Inhalation technique

[cuchullin]

I have tried an aqwa square vari for a couple of weeks now. Originally I tried the tesco 10motives rechargeable but found the battery only lasted about a week of heavy vaping, so I upgraded


Initially on the tesco e-cig, I used completely the wrong technique. In fact for the 1st five minutes I was sucking on the wrong end because there were no instructions. I then tried inhaling deeply and holding the mist in the lungs for a few seconds before exhaling.


This obviously won't work because the particle size in the mist is 10 microns, whereas in smoke it is only 1 micron in size and can fit into the alveoli where it is absorbed into the blood stream.


I then tried searching on google on inhalation technique and came across this forum, and the official post on inhalation technique.


I was very puzzled with the advice at first. It suggested sucking with your cheeks, rather than inhaling, for up to 8 seconds. I found this impossible, because pulling your cheecks in, only creates a vacuum for at most a 10th of a second. I tried following this advice by pulling in my cheeks and making a squeaky sound with my lips, but because the vapers on youtube were not vaping like this I was sure the advice was wrong.


I came to the conclusion that the only way you can create a vacuum which lasts this long is by using your diaphragm. I thought a better analogy would be to use the same technique as drinking cola through a straw, but instead of filling your mouth with liquid, and then swallowing it; you fill your mouth with mist and then exhale slowly through your nostrils.


I found this technique worked, and I would recommend that the official e-cig post be amended so that instead of telling you to create a vacuum with your cheeks, the analogy with drinking cola with a straw be used. After all it is just as easy to inhale into your lungs, and draw your cheeks in at the same time.


I have found it very difficult to suck into my mouth slowly enough to last 3 to 4 seconds, which is the time suggested for a proper tank type e-cig. Instead I suck as slowly as I can for a second, and then try another 1 second suck, followed by another. By this method I can usually draw liquid slowly through the atomiser for at least 3 seconds before the mist escapes through my nose.


I find that if I try to suck in for another second, after 3 one second sucks, the mist escapes through my nose. I think it is be possible to suck continuously, in a series of 1 second sucks, and allow the mist to escape through my nose. But I think a better method is just to stop after 3 sucks, hold it in for a half second, and then exhale through your nose as slowly as you can.


I would like to hear other people's experience. Please take time to formulate your replies, as carefully as I have done in writing this post and bear in mind that politeness costs nothing, and usually results in politeness being directed at yourself!

 

[jahoppe50]

Very helpful tip! I'll be sure to give your method a try

 

[ClippinWings]

All I can say is, Slow down.

you're not trying to suck as much air as possible in a short time... you do use your cheeks and your jaw to draw the vapor into your mouth first...SLOWLY

Yes, very much like drinking through a straw.

then you inhale to your lungs.

I'm not familiar with the eCig models you mention... Perhapse their airflow is too... well, airy... lots of airflow makes slow inhalation difficult

This topic always confuses me... I smoked like this... I never direct lung inhaled a cigarette... that's how you smoke *other stuff*, but never a cigarette.

Maybe that's why I hate big throat hit on eCigs.... I never had it from cigarettes.

If you were watching You Tube videos you may have seen "stunt vaping". Were the video subjects blowing huge clouds of vapor? If so, they were likely using 0 nicotine, huge airholes and lung inhaling.

 

[Baditude]

I generally advise new vapors to imagine sucking on a thick milkshake through a straw, slow gentle draws into the mouth. Whether to inhale into the lungs, or exhale what is in the mouth out through the mouth and nose, is optional.

Many new vapors have trouble inhaling vapor into their lungs, sometimes causing coughing fits. It's not necessary to inhale the vapor into the lungs to absorb the nicotine, as most nicotine in the vapor is absorbed in the mouth and nose (different size molecules). These vapors can gradually learn to inhale the vapor as they did with analogs.

 

[dopey8358]

I tend to inhale through both my nose (slightly) and through the ecig at the same time, collecting the vapor in my mouth and then inhale into the lungs. I like the throat hit to be somewhat heavy. I hold it for a second or two and then exhale through the mouth. Seems to work well with my current setup, although it may change as I delve deeper into the apv world. I stand by the "You never know if you'll like it until you try it" style of thinking.

I'll try anything twice. Once to try it, and the second time to take pictures

 

[cuchullin]

I generally advise new vapors to imagine sucking on a thick milkshake through a straw, slow gentle draws into the mouth. Whether to inhale into the lungs, or exhale what is in the mouth out through the mouth and nose, is optional.

Many new vapors have trouble inhaling vapor into their lungs, sometimes causing coughing fits. It's not necessary to inhale the vapor into the lungs to absorb the nicotine, as most nicotine in the vapor is absorbed in the mouth and nose (different size molecules). These vapors can gradually learn to inhale the vapor as they did with analogs.

Is there any chance this analogy with drinking through a straw could be added to the official inhalation technique summary. I think this is the method used by the examples I saw on youtube, and two replies to my post mentioned that this is a good analogy. Before I thought of it myself, I was very confused as to what it meant when it was suggested that you use your cheeks to create a vacuum.

I am prepared to accept that when you suck rather than inhale, you do use your cheeks. I admit I am not an expert. I will try to suck very slowly in future. Thankyou for your replies.

 

[Hewzee]

The draw is definitely different depending on what setup you have, compared to an analog anyways so sometimes it's tough to get used to exactly how much vapor you are inhaling.

 

[EmeraldLeo1982]

The best tip I found was a lady on youtube describing the inhaling techniques for new users. Instead of trying to suck you just barely want to let the smoke enter your mouth. Almost just letting the smoke naturally flow into your mouth. A very very gentle suction over about 3 to 5 seconds depending on how big a "hit" you want from your device.

I found this helpful because, while I was able to take 4 5 and 6 second hard mouth drags, my jaw muscles started killing me after a day of vaping hah.

Now that I've moved up to a rebuildable dripper with dual drilled out air holes I just do lung hits as hard as I please with no strain.

 

[EmeraldLeo1982]

Bump for informative purposes; In case any other new vapers missed it.

 

[cuchullin]

One point I would like to add is that on my model if I start drawing on it for more than about four seconds the led on the button starts to flash and eventually stops delivering voltage to the atomiser. The model I am using is called the aqwa square vari, which is a variable voltage model originally sold under the innokin brand. On the receipt it says aqwa square iTaste V3 (VV/VW). I bought it as it came number one in the gizmodo.co.uk review.

I presume the reason for this is to stop the coil from burning out. I am using about 6.8 watts; calculated using the P=V^2/R formula.

 

[cuchullin]

One point I would like to add is that on my model if I start drawing on it for more than about four seconds the led on the button starts to flash and eventually stops delivering voltage to the atomiser. The model I am using is called the aqwa square vari, which is a variable voltage model originally sold under the innokin brand. On the receipt it says aqwa square iTaste V3 (VV/VW). I bought it as it came number one in the gizmodo.co.uk review.

I presume the reason for this is to stop the coil from burning out. I am using about 6.8 watts; calculated using the P=V^2/R formula.

Should have checked before I posted. It's actually 10 seconds before it flashes, after timing on my watch