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Typical seasonal uses for Personal Watercraft (PWC) expose them to a variety of harsh conditions, such as direct contact with salt water, ocean debris and marine life, high vibration and shock, and extreme temperatures that can affect their performance and service life if not maintained properly. Like most other components in the vehicle, the batteries are critical to operation and must be durable enough to withstand these challenging surroundings. Additionally, these particular powersports applications are often used on a seasonal basis. Intermittent use and the equipment sitting idle can also affect the performance of the battery.
As a rule of thumb, it is encouraged to keep the battery connected to a charger when not in use. Most watercraft applications do not use an alternator, but rather a stator. Stators generally are minimized to provide basic recharge and general operational performance and to avoid reducing the performance of the vehicle. Thus, they are known to not fully charge the battery during some types of activities. Therefore, keeping the battery on a charger/maintainer is a good practice with a PWC to prevent sulfation.
Maintenance of PWC is critical to ensure its performance and longevity. The battery should be fully charged whenever you run your PWC. All battery connections should be clean, tightened and intact. When using a charger, it is important not to overcharge the battery, and its best to avoid jumpstarting from running vehicles. Always be sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for battery care and handling and direct any questions to your battery professional.
Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries offer the benefits of a spill-proof design with a tight seal to provide a virtually maintenance-free power solution for PWC applications. AGM ODYSSEY® batteries take this manufacturing concept to the next level with the addition of proprietary Thin Plate Pure Lead (TPPL) technology, which can help handle the low states of charge that are common with irregularly used watercraft vehicles. Pure lead plates can be made thinner, so more fit in the same battery footprint for greater active surface area, which delivers double to triple the cranking power of equally sized conventional lead acid batteries.
Other advantages of TPPL technology in ODYSSEY® batteries include slower rates of self-discharge than alternative AGM batteries, which give them a shelf life of up to two years (three times that of conventional lead acid batteries) before they need recharging. They can also quickly recharge to 100 percent and are designed for 400 charge/recharge cycles at 80 percent Depth of Discharge (DOD).
This year, EnerSys® marks 25 years of ODYSSEY® battery production. To follow the ODYSSEY® battery 25th Anniversary journey, visit our website at www.odysseybattery.com or connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook by using the hashtag #MYODYSSEY.
ABOUT ENERSYS®
EnerSys, the global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, manufactures and distributes energy systems solutions and motive power batteries, specialty batteries, battery chargers, power equipment, battery accessories and outdoor equipment enclosure solutions to customers worldwide. Energy Systems, which combine enclosures, power conversion, power distribution and energy storage, are used in the telecommunication, broadband and utility industries, uninterruptible power supplies and numerous applications. Motive power batteries and chargers are utilized in electric forklift trucks and other industrial electric powered vehicles requiring stored energy solutions. Specialty batteries are used in aerospace and defense applications, large over-the-road trucks, premium automotive, medical and security systems applications. EnerSys also provides aftermarket and customer support services to its customers in over 100 countries through its sales and manufacturing locations around the world. With the recent NorthStar acquisition, EnerSys has solidified its position as the market leader for premium Thin Plate Pure Lead batteries, which are sold across all three lines of business. More information regarding EnerSys can be found at www.enersys.com.