking slow drags of 36 mg 555/State Express juice, and it's smooth and very pleasant. When I'm walking briskly, in a hurry to get somewhere, I find I end up taking quick strong drags, and the harshness is almost painful. The key is to slow down and savor the vapor. Treat your e-cig like a pipe and roll the vapor over your tongue before you inhale. Trust me, if you do this, you'll notice a big difference, and you'll find just how nice a good flavored liquid, unhurried attitude, and cold or hot beverage of your choice can be.
Hope this helps!
-D4
