A portable marine watermaker, also called a portable desalinator, makes fresh water from seawater without a permanent installation. Choose one by daily water demand, available power, weight and how often you will move it between your boat, vehicle or camp.
For LEDI's portable range, compare Scout and Nomad side by side. Scout offers 10 or 20 L/h on 12V; Nomad offers 40, 60 or 80 L/h with model-specific power requirements. For an installed boat system, see our boat watermaker buying guide.
Portable watermaker prices and the main differences
- Scout 10: approximately 10 L/h, 12V DC and 18 kg; $4,899 AUD including GST.
- Scout 20: approximately 20 L/h at the recommended 750 PSI, 12V DC and 18 kg; $5,799 AUD including GST.
- Nomad: 40, 60 or 80 L/h, 12V or 24V depending on configuration, and approximately 50 kg; from $9,899 AUD including GST.
Prices checked 12 October 2026, excluding shipping. Output varies with feed-water temperature and salinity. Check current Scout 10 and 20 L/h watermaker and Nomad 40–80 L/h watermaker options before ordering. Nomad is transportable, but its weight requires a suitable lifting and placement plan.
What a Portable Watermaker Desalinator Actually Does
A portable watermaker forces raw water, seawater, brackish water, or river water, through a semi-permeable reverse osmosis (RO) membrane at high pressure. The membrane passes clean water molecules through while blocking dissolved salts, bacteria, and most other contaminants. The concentrated brine is discharged overboard or to waste, and you collect safe, fresh drinking water on the output side.
The key word is portable. Unlike a fixed below-deck unit, a portable system requires no installation. You place it where you need it, connect a hose to the water source, run the output to a tank or container, switch it on, and make water. When you are done, you pack it away or move it to your next location.
That simplicity is exactly why portable desalinators have become so popular with Australian sailors, off-grid travellers, and remote-area workers over the last decade. There is nothing bolted in, no plumber required, and the same unit can go from your catamaran to your 4WD to a remote property without modification.
The Output Question: How Much Water Do You Need?
Output, measured in litres per hour (LPH), is the number that most directly determines which unit you need. Get this wrong and you either buy more machine than you need, or you find yourself running your watermaker for impractical lengths of time every day.
A rough guide for planning:
- Drinking and cooking only: roughly 3 to 5 litres per person per day at sea
- Drinking, cooking and basic washing: 8 to 15 litres per person per day
- Showers and full domestic use: 20 to 40 litres per person per day or more
For a crew of two on a coastal passage making conservative use of water, a 10 or 20 LPH system run for an hour or two each day is often sufficient. For liveaboards, charter boats or larger crews expecting creature comforts, you need to step up considerably. Our article on how much water you actually need goes into the maths in more detail.
Matching the Right Unit to the Right Use
LEDI makes three distinct systems, each aimed at a genuinely different type of user. Here is how to think about which one fits your situation.
The LEDI Scout: portable, solar-friendly, no install
The LEDI Scout is the unit that most people asking about portable watermaker desalinators actually need. It is a self-contained 12V DC system available in 10 LPH or 20 LPH output. The unit weighs approximately 18 kg; check lifting suitability and stowage access, and setup takes minutes: drop the stainless intake over the side, connect the supplied hoses, and switch on. No drilling, no installation, no plumber.
Scout runs on 12V DC with a typical combined draw of 16–18 A for the high-pressure and feed pumps. A two-hour run uses approximately 32–36 Ah before charging. The unit includes a UV steriliser and is rated for product-water TDS below 500 ppm. Follow the operating manual and check output quality during use.
The Scout handles seawater up to 35,000 ppm as well as brackish water and river water, making it equally useful for coastal passages, inland camping, and remote properties. It is manufactured on the Gold Coast using a Pumptec 107SS high-pressure pump (made in the USA) and 316 stainless steel components. Pricing starts from $4,899 AUD including GST, excluding shipping.
The Scout suits: trailer sailers and cruising yachts 20 to 50 feet, catamarans, smaller crews, campers and 4WD travellers, and anyone who wants to move the unit between vessels or locations.
The LEDI Nomad: higher output for bigger crews
The LEDI Nomad is designed for higher daily water demand. Choose 40, 60 or 80 L/h; power is 12V or 24V depending on the configuration, with 80 L/h on 24V and custom options available by enquiry. It includes integrated controls, pressure gauges, TDS monitoring and a flow meter. At approximately 50 kg (46–52 kg dry), it needs a planned lifting and placement arrangement.
Nomad suits larger crews, longer passages and off-grid setups that need more daily water. Pricing starts at $9,899 AUD including GST, excluding shipping. View current Nomad configurations or ask the team to match a unit to your water and power requirements.
The LEDI Modular: when you want it out of sight
LEDI Modular permanently installed watermakers separate the pump, filter and membrane components for a permanent, plumbed installation. They suit refits, new builds and layouts where one self-contained unit will not fit. Output, voltage, controls and pricing depend on the selected configuration; request a complete installation quote.
Power: the Detail Most People Overlook
Size power from the full daily run time. At the stated 16–18 A draw, Scout uses approximately 16–18 Ah in one hour or 32–36 Ah in two hours, before charging. Add your fridge, lights and other loads to the same budget.
A suitable 12V battery supply can run Scout without a generator. Solar may support charging, but its actual yield depends on sunlight, shading and system losses. Check usable battery capacity and charging under the conditions you expect. Our small-yacht power and sizing guide includes a worked example.
What Does a Portable Watermaker Desalinator Cost in Australia?
This is a question worth answering honestly. The LEDI Scout starts from $4,899 AUD including GST, excluding shipping. That figure sounds significant against cheaper filter-based options, but the comparison is not like-for-like: a filter purifier cannot remove dissolved salts from seawater, which means it simply cannot replace a watermaker for marine use.
Compare the complete cost: the unit, any mounting and plumbing, electrical work, accessories, freight and ongoing consumables. A portable unit avoids a permanent watermaker installation, but still needs a suitable electrical supply and a safe place to operate. An installed system may better suit a boat with dedicated space and larger daily demand.
Budget for pre-filter cartridges, membrane care and storage chemicals, plus servicing when required. Replacement intervals depend on operating hours, feed-water quality and care. See the current spare-parts and consumables range for compatible items and current prices, and follow your unit manual for maintenance.
For a fuller breakdown of what watermakers cost across the market, see our article on how much a watermaker costs in Australia.
What Maintenance Does a Portable Desalinator Need?
Portable watermakers are not maintenance-free, and any seller who tells you otherwise is being misleading. The practical requirements for the Scout are:
- Pre-filter changes: the 5-micron cartridge needs replacing based on your source water quality and hours of use. In clean coastal water this might be every few weeks of heavy use.
- Freshwater flushing: when the unit is not being used for more than a few days, flushing the membrane with fresh water prevents biological growth. This takes a few minutes.
- Membrane pickling: for longer storage, the membrane needs to be preserved with a food-safe biocide solution to prevent biological fouling. LEDI's maintenance chemicals cover this.
Every part that wears is individually replaceable. There is no need to return the whole unit for a service unless you want to. LEDI offers lifetime in-house servicing on the Gold Coast, and the 1-year warranty extends to 2 years when you register your unit after purchase.
Portable vs Fixed: When Portable Actually Wins
Fixed watermakers have their place, particularly on larger vessels with dedicated space and the electrical infrastructure to support them. But for a meaningful proportion of Australian sailors, the portable option is genuinely the better choice, not just a budget compromise.
The practical advantages of a portable desalinator include no installation cost, no loss of locker space to a permanent installation, the ability to move the unit between boats or use it off the boat entirely, simpler fault-finding when something goes wrong, and no need to replumb when you change vessels. If you want to weigh this up more carefully, our article on portable vs installed watermakers lays out both sides without a sales angle.
Choose your next step
- For a compact portable setup, view Scout 10 and 20 L/h specifications and prices.
- For higher daily water demand, compare Nomad 40, 60 and 80 L/h configurations.
- For a permanent installation, explore the Modular watermaker range.
To confirm the fit, request a recommendation for your boat or off-grid setup. Tell us your daily litres, available run time, battery system and how you will lift and stow the unit.
If you know what output you need and how you plan to use your watermaker, the choice between the Scout, Nomad and Modular is usually straightforward. If you are not sure, the LEDI team is happy to talk through your situation and give you an honest recommendation, including suggesting a competitor if they genuinely suit your needs better.
Call +61 494 562 668, email info@ledi.com.au, or browse the full product range at lediwatermaker.com. You will speak to a real person, not a call centre.
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