Vaping in general is an increasingly popular thanks to the class and style it brings to the table. According to reports, the number of vaping adults will grow to 55 million by 2021.
A good portion of these e-cig users know vaping is an art. The more intricate the plumes of vape you can blow the more artistic you are. The more refined vapers have a word for this form of art – cloud chasing. Also known as extreme vaping or stunt vaping, it involves building massive and impressive vapor plumes.
Because an e-cig gives you more vapor to work with, vaping clouds, unlike cigarette smoking is a sport, a way to express yourself artistically and a hobby to many.
If you get really good at it, you can compete in contests complete with spectators, sponsors, and judges to gauge your skill and creativity.
Cloud Chasing – At a Glance
The basis of chasing clouds is first exhaling the large volumes of vapor from the e-cigarette. To achieve this, the vaper has to us the right e-liquid. In most cases, this would be a product with high levels of vegetable glycerin. The glycerin base makes it easier to create huge plumes of vapor.
Even though vape clouds are currently synonymous to e-cigs, there is little to no consensus about their origin. Some people believe the art started on the West Coast while others just stick to chasing their clouds without letting the roots of the art bother them.
Cloud Chasing is a Hobby or Competitive
While some vapers do it to look cool or as a hobby, a good number of the cloud chasers are in it for the competitive reward. After all, there’s no reason to create all those impressive skills if you are not going to show them off.
Professional or competitive vapers chase clouds in arenas for fame or reward. The best even earn a special name – cloud glazers.
Most competitions are for the fame and satisfaction of winning. However, the best of the events give you free vaping gear, cash prizes, and deals from sponsors.
Either way, competitions will boil down to:
- Blowing the largest plumes you can within a given time
- Wowing the judges with your vaping skills that include blowing the clouds into specific shapes or releasing them in artistic ways
Some common tricks to expect in vaping competitions include blowing the Dragon and Pushing the O. The Dragon entails simultaneously blowing vapor from the nose and sides of the mouth. Pushing the O, on the other hand, involves blowing rings of vapor. You can use your hands to manipulate these rings while blowing additional vapor rings to the composition.
Is Cloud Chasing the Same as Sub Ohm Vaping?
Sub Ohm vaping is another common phrase you will hear if you are interested in vape clouds. It gets in name from the vaping gear it uses – an e-cig with a low resistance coil that is always less than one ohm.
These sub ohm devices provide the airflow you need to create large clouds of vapor since you can do direct lung inhalation without straining too much. In essence, sub ohm vaping is just one of the techniques you can use when cloud chasing.
You can even modify the device for more impressive performance using vape mods. Vape mods will give you between 40 and 200 watts of heating power. This has a direct impact on how much vapor you can inhale and exhale hence increasing your chances of blowing bigger plumes than the competition.
Despite its inherent relationship with cloud chasing, sub ohm typically applies to direct lung coils like pod vapes. The traditional sub ohm devices were first designed for stealthy vaping and to leverage other advantages like:
- Better flavored vapor since the devices vaporize more e-liquid at a go. This will put more flavor into each puff you take
- The vape stays warm especially if you are using high watt coils. It’s a good way to stay warm in the coldest of the days
- They generate a higher air flow hence making them perfect for a direct lung inhale
While not every sub ohm vapor is a cloud chaser, all people interested in chasing clouds are definitely sub ohm vapors. It is the only efficient way to create those huge volumes of vape you need to awe the audience.
Things to Consider Before Venturing Into Vaping Clouds
There is more to cloud chasing than meets the eye. To achieve those massive clouds, you have to push yourself and your devices to the maximum. Here are some things to consider before setting off.
Choosing the Right Atomizer
Sub ohm tanks are a cheaper and readily available way to achieve the high volumes you need to cloud chase. However, RDAs for cloud chasing with airflow control have a good reputation in the art.
The E-Juice
VG e-liquid will always produce more vapor than any PG juice in the market. Ensure that you go for a vaping juice that has a better VG base.
Airflow Maintenance
You have to get a good blend of airflow and resistance. If the resistance is low, you will need more airflow. However, too much air will thin out the vape hence reducing the weight and perhaps taking out the awe from your vaping show.
Good Batteries Mean Better Safety
The batteries in e-cigs pack quite the punch. If you don’t get the best brand, you can easily end up with a blown gadget or failed batteries when you need them most. Go for reputable brands like Sony, AW, Samsung, and Panasonic to avoid disappointment.
Get Vaping Mech Mods
Mech mods give you the raw power very few traditional vaping kits can generate. The best cloud chasing builds will always have some mod that increases the rate at which the devices generates vape hence improving your chances of blowing impressive plumes with each puff you take.
A rule of the thumb dictates that your minimum power should be 40 watts. Even though you might not need it all at a go, you’d better have the power when inhaling deep than bottom out on a weaker e-cig.
Choosing a Wick
The wick is the path the e-juice uses to the coils. You will need an appropriately thick wick made of an absorbent material to increase the juice flow to the coils.
Get a Custom Build
While most people make do with sub ohm devices, the experts always build their own custom mods to push things to the next level. If you finally decide to build your own devices, ensure that you stick to 24g wire for better performance.
A thicker wire gives you a low ohm device hence giving you the power to heat more e-juice faster. If you can’t get a 24g wire, you can always use two entwined 26g wires.
Getting Your Lung Capacity Right
Genetics affect every human’s lung capacity. If you are lucky, your lungs will naturally have a higher inhalation capacity hence affecting how much vape you can produce. However, you can still modify your capacity by staying fit and doing lung volume exercises frequently.
Practice Your Technique
Having the right tools and being in good shape isn’t enough. You have to learn the proper technique. It takes months of constant trying to perfect a single trick. Your practice will focus on good inhaling, proper body posture and most importantly the inhaling technique and tricks.
For instance, sticking to forceful and fast draws is a great way to improve cloud production, Not only will the forceful draws keep the coils full but will also help you fill up the lungs faster with vape that you can release as majestically as you please.
You will need tons of hours to get this right since there is more to it than just heavy inhaling. Inhaling too fast will dilute vapor density and disperse your clouds before you can shape them.
An atomizer with precision airflow control is a great way to take care of this. However, if you cannot get this, you will have to learn how to control your inhalation through trial and error.
The other trick any competent cloud chaser should use is skipping the drip tip. A drip tip regulates how much juice gets to the atomizer. While it’s in good faith, it can very much constrict your vapor creation capabilities.
If you must use a drip tip, go for a wide bore tip that is designed with cloud chasing in mind. The tips have larger holes and will let you inhale more vape without straining.
Things to Consider Before Moving from Amateur to Pro Cloud Chasing
While all professional vapors started off as amateurs, they had to make important decisions to make the move safely. To safely grow into it, it is advisable that you start with a sub ohm device first before moving on to customized builds.
Once you start working with below 0.3 ohm builds, you will have to understand battery power capabilities, watts and ohms to avoid accidents. Drawing too much power from a set of batteries could lead to a mini explosion.
Powering a low ohm coil with the wrong leads could lead to overheating that will, in turn, lead to burns if not handled properly. A good competitive vapor understands all these risks and has them in mind when building a mod or when using a mod.
Unless you want to go professional, there is little to no need in building custom mods. You can still wow friends and casual spectators by using a sub ohm tank if you get the technique right. This will more often than not be enough without the risks of a custom build.
Finally, remember to practice well and get used to your device before going public. This will let you know how hard you can push yourself. It’s easy to get carried away when the crowd is cheering. Knowing your limits will teach you when to stop and call it quits.
How Do Vaping Competitions Look Like?
Cloud chasing competitions are becoming highly hyped events that attract huge crowds in elaborately decorated auditoriums. Even though the competitors aren’t necessarily well-toned athletes, there is skill, courage, and lucrative prices.
Some of the most notable vaping competition include:
- South California’s International Cloud Championship
- The World Series of Vaping, a rotating event that changes venues each year
Other than these two well-established events, there are also other locally organized competitions that are sprouting up in different regions with local enthusiasts or sponsors giving people something to compete for.
In all these events, the judges select winners based on:
- Cloud size: How large a cloud can you produce at a go?
- Durability: How long will your ape cloud hold and how long can you stretch chained performances
- Originality: Are you using your own unique concepts to create huge clouds and shape them or are you replicating something we’ve already seen?
- Technique: Technique is all about getting the posture right, inhaling and exhaling properly and finally shaping your plumes in a creative way
While cloud chasing might be unregulated in most cases, serious competitions have rules geared towards making the event safer and leveling the playing ground. As a cloud gazer, it is your responsibility to follow a strict safety code regardless of whether it is being enforced or not.
Never skimp on batteries or devices as this could lead to fires. Competition grade equipment is crucial if you want to push harder. Also ensure that you have someone who understands the risks of cloud chasing around every time you attempt to put up a show.
Bottom Line
Cloud chasing and vape cloud creation is not an old concept. It is an art that is getting traction year in year out. However, the most extreme stunts are still good left to professionals. Working your way up the ranks by practicing and putting off complex high volume stunts until you are ready is the best way to push to the next level without hurting yourself.
You can check out our inventory for some of the best cloud vaping devices, mods and e-juice. We are your online on-stop shop for the equipment you need to start cloud chasing safely.
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