The Vape Shop Experience & What to expect.

Vape shops & what to expect.

In this exclusive guide to visiting vape shops you will find the basics you need to know when starting your journey and things to look out for on your first visit.

Any keen vape enthusiast will know that when you visit a new store or in particular, vape shop, you’re not sure what to expect on your first visit. I have put together this inclusive guide so you can understand what to expect on your first visit to a professional vaping establishment.

Vape shops aren’t a scary place generally speaking, vape shops and their staff will take a great interest in your daily habits to help to suggest a suitable device or e-liquid you might enjoy. You could be asked a lot of questions that may feel intrusive but these are simply to try and get a better understanding into the way you like to vape/smoke or the style that suits you the most as there are many, many different styles and within a market that is saturated with alternatives this can be quite confusing. This is where a helpful, local and friendly vape shop can offer you their expertise and experience to suggest the perfect vape for you!

In the last decade or so a new type of shop has risen and with with Vape shops opening on almost every street and city centre it can sometimes be difficult to choose the right one for you. With this exclusive guide I hope this will give you some clarity in the alternative offerings available to you as a consumer.

Since the beginning of the vaping industry you were able to buy e-liquids in many forms and in absolutely any strength imaginable. Around 2016 the TPD (Tobacco Product Directive) swooped in and brought forth heavy regulations for the manufacturing of e-liquid and vaping devices in the UK, in the effort to maintain some decorum and good practices in the vaping industry and permanently change the way that vape shop operate and their responsibilities to their consumers. This move from the TPD compliance affected the industry positively offering additional safety to the end-user. One example is that vape shops can now only offer you a bottle containing nicotine in a maximum capacity of 10ml, this was also to avoid and potential risk to minors that may get hold of such items.

When visiting a vape shop for the first time you can expect to be greeted friendly into a relaxed environment. The general layout I have noticed is different depending on which vape shops you visit and their own style/layout. You will notice a plethora of vaping kits ranging from £10 to vaping devices in their £100’s or even £1000’s depending on what they have to offer. But please remember you never have to spend more than is necessary and a vape shop worth their crust will always sell you what you need and rarely what is the most expensive.

Vast selection

You will notice that in most vape shops the shelves will be overflowing with different flavours, colours and variety for you to choose from. Some shops may offer you an opportunity to sample them before you buy but not on every occasion. You may also notice several different shelves with different sizes of bottles available and from our experience this means that particular e-liquids are specifically formulated for the type of device you are using. Within a new environment and not knowing where to look or what to choose from you can ask the helpful staff to guide you through their selection.

Vape shops will frequently offer the entire range of 50/50 and 70/30 e-liquids in 10ml, 30ml, 50ml, 80ml, 100ml, 200ml + to suit your specific budget, device and flavours profile you’re looking for. The devices available can vary from one shop to the next but they will generally stock a selection of MTL (mouth to lung) and DTL (Direct to lung) devices for you to choose from.

Terminology

You may hear such terms as 50/50, 70/30, MTL, DTL. I agree, they sound crazy at first but don’t worry! I’m going to explain them for you.

Depending on the vaping styles that suits you best throughout vaping journey you will encounter several different terms used and here’s a guide to give you a better understanding into what they all mean

Mouth to lung (MTL) devices will offer a much tighter draw similar to how a traditional cigarette would be smoked (mouth is filled with vapour and then inhaled to lungs) and also a similar throat hit given from a traditional cigarette. If you are new vaping this would be the general recommendation from most vape stores to start from. Another point to add is that when choosing a e-liquid strength, you should try to mimic a similar dose depending on how many cigarettes you are currently smoking to drive away those niggly cravings!

Direct to lung (DTL) devices will offer a less restrictive air flow and provide you with large, dense cloud production. These types of devices will also offer an intense flavour production when used correctly. The ideal way to use a DTL device is to inhale the vapour straight to your lungs, bypassing the need to inhale into the mouth and breath to your lungs. This style of vaping is generally for advanced or enthusiast vapers.

PG and VG, Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerine are the 2 main components inside every bottle of e-liquid. Your bottle of e-liquid will also contain flavour concentrates and nicotine. Propylene Glycol carries the flavour and also provides the “throat hit” that you feel when vaping whilst the Vegetable Glycerine provides the density of cloud and adds a subtle sweetness to the e-liquid. Combining the 2 chemicals in different ways when tailoring your vaping experience will provide very different results. 100% Vegetable glycerine will offer the dense cloud but may lack in flavour production whilst using 100% Propylene Glycol will deliver an overly harsh throat hit.

50/50 e-liquid is a term used to determine the viscosity (thickness) of the liquid in your bottle of juice. A 50/50 liquid will generally be used for the MTL devices to provide you with good flavour profile and light vapour with an additional throat hit.

70/30 e-liquid is a thicker formular, specifically designed for a “cloud chaser” vaping style and provides a thick cloud, smooth throat and good flavour delivery.

Advanced vaping styles explained.

You may hear other more experienced vapers using terms such as RDA and RTA. Advanced vaping is popular with long term vapers that may wish to take their vaping experience to the next level. In this fashion the individual can build their very own coils and tailer them to provide much larger clouds than traditional vaping kits. The combination of different resistance wires such as Kanthal and Stainless Steel will offer intense flavour productions with certain e-liquids.
These styles of vaping are generally for the vaping enthusiasts and not recommended for complete beginners.

We hope this informal guide to your first vape shop visit helps clear up some questions or queries as visiting a vape shop can be a intimidating experience for a new vape user. 

If you have any more questions or queries don't hesitate to contact or visit us in store and we will be more than happy to help.