High-Quality Marine Batteries & Boat Batteries

Selecting the correct marine battery is crucial since your safety depends on it while on the water. When it comes to marine batteries, there are generally three choices to choose from depending on your application:

Marine Starting Batteries are solely for starting the boat’s gas-powered engine. These batteries have thinner lead plates within the battery to output short bursts of energy needed to start the engine. These batteries are only meant for cranking purposes as their thinner lead plates do not tolerate constant discharge and charge cycles like a deep cycle battery, nor would they be recommended for running accessories when the engine is not running.

Deep Cycle Batteries are meant for frequent discharge and recharge cycles. These batteries have thicker lead plates where the amperage capacity is stored. The thicker lead plates allow them to release lower amounts of energy over extended periods without causing the plates to warp like a starting battery would if deep cycled. Deep cycle batteries are often used to power accessories like a fish finder, GPS, or a trolling motor.

However, the tradeoff to having thicker lead plates means the battery cannot output high, short bursts of energy like a starting battery. Deep cycle batteries are the best battery you can choose when the battery's sole purpose is to run boat accessories and/or trolling motors.

Dual Purpose Batteries are batteries that offer both a cranking rating and deep cycle rating. These batteries are popular if you only have room for a single battery and need to start the gas engine but run accessories such as a fish finder or trolling motor.

These batteries play the middle ground where they may not have as high of cranking power or capacity as their starting or deep cycle-only counterparts. However, these are the best batteries for those with only room for one battery and need both cranking power and deep cycle capabilities.

In general, a deep cycle battery is meant for cycle use with frequent discharge and charge cycles. If you plan to run accessories like a trolling motor that puts a high constant amp draw to the battery, then a deep cycle battery would be recommended.

If you plan on only using the battery to start the gas engine and power accessories while the engine is running, then a marine starting battery is all you will need.

Lastly, if you plan on running accessories while the engine is off and want engine starting capabilities, we recommend a dual-purpose battery or a deep cycle battery rated for engine starting, such as our Lifeline deep cycle batteries.

A deep cycle battery has thicker lead plates designed for frequent discharge and charge cycles. They are primarily used to run trolling motors, fish finders, and navigational equipment such as a GPS when the engine is off.

A regular battery, assuming you are referring to a starting battery, has thinner lead plates meant for outputting short bursts of energy. These batteries are designed for starting purposes and cannot handle deep cycling because their thinner lead plates would warp, leading to premature failure.

A marine battery is made to handle more tasks than your regular car battery. Most marine batteries will typically have thicker lead plates, which increase the battery's capacity. They are also more vibration-resistant, with internal components designed to keep the lead plates secured from short-circuiting.