Trolling battery for inflatable boat?

I have an inflatable boat, Seahawk II, with a 30lb thrust Minn Kota and am trying to select the best option that makes good economic sense. I bought the boat setup to be portable and cheap and now it is down to the battery, It looks like about 100+ amp/hrs would be good to me.



It seems the wet cell (lead acids) are the cheapest, I figure if I put it in a battery case it will run me about $145 and should be safe if I am careful.



The AGM battery seems to offer benefits of fully enclosed (no acid spills on an inflatable sounds good) and if I bring it towards a zero charge it can handle the abuse better than wet cell. However the battery alone seems to be over $200.



What details am I missing? Can someone with marine battery knowledge give me advice for this situation?Trolling battery for inflatable boat?
Use a wet cell no real problems. You MUST get a deep discharge batt or it will be ruined after a few uses, or get a good guaranteed, say its in your car(only) and exchange it often.Trolling battery for inflatable boat?
For your situation I'd go with the GelCell battery. It's safer for you. You'll never need to worry whether it tipped over, upside down or any way. This is a problem that happens with inflatables. Batteries get tossed around a bit since they sit freely. AGM's are a good secondary choice. Yes, they cost more, but you're buying safety and not just a battery too.Trolling battery for inflatable boat?
facts-



Required reading for 12 volt batteries Shows the difference between a deep cycle and a marine, and how these are commonly confused and/or linked together http://www.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/12volt/鈥?/a>





Here is a link to a previous post http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;鈥?/a>



As you can see, there is some debate on charging. there really shouldn't be. most posters apparently have never seen a hydrometer http://www.jcwhitney.com/jcwhitney/texts鈥?/a>





Here is how to use one http://www.ehow.com/how_5011069_use-hydr鈥?/a>



Here is the difference between wet cell batteries http://windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ鈥?/a> Starting, Marine, and Deep-Cycle Batteries



now you might have a better idea what to buy. Get the best you can afford. I suggest a true deep cycle battery, but the smallest group possible. I'm assuming you have a transom of some sort for your motor, and 8 ft is good size, possible a sit on top? Neat. If you have to make a battery holder, be mindful of the exposed terminals.



The reason that I gave you all of this information is to help you make the best choice for your hard earned money. also, with proper maintenence you can get the most out of the least amount of money and weight.

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