How To Get The Best Clouds From Your Vape

One of the most satisfying things about using a vape device is enjoying huge clouds and flexing the muscles of your vape. Whether you like to do tricks with the vapour, you're entering a competition or simply like to bask in massive clouds, many vapers love creating the biggest clouds possible. Not every vape device is capable of this though, and if you’re interested in “cloud-chasing”, you will need to find a device that allows you to vape large clouds. The best place to start is with a vape mod, which accommodates Sub-Ohm vaping perfectly with good airflow and low-resistance coils.

For beginners, vape mods generally aren't recommended due to their complexity, meaning they tend to be a better option for more experienced users. This also aligns with users’ habits as they become more accustomed to vaping. For example, a lot of beginners turn to vapes as an alternative to smoking and are simply looking for a healthier alternative to cigarettes, while still valuing their nicotine hit, whereas long term users tend to value their vape experience a lot more and begin to enjoy producing large vape clouds. As the user becomes more experienced with vaping, they tend to look for more advanced devices and with a vape mod, they favour both the experienced user and users who like to create massive clouds.

Vape mods are widely regarded as the best device for Sub-Ohm vaping which is a form of vaping that produces the biggest clouds due to the low resistance of the coil. Vape mods can be easily customised so that the user can enjoy creating clouds of all sizes but their design favours those who like to create large clouds for long periods of time. But what exactly is Sub-Ohm vaping?

Sub-Ohm vaping is actually quite self-explanatory, as an Ohm is the unit of measurement used when determining the resistance of the coil in your vape. The coils used in vapes will operate at varying levels of resistance with 'Sub-Ohm' being anything less than 1.0 Ohm. Low-resistance coils create large amounts of vapour whilst high-resistance coils create smaller clouds. High-resistance coils are suited to most e-cigs and won't require a lot of battery power to use, whereas low-resistance coils are only suitable for certain e-cigs and will require much more power to operate, which is why vape mods with large batteries attached make the perfect match. The Ohm measurement of your coil is also used to determine what the ideal wattage and output of your device will be.

Of course, when you're creating larger clouds of vapour you're inevitably going to use more e-liquid as a result, which is one of the few downsides of low resistance coils. Generally, you'll power through more tanks of e-liquid much more quickly when Sub-Ohm vaping, but if you've found a liquid that suits you and is affordable, it likely won't be an issue and is still much cheaper than smoking. High-resistance coils, however, use less e-liquid as they produce smaller clouds which is why they tend to be more suited to beginners as they're getting a handle on which e-liquids they like to use and the costs associated with topping up their supply.

If you're a true cloud chaser, opting for a vape mod to enjoy Sub-Ohm vaping is a no brainer. With adjustable airflow, longer battery life and increased power output, vape mods are a must. To truly personalise your vaping experience you need a device that you can customise to suit your needs. Other devices, such as pod kits or vape pens, just don't offer the same levels of customisation and upgradability, meaning they’re likely to fall short in certain areas if you're looking for a quality Sub-Ohm vaping experience. Take your vape tank, for example. It's a small part of the device and isn't relevant to the power output or resistance level of the coil but it is such a crucial part, especially if you're getting through large amounts of e-liquid. On smaller devices such as vape pods or other e-cigs the tank is relatively small and is often not upgradeable, meaning you're likely to burn through a lot of liquid in a short space of time if your tank doesn't have the capacity to support Sub-Ohming. With a vape mod, you can increase the tank size up to 2ml, according to UK regulations (assuming it's compatible with your device) and enjoy an abundance of liquid to create the biggest clouds with!

The same can be said for the battery and its ability to provide you with power for long periods of time. Basic vape pens often favour portability and a discreet design over power and sustained usability, leading to these devices often lacking in the battery life department. Although the batteries in these devices will be suited to the high-resistance coil which requires less power, they simply aren't powerful enough for Sub-Ohm vaping a lot of the time. As low-resistance coils require plenty of power, you're going to need a decent-sized battery to supply the coil with enough power and have a life long enough to last the entire day - unless you want to spend half of the day sitting by a charger. Another bonus of using vape mods to enjoy Sub-Ohm vaping is the ability to upgrade essential components such as the battery. If you're craving more power or your battery simply isn't what it used to be, you can upgrade with ease.

How Does Wattage Affect Cloud Size?
There are lots of different factors which affect your vaping experience and general cloud size, from the battery and coil to the size of the tank and the wattage. Although you may not have thought the wattage of your vape would have anything to do with the amount of vapour that is produced it's actually one of the key factors behind producing large clouds of vapour. Essentially, more power equals bigger clouds, so if you're vaping on 60W of power you're going to get much bigger clouds than if you were vaping with 30W of power. But don't get too hasty, you'll need to keep an eye on a few things if you're going to dial up your wattage.

By increasing the wattage (which is being supplied to the coil) you're increasing the amount of heat in the coil which is what creates more vapour from the e-liquid that's been soaked up by the wick. Due to the direct heat being increased, you'll also need to increase the amount of airflow to prevent any overheating. If you don't increase the airflow as you increase the wattage, you'll run the risk of the device overheating and your coil becoming burnt out much quicker. Of course, this will also affect the actual temperature of the vapour and while some prefer hotter vapour than others, it can make the vapour feel harsher on your throat if the temperature is too high. By increasing the airflow in your vape, the vapour will be cooler and make for a much smoother inhale than if you restrict the airflow.

As you adjust the airflow to balance the wattage, you'll notice a change in resistance when you puff your vape. More restricted airflow will produce a tighter pull and more closely resemble a cigarette, which for users who are using a vape to quit smoking, may be preferable to satisfy their habit. More airflow means a much looser drag and much cooler vapour, meaning you'll be able to take a drag for much longer and much deeper into your lungs. This increased airflow favours larger clouds as you're able to inhale larger amounts of vapour.

As you increase the wattage, this will have a knock-on effect and mean that you'll have to ensure other components of your vape device can cope with the higher power. For one, your tank will need to be compatible with higher power vaping, meaning you might have to look for an upgrade if your current tank isn't compatible. Different tanks are designed for different power levels but don't worry, the power ratings will be readily available for you to check to make sure you're not using an incompatible tank. Sticking to these guidelines will ensure that you don't cause any damage to your device or even worse, damage to yourself as vapour can get uncomfortably hot.

While there are plenty of recommendations on which settings are the best choice for cloud chasers, the choice will ultimately lie with you. Higher wattage may mean hotter vape which might be what you want, or you may need to increase the airflow and choose a lower wattage to get your preferred vape style but that's what makes vape mods so special! With vape mods, you have the ability to completely personalise your experience. Managing the wattage, airflow and other settings allow you to fine-tune your experience to your liking, which is something that you can't do as well with more basic devices.

How Do You Get Thicker Clouds?
If you're not familiar with the specifics of vaping and e-liquids as a component, you may think that the more you inhale, the thicker the clouds you produce will be. However, e-liquid doesn't become any denser just because there's more of it, it's all down to the ingredients in the vapour. Vape liquids are made up of VG (Vegetable Glycerine) and PG (Propylene Glycol) and different liquids will have a different ratio of these. Finding a liquid with the right balance of these two ingredients is key to producing the biggest clouds. Knowing which liquid to choose to get the best clouds or flavour is something that will come with experience as you gain a better understanding of what exactly you want your vaping experience.

Generally, if you want larger and thicker clouds from your vapour, you should choose an e-liquid with a higher VG to PG ratio. The ratio of the VG/PG will be displayed on the liquid, making finding the right one easier. If the ratio of PG to VG is higher, you'll get much stronger flavours and a sharper throat hit, meaning that when you exhale the clouds will be more discreet. This is why it's important to know your liquids, otherwise you could end up choosing a liquid that has the wrong VG/PG ratio and when you attempt a large inhale it could be extremely uncomfortable on your throat. Balance isn't everything though as there are e-liquids available with a 100% VG ratio which means you're going to get the best quality of clouds possible but, as the PG ingredient carries the flavour, the juices will generally have less complex and intense flavour profiles.

Using a liquid with a 100% VG ratio and coupling that with a high wattage and increased airflow will give you the best chance of creating thick, dense clouds. But there is even more you can do to maximise the quality of the clouds. For example, if you want the purest vapour cloud, you don't want any excess air in your lungs diluting the cloud or taking up room that vapour could occupy. Leaning forward slightly and exhaling as much of the air out of your lungs as possible will give you the biggest lung capacity to inhale an almighty amount of vapour. Once you've fully exhaled, begin to drag your vape for as long and as hard as you can to maximise the amount of vapour being drawn from your device. As you do this you'll want to pull your shoulders back, opening up your lungs and allowing for maximum intake.

Once you've reached full lung capacity, you'll want to lean forward slightly again as you exhale. As you're breathing out you'll see the vapour begin to form a large, thick cloud. When you feel as though you're just about to run out of vapour to exhale if you tighten your lips this will essentially increase the speed of the air leaving your mouth and cause a burst of air to hit the cloud. As this air hits the cloud it will cause it to expand and swirl creating an even bigger cloud. Of course, you can use these techniques whenever you like but this is the best way to get the largest clouds when competitions are held. If you want thick clouds to do tricks with, this will involve slightly different techniques and mean you may need to use your mouth differently.