Once you can make a decent cloud, the next step for a lot of vapers is doing something with it. This guide walks through five tricks, two for beginners and three at intermediate level, and each one comes with a YouTube link for those who learn better by watching than by reading.
Before you start
- Practice alone first. Even the simple tricks look rough on the first few attempts.
- Difficulty varies from person to person, so you may find one trick easy and another slow to master.
- If the beginner pair still gives you trouble, try the intermediate ones anyway. Every skilled trick vaper began at the same starting point.
Beginner tricks
The Ghost
You may also hear this called the Snap Inhale or the Mushroom Cloud. The idea is to release a ball of vapor and pull it straight back in.
- Take a drag and hold the vapor in your mouth for a few seconds.
- Push it out as a compact ball. A short burst works better than a big cloud.
- Inhale it again right away, so all anyone sees is a brief “ghost” of vapor.
It needs little practice or skill. This video shows each step and the mistakes to avoid.
The Dragon
The goal here is four separate streams of vapor from a single exhale.
- Take a long, deep drag, stopping short of a full lung inhale.
- Blow out hard through your nose, both corners of your mouth and the middle of your lips together.
Holding your lips in that shape can feel awkward at first and takes some getting used to. This tutorial goes through it and shows the finished look.
Intermediate tricks
The O-Ring
The ring is among the best-known tricks for vapers and smokers alike, and many intermediate and expert tricks build on it. Being popular does not make it easy; expect some frustration early on, and stick with it.
- Take a drag into your mouth only, not your lungs.
- Lay your tongue flat and round your lips into a wide O.
- Push the vapor out from your throat. A tiny cough helps, as long as it is gentle enough that you do not choke on the vapor.
This clip shows clean rings blown one after another.
The French Inhale
Also called the Irish waterfall, for reasons nobody seems to know, this one predates vaping: cigarette smokers have done it for a long time. It looks like a waterfall running in reverse. Watch it done properly here.
- Take a big drag and move your tongue to the back of your mouth to trap the vapor there.
- Open your mouth slightly, just enough for the vapor to seep out by itself. Do not blow or exhale.
- Push your lower lip forward so the escaping vapor is directed up toward your nose.
- Slowly bring your tongue forward to keep easing the vapor out, without rushing it.
- Breathe in through your nose while your tongue keeps pushing. The vapor leaving your mouth is drawn up into your nose, which creates the upside-down waterfall.
Plan on several practice runs before it looks right. The result is impressive enough to justify them.
The Tornado
This trick became popular on social media and off it. You lay down a flat pool of vapor, then flick it upward so it spins into a twister shape. You need a completely flat surface, such as a countertop or a large book, and a spot with almost no moving air: no fan, no air conditioning, nobody walking past.
- Take a large drag.
- Settle the vapor on the surface. Beginners can blow it through a cardboard tube from a paper towel or toilet roll; more experienced vapers can breathe it out slowly so it does not scatter.
- Set your hand in the vapor, either with your ring and pinky fingers spread out on the surface or with your fingers held tight together, as in a salute, and pointed down into the pool.
- Whip your hand straight up quickly. That motion is what spins the vapor into a funnel.
The last step is the tricky part, so do not be discouraged if it fails the first few times. This video shows the technique.
Where to go from here
There are plenty more tricks, but work on these five until you feel you have them down. They are a way to impress friends, fill a rainy afternoon or simply build your skills as a vaper.