Having a deep-cycle marine battery that you rely on means you’ll also need a separate starting battery to kickstart the engine when you first turn your boat on. If you run an electric trolling motor or have a lot of electronic systems onboard your boat, deep-cycle batteries are an essential part of your boating equipment. The deep-cycle terminology also refers to how often they can be discharged and recharged. They’re specifically designed for light usage over long periods of time. The name of deep-cycle batteries gives a small hint as to how they’re supposed to work. By the end, you’ll be able to tell which kind of battery is right for you.

While there is a decent amount of overlap between the two, each has unique strengths as well as things to keep in mind as you use them. For this article, we’ll focus on dual-purpose versus deep-cycle marine batteries. What you plan on doing in your boat might completely change the kind of battery you need, and you’ll likely need more than one kind unless you plan accordingly.īatteries for starting your boat are very different than deep-cycle batteries, which themselves provide a different service than a dual-purpose battery will. The batteries on your boat may be similar to batteries that you’re used to already, such as ones that you find in a car, but they also have specific challenges that you need to consider when using them for marine purposes.Īnother thing to consider when thinking about batteries for your boat is that there are multiple types of batteries, and they are not necessarily interchangeable. Whether you’re looking to take your bay boat out for a quick fishing trip in the intracoastal waters, or you have a large center console boat that you’re planning to take off shore for an overnight trip, that boat lives and dies at the whims of its batteries.

Marine battery deep cycle