How To Use DynaVap Vaporizers (Complete Guide)

If you still don’t know what exactly a DynaVap vaporizer is, you are missing out all the hype about one of the newest and most efficient vaporizers on the market. But don’t worry; this how to use the DynaVap vaporizers guide is for you. We have written it after spending lots of time with these awesome vaporizers. We have uncovered all the secrets about the most popular models of the Dynavap collection, and we are now sharing these secrets with you, for you to have the best experience possible with your brand-new DynaVap.

What is a Dynavap?

A Dynavap is a very simple, cost-effective butane-powered vaporizer. If you’re not too sure about what a butane vaporizer is, take a look at one of our most recent blog posts about butane vaporizers. More in specific, Dynavaps are tiny devices capable of extracting cannabinoids from weed and other derivates without the need for combustion. The idea behind it is simple: heat up the tip of the Dynavap with a butane jet lighter until the cannabinoids contained in the weed reach their boiling point. When the cannabinoids boil, they release vapour that you can inhale. 

The tip of the Dynavap vaporizers is made of medical-grade steel or titanium, depending on the model. Metals are great conductors of heat, so the tip of the Dynavap can, very quickly and efficiently, transfer an enormous amount of thermal energy to the herbs, making this a very efficient way of extracting all the goodies from cannabis.

How do I use a Dynavap vaporizer?

Getting the first vapour cloud from your Dynavap is quite easy. However, there are some tips that you should follow, especially if you want to get the best vapour quality. Follow the tips mentioned in the paragraphs below, and you will be getting pro-level clouds each and every time.

1.     Grinding the herb

The perfect vaporizer hit starts from the grinder. There are actually two opposite approaches when it comes to grinding; the ground weed technique and the full-nug technique. The first one implies grinding up your herb to a medium-coarse, fluffy texture (you can achieve this by using a top-quality grinder such as this one), while the second one involves putting a whole little nug in the bowl.

While both techniques are perfectly valid, there are some differences. You can achieve better extraction and extract more cannabinoids if you grind the weed, while you can get more flavour and a slightly longer session if you use a whole nug. Experiment with both techs to find which one suits you better.

2.     Packing the bowl

When you pack the bowl, sometimes referred to as oven, you want to make sure that you don’t overpack it. Airflow is super important to achieve the best possible hit. Remember that as you heat up the chamber, the weed will expand. We like to pack the bowl loosely, leaving about ¼ of it empty, to allow some room for expansion. A bowl holds approximately 0.1 grams of weed. You can also use Dynavaps to vape hash. The same rule applies: pack loosely and allow some room for expansion.

3.     Heating up the tip

This step requires a little bit of practice before you reach perfection. Hold the Dynavap with your dominant hand, and the jet lighter in the other one. You should hold the Dynavap at an angle, approximately 45 degrees (you shouldn’t keep it horizontally nor vertically). Light up the lighter and keep the tip of its flame approximately one centimetre away from the tip; you should aim the flame at the cap of the Dynavap (see picture). As you heat up the tip, you should spin the Dynavap for the bowl to evenly heat up on all sides.

Heating techniques

Depending on where exactly you aim the lighter, you will be able to get different qualities of vapour. If you aim the lighter towards the end of the cap, you will get wispier, tastier vapour. If you aim towards the fins, you will get denser vapour with more cannabinoids. Notice the Dynavap logo on the cap: there are three little triangles that can help you aim the flame correctly to achieve consistent hits every time.

Single or multiple flame lighters

Lighters play a big role in determining the quality of the vapour that comes out of your Dynavap. Single-flame jet lighters take a little longer to heat up the bowl, but they are the best option if you want to get dense vapour. Multiple-flame jet lighters are very fast and work well outdoors, but they seem to produce wispier vapour. Part of the Dynavap experience depends on the lighter, so make sure to experiment with different models.

Other heat sources

Dynavaps are intended to be used with butane jet lighters. However, you can get decent results even with other heat sources. An alcohol burner, for example, works great. It’s also easy to make your own one at home. Soft-flame lighters work too; however, they are not recommended. You will get a black patina of carbon on the tip which could affect the following hits of your session.

4.     Wait for the click

Normally, if you are using a single-flame jet lighter, you will have to heat up the tip of your Dynavap for approximately 10-15 seconds before you can get a hit. When the Dynavap reaches the right temperature for vaporization, the cap will click, letting you know that it’s ready for you to inhale and enjoy. The first hit is usually wispy, but packed with terpenes; the flavour on that first hit is just outrageous. The following hits (you can get approximately 4 hits per bowl) will produce denser vapour full of cannabinoids. The taste will be more on the toasty side compared to the first hit, but the cannabinoids will kick in with fury.

Operating past the click

While Dynavap discourages users from heating the device past the click, you might want to do that on some occasions. For example, if you want ultra-dense vapour to milk up your favourite bong. To do that, continue heating for one, maximum two seconds after you hear the click. Do not exaggerate, or you’ll reach the combustion point of cannabis and your whole vaporizer will taste like an ashtray for the next week. 

5.     Take a long draw

Pulling from a vaporizer is not like pulling from a joint. The idea is to take a long, steady draw until you hear another click – the cooldown click. This will take approximately five to 10 seconds. Keep the vapour in your lungs for a second to absorb the cannabinoids, then exhale.

Operating the carb hole

On the stem of the Dynavap, there is a little hole for you to control the amount of fresh air that gets mixed with the vapour as you inhale. It’s called carb hole. Close it with a finger to get denser vapour, or leave it open if you want cooler, wispier vapour. A good way to get dense vapour that is not too harsh is to close the carb hole totally for the first seconds and then open it towards the end of the hit. Experiment with the carb hole to get different results.

6.     Wait for the cool-down click

After a few seconds, the Dynavap cap will click again, signalling that the temperature has fallen below the vaporization point. You can either take a break and continue later (the weed inside the bowl will not release any cannabinoids if you are not using the Dynavap), or repeat the heating cycle and take another hit.

7.     Repeat

A typical bowl of good quality weed lasts approximately four to five hits. That’s a lot, considering that the bowl holds 0.1 grams only. There’s also another advantage to the bowl being tiny: every time you pack a fresh bowl, you’ll get an amazingly flavourful first hit. You might be wondering, does the Dynavap get you high with that mini-bowl? It does. One bowl goes a long way. Do this experiment; take as much cannabis as you would put in a normal joint, and vape it instead with a Dynavap, all in one session.

How to take care of my Dynavap vaporizer?

Dynavap vaporizers are extremely durable. They are made with top-quality materials and have very few parts. Taking care of them is super easy; just follow the DynaVap maintenance instructions below.

First use and deep cleaning

Before using your brand new Dynavap, make sure you clean it thoroughly. In a new Dynavap, there will be machining oil leftovers and traces of other stuff you don’t want to vape. The units are super easy to assemble and disassemble.

1. Disassemble the unit, separate all of the components.
2. Toss everything that’s made of metal, apart from the cap, in high-proof alcohol (ethanol works great if you can find it, otherwise rubbing alcohol works too) and let it soak for 15 minutes or so.
3. Throw the orings in warm soapy water (dish washing soap works well) and let them soak.
4. Clean the cap with a slightly damp q-tip (do not soak the cap).
5. Pass an alcohol-soaked q-tip through the condenser, then use it to clean the inside of the tip.
6. Rinse everything (apart from the cap) with lots of running water.
7. Let the parts air-dry on a clean cloth.
8. Once everything is clean and dry, slightly lubricate the orings with Dynawax (or with coconut oil) and reassemble your unit.

Routine cleaning

After every use, you’ll want to clear the bowl from the spent weed. Spent weed is called AVB (Already Vaped Bud), a material that can live a second life, if you know what to do with it (check this article for more information and stay tuned on this blog for AVB recipes).

1. Scoop out the AVB from the bowl using the cap’s scooping tool
2. Save your AVB in a glass jar
3. Take a dry q-tip or a pipe brush and clean the bowl when it’s still warm

Deep cleaning

A deep cleaning session is recommended every 20 to 30 bowls, or anytime you feel that the airflow is restricted. To do a deep cleaning of your Dynavap unit, follow the steps mentioned in the first use and deep cleaning paragraph.

Spare parts

Dynavap vaporizers are extremely durable and require very little maintenance. Eventually, after many, many uses, you’ll have to replace the orings and the cap. If cleaned and lubricated regularly, orings can last for years; however, make sure you get a couple extra orings when you purchase your first Dynavap.

What can I vape in a Dynavap?

Dynavap excels with dry herbs. However, it can be used with hash, oils and concentrates. To use your Dynavap with hash, just break the hash into little pieces and fill up the bowl as you would if you were using weed. To vape concentrates and oils, purchase the Dynacoil (a special tool that transforms your tip in a cold-start nail), or simply use a little bit of vape wool. Another technique that works great is to mix the concentrate with weed and vape everything at once.

Which Dynavap model is right for me?

The Dynavap collection consists of many different models, each one with its own characteristics. These below are the main Dynavap models, and the ones that we at Bongify have tested for you:

The M

Dynavap’s entry-level model, the M is perfect as an introduction to butane vaping. The M is extremely solid, super-efficient and entirely made of medical grade stainless steel. In terms of power, it packs a punch just as the other Dynavap models, and it sells a fraction of the price. 

The VonG

VonG stands for Vape on Glass. As the name suggests, VonGs are a special line of Dynavaps designed to natively fit bongs (with 14 mm or 10 mm female connections). There’s an ever-growing community of Dynavap users that loves vaping through waterpipes and bongs. While it’s possible to use a rubber adapter to connect any Dynavap model with a bong, the VonG’s beautifully crafted wooden body just does the job better.

The Omni

The Omni is Dynavap’s flagship model. Omnis are entirely crafted (apart from the cap) with level 2 medical-grade titanium. Its main feature is a fully-adjustable carb hole that is designed so that you can use the vaporizer without having to control the carb hole. Just set the Omni to your desired airflow and enjoy the luxury experience of hands-free vaping.

How can I upgrade my Dynavap?

One of the coolest things about Dynavap vaporizers is that there’s an enthusiastic and creative community of vapers that continuously invents new upgrades and optional parts. This just takes the vaping experience to the next level. Custom stems, wooden stashes, induction heaters and bubblers just to name a few. Read some of the customization options in the paragraphs below.

Stashes

Probably the first upgrade you’ll want to get for your Dynavap is a stash. Stashes are made of beautiful exotic woods, burl wood, hardwood, and outstanding resin-wood combinations. They are the perfect way to store your Dynavap. But, most importantly they serve another function: thanks to the magnet on their plane, they can be used as a docking station to hold your Dynavap and to cool it down between one hit and the next.

Stems

The most common upgrade for Dynavap vaporizers is stems. Stems can deeply influence the way the vapour flows from the tip to your mouth, and the way it mixes with fresh air along the way. Our personal favourite is the Simrell Collection “Vortex” stem, beautifully crafted from medical-grade titanium in the USA. There are also glass stems, acrylic, and exotic wood stems made by artisans and other brands.

Bongs

The most functional upgrade you can possibly get for a Dynavap is a bong. Vapour, especially the one coming from high-power butane vaporizers, tends to be dry and harsh. While the Dynavap itself does a great job at cooling the vapour down before it reaches your throat, water filtration just works better. This is why, especially if you plan to do long vaping sessions, you should be using a bong. Bongs and waterpipes in combination with vaporizers allow for massive hits of dense vapour that are also super-gentle on the throat and lungs. Recycler bongs and small to medium-sized bubblers and waterpipes work best in combination with Dynavaps. If you want to use your DynaVap M or DynaVap Omni with a bong, you can use this adapter.