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Vaping Diaries #178: Five Pawns Mixology Review (Fifth Rank, Perpetual Check)

Back in Vaping Diaries #173, I reviewed three e-liquids from Five Pawns new Mixology Edition. Now it’s time to review the remaining two — Fifth Rank and Perpetual Check. If you’re not familiar with Mixology Edition, these juices were inspired by alcoholic beverages. Fifth Rank incorporates champagne flavor, while Perpetual Check has a taste that’s similar to black currant liquer. Both are quality juices with lots of complexity. I loved one of them, while the other didn’t work for me. Now let’s get to the tasting notes!

Fifth Rank: When I first vaped this juice, I had to stop and think about what I was experiencing. There are so many flavors going on and some of the notes are so distinct. This Mixology Edition mix is a melange of horehound, champagne, vanilla bean, sweat cream, almond, and lime. The horehound flavor really made this juice for me, with its combination of moderate mint and licorice-like bitterness. The other flavors complement the horehound marvelously for a fantastic mix.

While horehound was the most distinct flavor in Fifth Rank to me, two of my friends thought that the lime had the most presence. Since this juice has so many layers and we all have different tastebuds, it’s possible that people will have markedly different experiences with this e-liquid. As for me, Fifth Rank was one of my two favorites from Mixology Edition, along with the excellent Sixty-Four. Coincidentally, this juice probably has the second-most polarizing flavor next to Sixty-Four.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Perpetual Check: This Mixology Edition blend features black currant, lemon, fig, barley, and cinnamon stick. While I really enjoyed the black currant flavor and appreciated the complexity of this juice, this was easily my least favorite Mixology Edition e-liquid. It was also unusual to vape. For me, there was a wattage sweet spot with this juice where the black currant flavor was more pronounced. When the wattage got a little too high or a little too low, the cinnamon flavor became overpowering. This made vaping it on a mechanical mod an uneven experience, since output changes depending on the battery’s charge level. I preferred vaping this juice on a regulated mod with consistent output.

While a few of my friends liked this one a lot more than I did, some of them agreed that the cinnamon drowned out the other flavors. While this juice didn’t work out for me nearly as much as the other four Mixology Edition e-liquids, if you dig cinnamon and complexity then there’s a great chance that you’ll enjoy Perpetual Check.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Steeping and Review Notes (Updated December 29, 2013)
On the advice of Wlad from Ahlusion, I’ve been trying a new steeping method as of December 27, 2012. When the e-liquids arrive, I leave them uncapped for five minutes. Previously, I left them uncapped for about two days. After the liquids are given a few minutes to oxidize, the caps are put back on.

RPad.TV e-liquid reviews focus on the flavor of the e-liquids, since throat hit and vapor production can be altered by the PG/VG ratio and nicotine level selected. Each juice is vaped over a period of days in a bottom-coil silica atomizer (The Russian and Aqua), various rebuildable dripping atomizers, and a clearomizer.

Vaping Diaries #176: Vaping Utopia Ronald Cachero Interview

Vaping Utopia is a relatively new e-liquid company that has been getting a lot of buzz. The company is off to an exciting start, with its Shangri La flavor getting strong reviews. Vaping Utopia makes natural-tasting juices that are made in the USA. Its e-liquids don’t contain any preservatives and additives. The flavoring components it uses were made with inhalation in mind, as opposed to many food flavorings used in e-liquids that are made for digestion. The juices come in square glass bottles that feature designs from local artists. The artwork on the “white label” series comes together to form ~~Voltron~~ a continuous image.

I recently caught up with Vaping Utopia executive director Ronald Cachero to learn how the company got started, learn more about its juice making philosophy, get descriptions of the company’s four initial flavors, and to see what’s coming next. Full disclosure: I know Ron from the excellent CaliVapers forum and our mutual buddy Marie Alvarez.

Check out the interview above to learn what Vaping Utopia is all about and stay tuned for a review on these juices in a future Vaping Diaries. Special thanks to Vaping Ape LA for letting us hang out and film there.

[Marie Alvarez b-roll photos by https://www.facebook.com/bgatebphoto]

Vaping Diaries #175: West Coast Vapers Review

West Coast Vapers is a Santa Fe Springs, California vape shop that has its own line of juices. The company names each of its e-liquids after different West Coast cities. I recently took a tour of three West Coast Vapers cities — Chico, Monterey Park, and Rolling Hills. While none of the juices blew me away, none of them were bad. Although none of these e-liquids dazzled me, some of them could be right for you. Read on for the full details.

Chico: This Northern California town is known for its major party college, where many students major in hangover recovery and minimization. As for the juice, it’s a mint-chocolate mix, similar to an Andes Candies and York Peppermint patties. Overall, I found the flavor nondescript. Many vendors have this type of flavor and the ones that stand out have a lovely creaminess (Ahlusion, Five Pawns, etc.). The West Coast Vapers version was lacking in this department. The creaminess here was tepid, making the juice a bit bland for me.

Juics Specs: 6mg nicotine

Monterey Park: Nearly half the residents of this Los Angeles County town are of Chinese decent. Some of the best dim sum I’ve had in SoCal has been in Monterey Park. As for the juice, it’s a mix of mango and guava. I enjoyed the bittersweet guava taste West Coast Vapers used in this juice, as guava one of my favorite fruits. Mango is also one of my favorite fruits, but the flavor here was rather ordinary. Several SoCal vape shops have excellent mango e-liquids from the likes of Bamskillicious and Vape Chemist. Compared to those juices, the mango here was pedestrian. I wish this juice had a better mango flavor to accompany the interesting guava note.

Juice Specs: 0mg nicotine

Rolling Hills: This Los Angeles County town is known for an abundance of rich people and a lack of traffic lights (rich people don’t need them). As for the juice, it’s a pleasant raspberry lemonade. Out of the three West Coast Vapers juices I tried, this was my favorite. A lot of lemonade e-liquids are too sweet for me, so I enjoyed the moderate sweetness of this juice. The raspberry and lemonade have a tiny bit of tanginess on top of the sweetness.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine

Vaping Diaries #174: Biowick Cotton Wick Review

In 2013, cotton became the wick material of choice for many vapers. Some people made the switch for its clean and neutral flavor, while others claim that cotton generates more vapor. Whatever the case, to get the best results out of cotton, it needs to be boiled and dried in a clean environment. Sterile cotton is available from pharmacies, but some find the loose gauze or cotton balls tricky to work with. Biowick (available from Vapor Hub) is pretreated and pre-threaded organic cotton that offers the benefits of the en vogue material in a convenient package.

Biowick is 100-percent organic cotton that’s unbleached and uncoated. Since it’s pretreated, you don’t need to boil and dry it before using it. This is great for people that are new to cotton wicks, as well as vapers that want a quick-and-easy solution. Unlike cotton balls and cotton gauze, Biowick comes in a convenient 3mm thread. There are some concerns with nonorganic cotton that’s use with sterile cotton materials, since various chemicals are used to grow the raw product and treat the final product. With BioWick, you don’t have to worry about any of that.

I set up two dripping atomizers and The Russian with Biowick. The material is really easy to work with and the flavor is very clean. For comparison, I set up a dripper with CVS sterile cotton that’s used by several local vape shops. Biowick’s flavor was a little bit cleaner, according to my tastebuds, while the CVS cotton had a slight aftertaste. Of course everyone has different tastebuds, so your mileage may vary.

Like other forms of cotton wick, Biowick can’t be dry burned (it’ll just…uh burn-burn). For vapers that constantly change flavors, it’s not the best choice since you can’t completely get rid of the previous flavor before switching to a new one. That’s not a knock on Biowick at all — all cotton wicking materials is like that.

The one downside to Biowick is its price — currently $9.95 for 10ft at Vapor Hub. Compare that to the popular Spinrite Sugar’n Cream Yarn, which costs $14 for 14oz. Again, what you’re getting with Biowick is convenience. Sugar’n Cream Yarn should be boiled with distilled water and dried in a clean environment. Biowick is ready to go out of the bag. Sterile cotton gauze and sterile cotton balls are also very cheap, but Biowick is already threaded, making it easier for some vapers to work with. There’s also the chemical concern I mentioned earlier.

For vapers that are already on the cotton train and have no problem taking the time to properly treat it, Biowick doesn’t make much sense. The same goes for vapers that are comfortable making wicks from sterile cotton gauze or cotton balls. For people that want to experiment with cotton wicks, Biowick is a convenient way to give it a go. It can also be a good choice for vapers that enjoy cotton wicks, but don’t want to fuss around with boiling it. While quality untreated cotton is available for a much lower price, the premium cost of Biowick can be worth it to some vapers.

Vaping Diaries #173: Five Pawns Mixology Review (Castle Long, Lucena, Sixty-Four)

Five Pawns Mixology line is comprised of a quintet of e-liquids inspired by alcoholic beverages. Similar to many of the Five Pawns juices I tried last year, several of the Mixology e-liquids are complex and unique. One of them is among the most distinct e-liquids I’ve ever tried. Five Pawns has a fervent fan base and the Mixology line broadens the company’s reach by introducing new flavors. Mixology also takes Five Panws to the next level by serving up some wonderfully complex juice. While these Five Pawns Mixology juices aren’t for everyone (and really, no juice is for everyone), they’re so unique that they’re worth trying, at the very least.

To kick off my review of Five Pawns Mixology, I’ve been vaping Castle Long, Lucena, and Sixty-Four for the last 15 days. There have been early reviews of these e-liquids that were based on store samplings. Personally, I don’t think that reviews based off of five minutes of vaping are particularly useful. I’ve vaped several milliliters of these juices using a variety of equipment. That annoyance aside, let’s get to the tasting notes on these three Five Pawns Mixology juices.

Castle Long: Based on the successful Castle Long Reserve, this juice blends coconut, almond, vanilla, brown sugar, and bourbon flavors. Castle Long Reserve is a marvelous e-liquid that was one of my favorites of 2013. Unlike the “Reserve” edition, this juice is not steeped in an oak barrel. The result is a brighter, sharper, and sweeter flavor.

While I’m a fan of the outstanding mix of flavors, I still prefer Castle Long Reserve over Castle Long — at least in a relatively fresh state. The steeping really helps the flavors come together and the oak adds an additional layer of complexity. After a few months of steeping, I imagine that Castle Long will mellow out and become similar to Castle Long Reserve. On the practical side, Castle Long is $10 cheaper than Castle Long Reserve, which will appeal to many vapers. While it doesn’t have the fanfare of the previous release, Castle Long is a tasty and complex juice that’s a fine addition to the Five Pawns Mixology line.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Lucena: This is a flavorful blend of white peach and spiced rum, topped with hazelnut. The peach flavor is delicious and natural, while the spiced rum gives it a kick. For my tastebuds, the hazelnut was slight and hard to pick up when vaping with a clearomizer.

Out of the three Five Pawns Mixology juices in this review, this one was the least impressive to the friends I shared it with. All of them enjoyed it, but found it less distinct than the other two. The general sentiment was that Lucena tastes like a spicy peach cobbler; that was Five Pawns’ intent, but the flavor wasn’t as unique as the others. Personally, I really enjoyed Lucena, but would have preferred a different balance. I’m always down to vape a tasty peach e-liquid and the peach flavor in this juice is great. However, I would have preferred a stronger rum kick…which is probably a result of all the rum I’ve consumed over the years.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Sixty-Four: Easily one of the most unique juices I’ve ever tried, Sixty-Four was inspired by the popular mojito beverage. The flavors in this juice include grapefruit liqueur, cognac, cucumber, mint, lemon, and dill. The blend is unique and the complexity is striking. Sixty-Four has a slight citrus sweetness that’s accompanied by a pleasantly bitter tone.

Since the flavor is so unique, some of my friends loved Sixty-Four and some of them couldn’t stand it. The cucumber and dill flavors are really distinct. While I can see how it was inspired by the mojito, it reminded me more of fancy flavored water that’s served in spas. In Southern California, the market is dominated by fruity and candied flavors. Sixty-Four is a breath of fresh air that stands out and is one of the most “adult” juices I’ve ever tried. While it’s probably the most divisive juice in the Five Pawns Mixology line, I found it to be delicious in a way that’s atypical for e-liquids.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Vaping Diaries #172: Ahlusion Review VIII

Here’s a review of three very different e-liquids from Ahlusion. Orient Whisper is a complex fruit blend that really stands out. Next is Ahlusion’s excellent take on cherry cola. Wrapping things up is Sahara Blend, one of the best juices I vaped in 2013. As with the other Ahlusion e-liquids I’ve had, the flavors are delicious, natural, and masterfully blended. Read on to see if these three excellent Ahlusion juices are right for you.

Orient Whisper: A lovely fruit mix with lychee as the highlight, Ahlusion Orient Whisper is moderately sweet, creamy, and a little bit tangy. There are many tropical fruit blends on the market, but this one stands out. Orient Whisper is a unique and complex fruit medley that’s full of natural flavors. It has a thickness about it that reminded me a bit of The Vape Tree’s Pinoy Punch, but with a different blend of fruits. As lychee is one of my favorite fruits in the world, I adored this juice.

Orient Whisper blends wonderfully after two weeks of steeping. Early on, the bright and sweet lychee stands out. After two months, it starts to fade, with the creamy and citrus notes becoming more pronounced. For me, it was best after two weeks and before eight.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Cherry Cola: Apparently cherries are a big deal in Michigan, where Ahlusion is based. It shows in the company’s Cherry Cola e-liquid. The cola and cherry flavors are very rich and authentic, with a slightly spicy bite. The blend tastes very much like a gourmet cherry cola, as opposed to generic Cherry Coke. While this is one of the sweetest Ahlusion juices I’ve had, the sweetness isn’t overpowering (a common e-liquid mistake). Objectively, this is one of the best cherry cola juices I’ve had. Subjectively, I prefer Clever Vape’s Brooklyn Pop, which has a much spicier kick. That said, I think that more vapers would prefer this juice.

Steeping this one is a little bit tricky. It’s really good fresh and great after two weeks. Early on, Ahlusion Cherry Cola has a fizzy sensation, similar to the one in the company’s W&A Sasparilla. It’s a very pleasant and unique thing, but it fades with time. My recommendation is to steep this juice for two weeks and finish it all before six. Carto/tank and clearomizer users should keep in mind that the scent and flavor of this juice tends to stick, particularly the scent. A thorough rinse and long alcohol soak will remove traces of the juice. Users of rebuildable atomizers will have an easier time, since they can just torch the flavor and scent remnants away.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Sahara Blend: This was my favorite new juice of 2013. It’s a fantastic blend of Turkish and Virginia tobaccos. While it does have some flavor that’s reminiscent of the numerous artificial Turkish tobacco e-liquids on the market, it has far more complexity than any of those juices. Sahara Blend is spicy, sweet, and dry all at the same time. It’s a truly wonderful mix that I can’t get enough of. I quickly vaped through my 60ml review both and have consumed nearly 200ml of this excellent juice.

Sahara Blend is good when fresh, but six weeks of steeping really beings out the complexity. It’s sweeter early on, while the dry and spicy flavors become more pronounced over time. I highly recommend waiting for the juice to develop a pinkish hue before vaping it. When it becomes pinkish, Sahara Blend is divine.

Vaping Diaries #171: CMII Double Cross 1.5 Atomizer Review

Crescent Moon Innovations International’s Double Cross 1.5 atomizer is one of the more innovative rebuildable drippers I’ve used. It has several novel features and was made with flat ribbon users in mind. There are many things I love about the CMII Double Cross 1.5, but there’s one aspect of the RDA that I was unsatisfied with. Read on for the full details of this unique atomizer.

What’s in the Kit: The CMII Double Cross 1.5 comes with the atomizer, a hex wrench for the posts, and an authenticity card.

Build Quality: The Double Cross 1.5 is made primarily from “food grade” stainless steel. The company notes that the posts are also made with this material; some vendors use cheaper metals for the posts, while CMII does not. The atomizer is available in all-steel or with a gold-plated sleeve. Overall, I was very happy with the materials CMII used to make the Double Cross 1.5

What I wasn’t happy with was the atomizer’s fit and finish. All three atomizers I had were filthy, with lots of gunk inside. Originally I thought it was machine oil, but was told, “there’s a big probability that something happened during the shipping.” While it’s possible that grime accumulated inside the (bubble-wrapped) atomizer during shipping, it’s quite unlikely, so I was unsatisfied with the answer I received.

After washing the atomizers with dish soap and water, a dark layer of tarnish developed. This hasn’t happened with any of the dozens of atomizers I’ve owned. I was told, “the topcap is really dark since it’s antique finish, that’s the original topcap color of DoubleCross V1.5.” However, after polishing the atomizers with Mother’s Mag and Aluminum Polish, the tarnish was gone. So again, I wasn’t happy with the answer I received. Antique and tarnish are two very different things.

All told, build quality of the Double Cross 1.5 — at least the three that I received — was mixed. I was happy with the materials and construction, but was unsatisfied with the fit and finish. I’ve never owned an atomizer that arrived so dirty and tarnished so badly after one washing.

Design: Using flat ribbon on the Double Cross 1.5 is a breeze. It uses post slits instead of common post holes. Threading flat ribbon through atomizer post holes can be tricky. Threading it through the Double Cross 1.5’s post slits couldn’t be easier. For people that use flat ribbon exclusively or occasionally use it, this atomizer is a joy to work with.

The air-flow control of the Double Cross 1.5 is also novel. It has two slits on each side, instead of common air holes. A sleeve on the main body can be adjusted to cover the slit. For dual-coil use, you have a wide range of air-flow options that will satisfy most flavor fiends and cloud chasers. Single-coil use is a bit trickier for vapers looking for a firm draw; it was tough to get a satisfyingly tight draw on this atomizer when only using one coil.

The features of the CMII Double Cross 1.5 are unique and different from the majority of atomizers on the market. As someone that prefers flat ribbon over wire, I loved how easy it is to set up this atomizer. I was also impressed by the broad range of air flow options with the “cyclops” slits.

Verdict: Aside from my disappointment with the fit and finish, I really enjoyed using the CMII Double Cross 1.5. There are many vaping products on the market that have unique features that are gimmicky. That’s not the case with the Double Cross 1.5. CMII implemented unique features that are practical for certain vapers. Ribbon users and vapers that frequently change air flow according to juice or mood will love using this atomizer.

I’ve seen the Double Cross 1.5 available for $80 to $90. The price is on the high end for rebuildable drippers, but it can be worth it for ribbon users looking for convenience and versatility. If you don’t use ribbon then there are better choice that offer similar versatility and better build quality for the same price or less.

Vaping Diaries #170: Goodejuice Review II

Goodejuice’s House Brewed line of e-liquids is a must-try for vapers looking for an authentic tobacco experience. All of these juices are made with naturally-extracted tobaccos. The company’s extraction style results in a quality that some describe as deliciously musty or funky. Goodejuice’s Patriot Tobacco, Natural Perique, and Vita Bella all have that distinct funk, to varying degrees — a taste that I find rather delicious. While I always recommend Goodejuice’s House Brewed line to vapers looking for a true tobacco experience, the juices are different enough from each other that some may be right for you and others might not fit into your wheelhouse. Read on for a review of these three great naturally-extracted tobacco e-liquids.

Patriot Tobacco: Goodejuice blends the rich earthiness of burley and perique tobaccos, adding some cavendish tobacco for sweetness in Patriot. The result is a great blend that many tobacco fans will enjoy. For me, cavendish tobacco in an e-liquid is like cooking with ginger or oyster sauce — use too much and the dish is spoiled. Some tobacco e-liquids I’ve had use too much cavendish and its bright sweetness drowned out the other tobacco flavors. That’s not the case with Patriot Tobacco; it has just enough cavendish to add some sweetness, but not so much that the other tobaccos are overshadowed. Some tobacco e-liquid fans I know equate this juice to the taste of a tobacco cigarette. That’s not what I get. My tastebuds get pipe tobacco all the way and a lovely blend of pipe tobacco at that.

While I enjoyed this juice fresh, I’d let it steep for at least two weeks. After a month, the flavors blends together nicely.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Natural Perique: This is the funkiest of the three juices in this review. That wasn’t a surprise considering Goodejuice’s extraction style and the inherent funk of perique tobacco. In my experience, perique is a love or hate thing. If you enjoy its distinct mustiness then you’ll love this juice. If it’s too much for you then you’ll think that this juice taste like a sweaty sock that has been left outside for days. I enjoy perique and Goodejuice did a great job of bringing out its unique flavor with this juice. That said, I don’t think it has the broad appeal of the other two juices in this review.

This one didn’t require as much steeping as the others. For me, it was good to go after two weeks.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Vita Bella: This is a fantastic blend of several pipe tobaccos and vanilla. On the tobacco side, the burley stands out (probably because burley is one of my favorite tobaccos for e-liquids). While it’s a simple formula — tobacco + vanilla — the result is wonderfully complex. The tobacco blend, creamy vanilla flavor, and Goodejuice’s distinct extraction style come together for a wonderful juice. At the forefront is a rich and hearty tobacco blend that’s wonderfully complemented by sweet and creamy vanilla. Out of the three, this was my favorite — just delicious, delicious stuff.

If you want more sweetness and vanilla flavor then you should vape this juice fresh. If you want more tobacco richness then give it around a month of steeping. I very much enjoyed the juice both ways.

Juice Specs: 6mg nicotine, 50/50 PG/VG

Vaping Diaries #169: Craft Vapery Unboxing Video

Back in Vaping Diaries #159, I wrote about Craft Vapery. It’s a new subscription-based e-liquid service that offers a curated approach to vaping juices. First, the big news — pricing has gone down from $40 for three 15ml to $33 for three 15ml. While the price is still more expensive that what most online e-liquid vendors offer, it’s a little bit cheaper than what’s found at most brick-and-mortar vape shops. Remember, what you’re getting with Craft Vapery is highly personalized service and curated juice recommendations. For certain vapers, the service can be quite valuable.

To give you a better idea of the Craft Vapery experience, I filmed a video of my first Craft Vapery box. I was really impressed by the packaging and presentation. The selected juices were from top vendors and fit into the flavor profile I created. All three were good to great. I was given DNA Vapor’s The Dough, since I noted that I enjoy bakery-type juices. This is a cookie dough e-liquid that’s a delicious treat. As big tobacco fan, I was given The Force Vapors’ Chewbacco, an RY4-style juice with blueberry notes. This is a good dessert juice, but not really what I enjoy in tobaccos or RY4s; for tobacco juices I greatly prefer naturally-extracted tobacco and for RY4s I prefer classics, like the original Janty formula. Lastly, I was given Blueprint Vapor’s Page Six, which is a complex blend of green tea, fruits, and cream. As a fan of complexity, I really enjoyed this juice and have a feeling that I’ll dig it even more after it steeps.

For the most part, I was pleased with what Craft Vapery chose for me. All the flavors fit into my vaping wheelhouse. Page Six was a lovely surprise that I might not have discovered on my own. My tobacco preferences are really particular, so it wasn’t surprising that I wasn’t given a tobacco e-liquid that floored me.

For vapers that are already set in their ways, buying the same juices from the same juice companies, Craft Vapery doesn’t make much sense. For vapers that haven’t found the right juice or for vapers that are always looking for something new, Craft Vapery can be a great service. If you fall into one of those two categories then I recommend giving Craft Vapery a shot. Based on the box I received, there’s a good chance that the company will help you find a juice that you love.

Vaping Diaries #168: Bay City Vapor SurfRider Review

Bay City Vapor is a relatively new mod maker out of Seal Beach, CA. The company started getting attention in Fall 2013 for its then upcoming SurfRider and XXIX mods. Both are relatively inexpensive and have innovative features. The SurfRider is available in C464 naval brass and 316 stainless steel. It costs $140 for the single-tube version, $190 for all three stainless steel tubes (18350, 18490, 18650), and $200 for all three brass tubes. For the last few weeks, I’ve been vaping on a SurfRider and been quite pleased with its quality and performance — especially for the price.

Build Quality and Construction: The Bay City Vapor SurfRider I have for review is the naval brass (C464) 18650 model. The metal is high quality and more resistant to corrosion than other types of brass alloys. The main tube is simple, with smooth threading. The tube threads use the common 20×1 threading, allowing for compatibility many popular top caps, bottom caps, and hybrid kits on the market.

The top cap, which I’ll focus more on in the next section, is a simple piece of brass with a cross cut. The bottom cap has a delrin insulator and a zinc-plated spring. The threads on both caps are smooth.

Overall, the Bay City Vapor SurfRider is a very well-made mechanical mod that uses quality materials. The craftsmanship is as good as or surpasses that of many mods that cost more.

Design and Ergonomics: The Bay City Vapor SurfRider uses subtle design language. There’s nothing obnoxiously flashy about this mod. The bottom cap has the “BCV” logo and the main tube has a set of waves. In 18650 mode, the mod is shorter than most other 18650 mods, which is nice for people that want maximum battery life in a relatively small package.

The most outstanding feature of the Bay City Vapor SurfRider is its top cap. It uses a hybrid-style design. You screw the cap onto your atomizer and then screw it onto the mod. Aesthetically, this allows for a flush appearance and clean lines. It also allows for outstanding performance, which I’ll touch on in the next section.

The Bay City Vapor SurfRider’s button was a mixed bag for me. I loved the 1mm throw, but wasn’t happy with the heavy feel. Naturally, button feel is completely subjective; my preference is for a short throw and light feel. Initially, the spring was way too stiff for my liking. It loosened up after a few weeks of use, but was still stiffer than what I prefer. With the firing mechanisms flush design and meaty spring, you can place the mod down without having to worry about it firing.

The downside to the Bay City Vapor SurfRider’s unique top cap is that it can be tricky with certain atomizer and battery combinations. Using Samsung INR 18650 20-R and Sony VTC3 batteries, I had no issues with the Aqua, Russian, and numerous dripping atomizers. However, I have read reports of other battery and atomizer combos being difficult (i.e. not firing all the time). The good news is that Bay City Vapor is updating the firing mechanism to allow for broader compatibility. The really good news is that the company’s customer service is outstanding; current SurfRider owners will be sent the updated parts free of charge. That level or customer service is fantastic.

Performance: Since the novel top cap allows the atomizer to make direct contact to the battery, the Bay City Vapor SurfRider’s performance is stellar. The brass model has no voltage loss and hits amazingly hard. So in addition to hybrid-like looks, you also get hybrid-like performance.

On paper, the hybrid-style top cap seems like an obvious and simple thing to do. Why not remove a junction to achieve excellent performance? Yet Bay City Vapor is the first mod maker that I know of to offer this type of top cap as a standard feature, and the performance results are phenomenal.

Verdict: For the money, the Bay City Vapor SurfRider is an outstanding value. You get a mechanical mod with excellent workmanship, a beautifully understated appearance, and some of the best performance on the market for a relatively low price. I especially love that the SurfRider is available in a single-tube configuration. Many (but not all) vapers I know only use one type of battery, making additional tubes a waste of money and materials. As a somewhat frugal and somewhat environmentally concerned vaper, I applaud Bay City Vapor offering the SurfRider in single-tube form.

Even though I’m not a fan of its stiff spring (looking for magnets to replace it), I highly recommend the Bay City Vapor SurfRider. It’s beautiful and well made, with extraordinary performance.