Boat Battery

[MalibuRyan]

Hey everyone!

Curious if anyone on here uses an Optima battery. If so, what model/item, and your thoughts. 
one of the 2 batteries on my 2012 Wakesetter VLX w/LSA is dead and looking to replace with Optima. 

Also, is the front most battery the “main”?

Thanks everyone!!

[Murphy8166]

I would not spend money on an optima battery.  The moved to Mexico years ago and quality has plumited.

Deka Marine AGMs are the best marine AGM in my experience.  Get a group 24 or 31.  If you can fit a group 31 - the dual purpose is an exceptional battery.  Their Marine Master Lead Acid are also great batteries.

I purchase a new Malibu each season and I choose to deliver Deka batteries to my dealer for our boat every season.  Batteries are made in Pennsylvania. I can get your part numbers if needed.

 

 

 

 

[MalibuRyan]

6 minutes ago, Murphy8166 said:

I would not spend money on an optima battery.  The moved to Mexico years ago and quality has plumited.

Deka Marine AGMs are the best marine AGM in my experience.  Get a group 24 or 31.  If you can fit a group 31 - the dual purpose is an exceptional battery.  Their Marine Master Lead Acid are also great batteries.

I purchase a new Malibu each season and I choose to deliver Deka batteries to my dealer for our boat every season.  Batteries are made in Pennsylvania. I can get your part numbers if needed.

Thanks for the info!!!! I actually won a free optima battery so looking to cash in on that and see what everyone, if any, are using.

Edited November 30, 2019 by MalibuRyan

[minnmarker]

Walmart deep cycle.   Lead acid is lead acid, no matter how much you pay.

[dlb]

I tried Optimas and saw money go down the drain.  More than one was replaced due to failure.

Lead acid from Walmart ever since.

Cheaper and Happier...!

[greybeaver]

10 minutes ago, dlb said:

I tried Optimas and saw money go down the drain.  More than one was replaced due to failure.

Lead acid from Walmart ever since.

Cheaper and Happier...!

YES.  Optima's quality is no where near what it used to be.

Costco batteries...have the best warranty.

The heavier the battery, the more lead  and the better battery.

[MLA]

22 hours ago, MalibuRyan said:

Hey everyone!

Curious if anyone on here uses an Optima battery. If so, what model/item, and your thoughts. 
one of the 2 batteries on my 2012 Wakesetter VLX w/LSA is dead and looking to replace with Optima. 

Also, is the front most battery the “main”?

Thanks everyone!!

Which battery, house or cranking? Is the "other" battery an AGM or wet cell? Are they separated by a dual bank battery switch? 

For  cranking battery, optima does offer a decent option CCA wise. House battery wise, they have the lowest Ah per dollar ratio. 

If you boat has a dual bank charger, you would need to have a charger that can accommodate two different types of batteries, or, have both banks fitted with the same type.  

[MalibuRyan]

On 11/30/2019 at 5:03 PM, MLA said:

Which battery, house or cranking? Is the "other" battery an AGM or wet cell? Are they separated by a dual bank battery switch? 

For  cranking battery, optima does offer a decent option CCA wise. House battery wise, they have the lowest Ah per dollar ratio. 

If you boat has a dual bank charger, you would need to have a charger that can accommodate two different types of batteries, or, have both banks fitted with the same type.  

Thanks for the info! See below for the current batteries I have. I am honestly not sure which battery is what(front/rear), excuse my ignorance. 

I won a free Optima battery and looking at the D34M Marine battery to replace one that I have, which is not holding the best charge. 

https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us/bluetop-dual-purpose-deep-cycle-and-starting/d34m

 

[granddaddy55]

Get rid of both of those old 24’s like I did and put in 2 new 27’s at least or 31’s 

I put in two Interstate 27 marine (not derp cycle ) and 2 new 27 boxes for $270 snd had to move one of the house battery cleats to accommodate bigger boxes and stereo needed it as my 24’s were trash when I installed system and def sounds better now 

had to cut slots in the taller boxes to accommodate 0 and 4 gauge stereo and house wires for good tight  level connections because 27 boxes are taller than 27 batteries by an inch

182 reserve minutes each 

we don’t cove much so I’ll be running them on batt switch all snd hope not to have to charge them  ever if I quit leaving the key on like I did with the 24’s, at least once a year killing their much smaller reserve minutes 

as long as you don’t dead the batteries hurting their reserve capacity by say leaving ignition key on when storing boat,  182 minutes is a lot of time without charge

if I want to cove I can put it on batt two  for almost 3 hours and still have the other to start ,  I could probably cove on both batts on All switch for almost 5 hours snd still start the boat 

replace them both with two large equal batteries ( guessing your audio system doesn’t need special combinations of deep cycle and starting )

 friend runs two non marine Napa 31’s on All batt switch all the time coving or running snd never goes dead or needs a charge in a fairly big system 

Can’t tell if  for sure but doesn’t look like you have a stereo isolated battery , so which is house batt or batt 2 shouldn’t really matter with your audio system or you would have more than the original 24’s in it

guessing you know you have a loose negative connection

Edited December 5, 2019 by granddaddy55

[MalibuRyan]

10 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

Get rid of both of those old 24’s like I did and put in 2 new 27’s at least or 31’s 

I put in two Interstate 27 marine (not derp cycle ) and 2 new 27 boxes for $270 snd had to move one of the house battery cleats to accommodate bigger boxes and stereo needed it as my 24’s were trash when I installed system and def sounds better now 

had to cut slots in the taller boxes to accommodate 0 and 4 gauge stereo and house wires for good tight  level connections because 27 boxes are taller than 27 batteries by an inch

182 reserve minutes each 

we don’t cove much so I’ll be running them on batt switch all snd hope not to have to charge them  ever if I quit leaving the key on like I did with the 24’s, at least once a year killing their much smaller reserve minutes 

as long as you don’t dead the batteries hurting their reserve capacity by say leaving ignition key on when storing boat,  182 minutes is a lot of time without charge

if I want to cove I can put it on batt two  for almost 3 hours and still have the other to start ,  I could probably cove on both batts on All switch for almost 5 hours snd still start the boat 

replace them both with two large equal batteries ( guessing your audio system doesn’t need special combinations of deep cycle and starting )

 friend runs two non marine Napa 31’s on All batt switch all the time coving or running snd never goes dead or needs a charge in a fairly big system 

Can’t tell if  for sure but doesn’t look like you have a stereo isolated battery , so which is house batt or batt 2 shouldn’t really matter with your audio system or you would have more than the original 24’s in it

guessing you know you have a loose negative connection

Thank you for the detailed response! Yes, I know the connection was loose as I started to loosen that first......it had been a long day. Since been tightened and removed the batteries while in storage. Where did you get the larger batteries and boxes? How hard was it to move the cleat?

Sounds like your application is more complex than mine. I'd say at the sand bar, would maybe run the system at most an couple hours while parked. Switch to one battery while doing that as to not drain both, and switch it back to both when starting.

[MLA]

2 hours ago, MalibuRyan said:

Switch to one battery while doing that as to not drain both, and switch it back to both when starting.

If those pics are of your boat, then ^^^ is not how your switch would be utilized. You have the OFF/ON/COMBINE switch paired with a voltage sensing relay. This means you have a dedicated cranking bank and dedicated house bank. 

[MalibuRyan]

4 minutes ago, MLA said:

If those pics are of your boat, then ^^^ is not how your switch would be utilized. You have the OFF/ON/COMBINE switch paired with a voltage sensing relay. This means you have a dedicated cranking bank and dedicated house bank. 

Yes, that is my boat and current set up. Again, excuse my ignorance, I have not spent much time familiarizing myself with this two battery operation. 

Thus bringing me here for questions and answers. I appreciate all of your input. 

[granddaddy55]

No you have the same basic set up

and @MLA is right,  which battery is which (near probably house,  far is cranking) but you can tell by tracing your stereo and boat power wires 

yours is more complex with 3 amps but really underwhelming with the two 24’

any week battery on Both/All or 1or2 will start boat but 24’s don’t have good reserve  minutes, 182 is quite good ,  you’ll get more from deep  cycle as @MLA suggested as nd coukd get that cheap from Walmart as he suggested 

moving the cleat was easy snd if the new rear box is no longer flush with floor after moving cleat to left (mine was flush  ) the box takes care of that 

If I can do it, you can ,  this is the easy stuff to do ,  I was paranoid I was going through bottom of boat with screw but that floor in coffin is not bottom of boat, I doubt yours is any diff snd the original anchor screws weren’t a problem so moving it a couple inches won’t be an issue

bought straight from local  Interstate franchise that supplies the retailers and boat shops ,  local dealership quoted 127 through Interstate and then I called them direct and got 111 (cost price to dealer I think) snd when I showed to buy them she honored it but told me it would have been 128,   bought boxes from dealership for $13 a piece  , total with tax around $270

price one thru dealer and then Interstate snd then make an offer for purchasing two to get my price if you want Interstate 

 

Edited December 6, 2019 by granddaddy55