Home RBA's RDA Reviews Project Sub-Ohm Swirlfish V2 RDA Review

Project Sub-Ohm Swirlfish V2 RDA Review

October 10, 2015

Designed by Project Sub-Ohm the Swirlfish V2 is a dual coil only RDA (Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer). It feature a unique airflow design to help create a vortex of air when you vape.

One of the main features of the SwirlFish V2 is the Swirl Top Easy Drip System, featuring a hinged locking top cap that is accessed using the finger notch or through a correctly fitted 510 drip tip, opening up for easier access for dripping.

This easy to use feature allows for hassle free dripping.

Swirlfish V2 specifications

22mm Diameter.
Swirl Top Easy Drip System with an embedded O-Ring for smooth and consistent opening and closing via finger notch.
Triple Diagonal Slot and Air hole Paired System.
Diagonal Slot Measures 3mm with Width Ranging from 1mm to 2mm.
Paired Air hole Diameter Ranges from 1mm to 1.5mm.
Squared and Rounded Threaded Deck Shield independently Controls Airflow and
Increases Juice Well Capacity.
Deck shield can be removed completely for ease of build.
6mm Deep Juice Well.
Split Positive Post.
2mm Postholes.
Squared PEEK Insulator to prevent centre post from spinning.
Deck milled Negative posts.
2mm Postholes.
304 Stainless Steel construction.
Silver Plated Copper Contact (adjustable).
100% Solely Designed, Engineered, and Developed in the USA by Project Sub-Ohm.

Box Contents

One Project Sub-Ohm SwirlFish V2 RDA.
Three Sided Multi Tool.
Two Additional Pairs of O-Rings.
Four Additional Hex Screws.

Swirlfish V2 Design & Build Quality

Improving on the original Swirlfish RDA, the SwirlFishV2 features a split positive post system paired with deck milled negative posts, with each post hole measuring 2mm in diameter. A new squared PEEK insulator greatly increases heat resistance and durability.

In addition the overall height of the dripper has been shortened to 25mm. The SwirlFish is manufactured from 304 Stainless Steel for durability, and features silver plated copper contacts for maximum conductivity.

In my opinion the design itself is quite attractive and looks streamlined. The main parts of this RDA seem to be machined very well and everything fits together properly. The swing top cap is a nice feature but it is something we have already seen before on other drippers and also on Smok’s TFV4 Sub Ohm tank.

This RDA uses a four post design and features a squared centre post to prevent spinning. The post holes are quite large so should easily accommodate most builds but if you want to fit more extreme builds the 2mm holes will limit you.

The screws as you will learn later are less than ideal. The O-rings to be brutally to the point are poor because they are very weak and don’t last five minutes which is something of an exaggeration to make a point but after a full day of use the O-rings were already degrading and top cap starting to come off too easily.

The juice well is reasonably large and is 6mm deep. Surrounding the deck is the deck shield which features large airflow blades. These blades are designed to create a vortex of air that swirls around the coils. This design also means that there is additional juice well space. The deck shield can be removed for ease of access when building.

The airflow has been redesigned compared to the V1, featuring a paired triple diagonal slot and air hole system, with each pair designed with corresponding sizes. Each diagonal slot measures 3mm long, with width increasing from 1mm to 2mm in a right to left fashion.

Each paired air hole also increases in size from just under 1mm to 1.5mm, creating a unique and turbulent airflow system specifically designed to increase swirl and airflow disruption. What this means in a nutshell is that the large holes let air in faster with the smallest holes ensuring the air comes through slower. This combination of different sizes is what helps to create the vortex when you vape.

This RDA does not include a drip tip but I did find that most of the ones I own fitted without any issues. The 510 pin is silver plated copper and is adjustable.

My Build With The Swirlfish V2

The Swirlfish is quite different to most typical RDA’s so you have to keep a few things in mind when building it. Firstly you have to unscrew the deck shield so you can get good access to the deck. Secondly you have to keep your coils centred even though the airflow comes in from the side. I know it might be tempting to position your coils to the side in line with the airflow but seriously don’t do it.

I built two identical coils using 26AWG (0.4mm) Kanthal. The final resistance of my build was 0.5ohm and I wicked with Japanese cotton using the Scottish Roll method (see video). Both coils were carefully centred which looks unusual when you refit the bladed deck shield because it looks like it blocks air to the coils but trust me this is the correct way to build it.

Problems I had with this RDA

I initially tried three different builds and every time the same grub screw kept cutting the wire. This particular grub screw also didn’t seem to screw down very well and upon tightening it the wire got cut again but this time the screw became lodged in the post.

I tried numerous times to remove it and I was getting extremely annoyed. In the end I decided to drill it out but unfortunately a piece of the grub screw was forever stuck at the bottom of the post. Thankfully the RDA comes with spare screws and luckily my drilling hadn’t destroyed the threading in the post.

The screw does require a little bit more force to screw down now but at least it seems the RDA is still usable. I would like to hope that this is just a one off incident but if this should happens to you then you won’t be happy.

I am left with the feeling that the screws are rather poor because this is the first time I have ever had any problems with grub screws.

How Does The Swirlfish V2 Vape?

This RDA offers a very good vape and I was impressed with the flavour. I tried it with Element Strawberry Whip and Element Watermelon Chill. In each case the flavour was exactly what I want in a vape and the Swirlfish V2 surprised me since Project Sub-Ohm RDA’s are typically focused on cloud chasing.

Vapour production is very good and it puts out some good clouds. Due to the way this RDA is designed the vapour comes in from the sides and is swirled around. I believe the very good flavour is due to these vortex conditions and it is pleasing seeing the vapour swirl around when you exhale.

The swing top lid is handy when having to refill but what lets it down is the weak O-rings on the top cap which means you can end up flipping the lid and pulling off the cap.

Is it worth it?

This atomizer is well priced for an authentic RDA. The only downsides to the package is the possibility that the screws and O-rings you receive with it may be poor. If you don’t mind spending a little extra to replace them then this RDA is good value considering it offers good flavour and cloud production.

Final PSO Swirlfish V2 Review Verdict

While I do think this RDA is very good in terms of flavour and vapour production it did disappoint me because of the issues I had with the screws.

In my opinion the O-rings should also be much stronger than they are. To be fair spares are included and large amounts of O-rings can be purchased very cheaply from vendors such as Fasttech. I guess I expected the manufacturer to include good quality ones since it is an inconvenience for people knowing they will have to replace them.

This is actually a great authentic RDA that is priced very reasonably. It shouldn’t disappoint providing you get better screws than I did and you are prepared to upgrade the O-rings. This RDA is not especially newcomer friendly since it does require a dual coil setup and requires some experience aligning your build correctly.