Back in the day, I can recall several ‘moments’ in my vaping ‘career’ that changed my perception of this fluffy chucking obsession. As was the case with a lot of smokers back then, ‘stalling’ was almost compulsory - you knew you needed to get off the coffin nails, mainly because you were sick and tired of being…well…sick and tired…but when the energy required for getting off the couch to go for a piss makes you feel like an 80 year old man with one lung who’s just spent an hour on a running machine…
you know it’s time to pick up your skirt…and kick the stinkies ass.
But it’s hard, especially at first, you buy a CE4 clearomizer…but then you go out drinking - hardly anyone vaped back then, you were probably the only one stood outside with all the ‘cool’ smokers smelling of strawberries, and when you wake up the next morning and the loud mouth soup has worn off…you question things…
‘Stall’
Back on the cowboy killers you go.
Then once more, some months down the line…you find a new sense of self preservation as you decide to give it another go, only this time you’re gonna go in armed to the teeth. You buy yourself something that could well pass as a small rechargeable lightsaber, and on this Jedi weapon you mount a different tank that takes something called ‘coils’ …There’s no fucking around this time, this shit is powerful enough to kick any addictions ass…except nicotine…obv…It even has 3 settings! Like I said…I was super serious…
But then you go on holidayto Turkey…and if you haven’t been to Turkey…you should know…that even the animals smoke…
‘Stall’
Back on the cancer sticks…once again.
Not everyone goes down this path you understand. Some are strong enough to nail it first time, others will play this game of stinky tennis for quite some years before they finally ‘click’ with some gear and liquid that they really dig. For me personally…the first time I clicked was with a Kangertech Sub Ohm tank and a bottle of Mothers Milk…I was literally blown away. Although the following years contained more memorable moments, like mixing my own liquid, buying my first dripper, building my own coils, as well as a few more ‘stalls’…one moment in particular…has a lot to do with what I am reviewing today - I went to an Expo and bought myself the Wotofo Serpent Mini RTA. This was true love, it was everything I wanted in a tank AT LAST - this…was just the kind of Serpent to stop me from stepping off the edge and falling back into old habits…
And I haven’t stalled since.
I loved the look, the performance, but most of all…the flavour - and at the time, I wasn’t on my own…so…big boots to fill. The Serpent range has been relatively consistent over the years, so does this new rendition carry on the family lineage?..Does it have the same bite as it’s older snake siblings? Or will this new snake just turn out to be another worm digging through the sludge in today’s over-saturated RTA market…(well…if you stopped warbling on we just might actually find that out)
Good point, well made…
…
Welcome back my slithering little steam suckers, back again with more literal nonsense about something else that’s making a few waves in the communal pool of Vapingdom. Once again…it’s another collaboration, of course it is, why wouldn’t it be? ‘tis the season of the team-up after all. This time we return to the mind of one Mr Matt Culley, AKA Suck My Mod, the man behind the Serpent…hmm…the man behind the serpent?..lNot sure that’s the best way to describe him…maybe it is? I’m sure he wouldn’t have a problem with that nickname but who am I to judge, maybe I should ask his Mrs…regardless of his appendage, you can’t deny the man has sprinkled more than a little magic on his catalogue of vape devices over the years…
I think that’s quite enough of the willy anecdotes, we’re detracting from what is important here, Matt’s Serpent, more specifically, his latest model. Courtesy of Wotofo, I present the Wotofo & SMM Serpent Elevate RTA
May I suggest designing the box after you decide to put a window in it…it is not called a ‘Pent’…just sayin…
Blue…why does everyone send me fucking blue? I’m a die hard Manchester United fan (which used to be a good thing)…so blue just fucks with me. Regardless, I shall overcome this imperfection and strive to look past it, mainly due to the fact that, being a Serpent, I was genuinely excited to suck on it (?) Now…I like Matt Culley - I don’t know him personally, but he has been kind enough to comment on past reviews I’ve done on his work, and I follow in the same circles on social media as he does. He seems like a really decent chap; unlike some ‘vape celebrities’, he makes his presence known, answers questions, gives advice to the vaping community etc., which speaks volumes to me. He also has a very ‘different’ approach to designing vape gear - he tends to shy away from OTT flamboyance in favour of minimalistic styling, yet the internals of his devices always tend to offer more in the way of clever engineering and innovation. Function over form has been my experience with any SMM designed device I have tried, gotta love that…so did we get more of the same this time around?..
The Low Down
The Serpent Elevate RTA is a 24mm single coil RTA with a postless deck and top airflow. Not a new idea obviously, it’s been done more than once this last year alone, and it’s also not without its flaws…but we’ll come to that. Also in this snakes belly, amongst several dead rodents and the occasional small human, you can fit 3.5ml of your finest liquid, or 4.5ml with the included bubble glass.
Starting at the (ahem) tip…of the Serpent, we have the usual swirly resin 810 drip tip…
Also in the package comes the option of a frosted Ultem tip and a 510 adapter for anyone that wants to go down that route. It wouldn’t really make any difference to the vape if you did, as the chamber hole underneath the tip is actually much smaller. This was expected as it’s a single coil RTA - keeping it more restricted like this concentrates the vapour coming through and increases the flavour, less air…more flavour…
One slight thing I did notice here was that second lip around the rim (look…I’m reviewing something called a Serpent, from Suck My Mod, which will include words like ‘tip’, ‘rim’, ‘hole’, ‘mouth’, & ‘warm liquid’…you’re just gonna have to get your mind out of the gutter on this one okay?..). Now…this rim, my first thoughts were ‘cooool’…because I assumed it was for the tip to sit in the rim (sigh) …I, for one, am always knocking my tip off (ffs) …so creating a little rim for your tip to sit in (unbelievable) would prevent this - but actually…the tip doesn’t quite penetrate the rim due to its girth (stop it)…So to reiterate, Matt’s Serpent has a tip that’s too girthy for the rim around the hole, meaning it’s still possible to knock your tip off…now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write…
Obviously…it’s for the 510 adapter…but I just thought it worth mentioning (of course you did)
The top fill is dealt with in the usual way, simply unscrew the cap and you are presented with two kidney shaped holes in a beautifully recessed fill chamber…
Plenty of space inside the rim to catch any of your liquid which doesn’t go down the hole, stopping it from going all over your hand…okay…I’ll stop now…
Just underneath the top-cap you will find the top adjustable airflow…
For an SMM designed device, I was quite surprised to see some pattern detail on the outside; although it does carry on the theme with it’s snake-skin appearance. Not only does this look kinda cool, it also offers excellent grip on the AFC ring.
With the straight glass in place you can also check out the excellent…and HUGE…Serpent motif engraving on the chamber itself…
It’s a shame that the bubble is frosted because I dig the look of that chamber, although…I did get the reviewers version of this, which means I didn’t get an included coil trimming tool that comes as standard, and the frosted bubble glass was actually plastic. Wotofo have since told me that the retail version WILL have the coil trimming tool and that both the straight AND the bubble will both be glass…I can’t comment on whether or not it will be frosted though, although in all fairness, the entire outside of the Serpent Elevate has a ‘satin’ finish - kind of an anodised/media blasted element to it, which I know is quite popular these days…doesn’t do it for me personally though. I prefer my devices to be shiny and…not…blue, but it is what it is…I guess with the frosted ultem tip and the frosted glass it all ties together, it would simply come down to personal preference.
And finally…underneath you will find the insulated and adjustable pin along with the Serpent logo…strangely…no SMM logo?
So overall…the outside looks very 'SMM’. Apart from the small snake-skin detailing it’s very understated, so you’d expect something special to be going on…under the hood.
And yes…I can confirm that once again…this is where it’s all ‘happening’. If you look into the roof of the chamber you will see a gap all around the edge. As the build deck is pushed into the chamber the top of the two ‘wings’ seal against the inner dome, the airflow then comes out of that gap, down the sides of the chamber, and in through two holes on each side of the wing - one for the side…and one that goes underneath the coil and straight up through it…
I could’ve just shown you the picture…instead of burdening you with the task of working out WTF I was just waffling on about…anyway…as you can see, Matt has covered all areas of airflow with these imaginative internals…
The only flaw with this kind of style is the turbulence. It is slightly noisier than traditional airflow, just because it has so much further to travel with lots of bends along the way. It’s not outrageously noisy, in fact it’s quieter than other tanks with a similar system, but this is the price you pay for a leak proof tank with air that comes up through the coil…and speaking of coils…the deck itself is a cinch to build on…be even easier with the included coil trimming tool (which I didn’t get…just sayin…again)
You can afford quite a big coil too - those juice channels are HUGE so they can take a fair bit of fluffy.
Simply trim, and tuck your cotton-tails in, and you’re golden…
Or…you could fuck the whole thing up like I did on this picture - forget to burn your coil first, then start all over again and do it right…schoolboy error.
The Vape
Once I’d sorted myself out and stopped being such a douche, I actually got to use the thing. I’m happy to report that once again Matt has nailed the flavour production on the Serpent Elevate. Yes, it’s noisier than some tanks, but you soon forgive it once you get your first mouthful of thick bodied, warm, flavourful vapour. It’s a real saturated vape which…coming from someone who rarely vapes on a single coil anything, was quite a shock. Truth is…if it wasn’t for the slight restriction on airflow and the lower watts I was having to use…I wouldn’t have guessed that this was a single coil RTA. I was using 50w on the 0.34ohm coil that it came with…and I was truly satisfied with the outcome…happy days.
The Stats
Diameter: 24mm
Threading: 510 thread
E-liquid Capacity: 3.5ml or 4.5ml
Filling Method: Top filling
Airflow Type: Adjustable top airflow
Insulator Material: German PEEK
Extra Accessory: 4.5ml bubble tube, Coil trimming tool, Coil jig, Coils, Cotton, O rings & screws, Spare 810 drip tip and 510 adaptor
Final Thoughts
My final thoughts on the Serpent Elevate RTA are kinda torn. Yes…this definitely performs like any Serpent should, the flavour is off the charts and although a little noisy the airflow is smooth AF, but…I just don’t feel that the build quality of everything, apart from the build deck, is up to the usual standard when compared to the Serpent mini…I mean it’s fine - it’s not ‘janky’, it works great, it performs exceptionally well. I don’t know if its this ‘alloy’ satin finish that shows up imperfections more…or if it’s just the lightweight general feel of the tank?..Some of the threads are a little scratchy, the machining under the top cap is more ‘visible’…I dunno…I guess I just wasn’t bowled over by the appearance of everything…I know…it’s blue, and I hate blue, but I can overlook that, I mean it’s available in the following colours…
But I wouldn’t feel any different about the general appearance if it was red. I just preferred the look of the Serpent Mini over the Serpent Elevate. That can come down to personal preference; the truth is…the Serpent Elevate still outperforms the majority of single coil RTA’s out there, the vape is THAT good, and of course…this is still a Wotofo product, so considering you get such a complete package…it is dirt cheap…
The Price
Well…here’s the thing, on Wotofo’s site they currently have it at £27.29/$34.99 here…
Wotofo Serpent Elevate RTA (Wotofo Site)
Which seems slightly above the average of £24.99/$32.04 that I keep seeing on other websites …so…really good value for money. HOWEVER…it would appear my shop supplier is having a flash sale, and the Elevate can be found in all colours for a frankly ridiculous £17.44/$22.36 - I think this sale ends tomorrow though (26th Nov 2018) so you’ll have to be quick. Find that deal here…
Wotofo Serpent Elevate RTA (Steampugs shop)
I would absolutely recommend the Serpent Elevate to everyone, the performance alone warrants that. It’s really going to come down to personal preference on the looks, if you dig its appearance…then you will absolutely love the performance. It might not have the sleek and sexy look of the Serpent Mini, but when it comes to flavour production…as the name suggests…this snake can fly.
Now…as I may have mentioned to a few people, I have unbelievably made the cut in this years ecigclick awards (really?..funny…you’ve barely mentioned that to anyone…I mean, it’s not as if you made a poster or anything.)
(Oh…look at that)
Not only did I make the final list of 10, but I am currently running third, which for me is just phenomenal. I cannot thank everyone that voted for me enough, so if you like my nonsense, then please feel free to hop on over there and give me a vote. Obviously I’m not going to win my category as I am in the same one as Mooch…it’s his…he’s won already (and rightly so), but the higher I finish can only mean good things for Steampugs in general, and I’d really appreciate that. Just click this link - we’re in the last category…
And again…as always, if you would like to see how the Elevate scored against other bits and bobs then feel free to peruse the site at your leisure, where you will find a myriad of excellent reviews from the Steam team as well a shop choc full of highly discounted vape gear, just click the ‘Shop’ tab on the home page and you’ll be golden!..find that here…
Oh!..I nearly forgot, the Giveaway where you can bag yourself a free Dovpo & TVC Topside Squonk mod still has a couple of days left to go, it’s being drawn on the 27th Nov, so if you haven’t got your entry in get it done!..follow this link to find out how…
Dovpo Topside Squonk Mod Giveaway (Ends 27th Nov)
Until next time.
Pugs.
and thanks! …again lol
