RDA (Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer) – What is it in Vaping?

Definition

RDA stands for Rebuildable Atomizer“>Dripping Atomizer, a type of vape atomiser that lets users manually dripe-liquid onto the coil and wick instead of relying on a tank reservoir. Popular with Australian hobbyist vapers, an RDA has a Deck“>build deck where you install your own wire coils and threadCotton“>organic cotton through them. After fitting the coil and wicking, you simply remove the top cap, drip 5-10 drops of e-liquid directly onto the cotton, replace the cap, and vape. This “drip-and-vape” cycle delivers intense flavour and warm, dense vapour because every puff is freshly saturated. RDAs are refillable by nature and pair safely with a Mod“>regulated mod that reads resistance and prevents battery over-load.

Technical Details

Inside an RDA, positive and negative posts are secured to an insulated build deck; coil legs are trapped under screws or in spring-loaded clamps, creating a circuit with resistance usually between 0.1 Ω and 0.8 Ω for sub-ohmvaping. Airflow is adjusted by rotating a top or side AFC (air-flow control) ring, letting you tune draw from wide-open cloud chasing to tight mouth-to-lung. Deck diameter ranges from 22 mm (older) to 24 mm, 25 mm, even 28 mm and 30 mm to fit modern 21700 regulated mods. Juice Well”>Juice well depth varies from 4 mm to 9 mm, holding roughly 0.5–1 mL so you can take several hits before re-dripping. Common variations include two-post, post-less, clamp-style, and mesh-strip decks; squonk-ready RDAs add a hollow 510 centre pin so e-liquid can be squeezed through a bottom-feeding mod, turning the dripper into a “bottom-fill” RDTA hybrid.

Usage & Tips

• Start with a regulated mod: set wattage low, pulse the coil, pinch out hotspots, then wick snugly—fluffy cotton should move with slight resistance.
• Drip until the wick glistens but the well isn’t flooded; tilt the atomiser and watch bubbles to avoid spit-back.
• Keep spare coils, cotton, and a small bottle in your vape pouch; Australian heat can dry wicks quickly.
• Rinse and lightly brush the deck weekly to remove sweetener gunk; check post screws for loosening.
• Never fire a dry cotton—if it tastes burnt or resistance jumps, re-wick immediately to protect both coil and battery.

History & Context

RDAs emerged in the early 2010s when cloud-chasing forums discovered that removing the glass tank (RTA) and dripping fresh juice delivered cleaner flavour and bigger clouds. As regulated mods gained accurate resistance meters and safety cut-offs, dripping evolved from a niche hobby to mainstream, inspiring squonk mods and today’s RDTA hybrids stocked by vape shops across Australia.