Underground vaping culture: The secret world of the cloud chaser

Estimates suggest that 178,000 people across Australia vape more than once a month, despite strict regulations on the sale and possession of E-cigarettes across the country. Many people turn to vaping, eager to cut down on their tobacco use, looking for legal loopholes and states with more liberal laws. The difficulty in navigating the legality of vaping has led to the rise of an underground vaping culture, with niche vape stores and dedicated users looking for ways to modify their devices to produce the best clouds. These people are known as ‘cloud chasers’, and cloud chasing has gained such a following that it has now turned into a competitive sport.  What Is Cloud Chasing? Cloud chasing is thought to have originated on America’s west coast. Cloud chasers modify their vaping equipment to create huge clouds of vape, much larger than the clouds emitted by the recreational vaper. Members of the community often gather with other trick vapers to hone their skills and show off their clouds, although because of Australia’s strict restrictions, they’re rarely seen in public places. Most often, cloud chasers will be found at private parties or in dedicated vape shops, or showing off their skills online via YouTube or on social media platforms. How Is It Done? Cloud chasers are thorough researchers: they know their tools, and read up on vaping news and culture. To increase the clouds produced by vaping, vapers tweak various components of their equipment to maximise the amount of vapour emitted, but their skills go beyond their tools, with careful attention paid… Read More