High Wattage – What is it in Vaping?

Definition

High Wattage refers to any vape setting above roughly 75 W on a Mod“>regulated mod. In simple terms, it is the power level you select to heat your coil quickly, turning High VGe-liquid into dense, warm vapour. Australian vapers use high-wattage modes when they want bigger clouds and stronger flavour from low-resistance sub-ohm coils. The purpose is to move more energy through the coil in less time, producing a satisfying Hit without long draws. Beginners should note that “high” is relative: a 0.15 Ω mesh coil may be rated 80–110 W, while a 0.4 Ω coil may call anything over 50 W “high”.

Technical Details

Power (watts) equals voltage squared divided by resistance (W = V² ÷ Ω). A dual-18650 mod delivering 100 W pulls roughly 25 A from fresh batteries (4.2 V each under load), so cells must have a continuous 30 A CDR or higher. Most high-wattage tanks use coils between 0.1 Ω and 0.2 Ω and wick ports wide enough for 70–90 % VG juice. Temperature-control alloys (Ni90, Ni80, SS316L) ramp faster than Kanthal, letting vapers reach 100–200 W without excessive ramp-up. Variations include:

• Pulse mode – board pulses full wattage every micro-second to mimic mechanical response while monitoring heat.
• Curve/Wattage curve – user sets 1-second increments (e.g., 130 W for 0.5 s, taper to 90 W) to avoid Hot Spot formation.
• Series mech tubes – raw battery voltage (8.4 V) pushes 200 W+ on 0.35 Ω builds, demanding Ohm’s-law precision and Hybrid Connection awareness.

Usage & Tips

• Prime coil thoroughly; high wattage will instantly vaporise dry cotton and create burnt hits.
• Use High VG juice (≥70 %) to keep wick ports saturated and clouds thick.
• Start 10 W below coil rating, increase in 5 W steps until flavour peaks; watch for bubbling or spit-back that signals oversaturation.
• Check battery wraps; torn wraps can arc inside a Heatsink or mod tube at 30 A+ loads.
• Give device a 30-second rest between long chain-vapes; metals expand and can loosen screws, creating resistance drift.

History & Context

When sub-ohm tanks arrived in Australia around 2014, 30 W was “extreme”. Advances in 18650 battery chemistry (Sony VTC4, later Molicel P28A) and mesh coils normalised 80–110 W vaping by 2018. Today, 200 W mods are commonplace, though most vapers settle near 100 W for balanced battery life and cloud production.