VHF Radio Wattage

Just starting to get my gear purchased and have a question about wattage strength for the VHF handhelds and what is  recommended?  Obviously they all come in 1 watt but some go to 3 watts and some to 5 watts.  What is the recommended peak wattage people are using?????

When I was looking at them it seemed that 5 watts was like the average.  There are a couple that go to 6 watts.  I guess the more the better.  One thing to consider is, if the unit comes with the capability of hooking up a speaker microphone that you can clip on near your chin.  If you are talking a lot on this (or telling lies to other tourney buddies) you will get tired of pulling it out of your PFD pocket all the time.  I have two 5 watters- a Standard Horizon and an I-com.  Both have worked well.---Jeff

the more the better although the higher the watts the more power it uses keep it turned down on 1 or 3 watts while in stand by and talking close short distance's butt you have the option to turn up the watts up to 5 or 6 to save your back side if needed good luck it 

VHF handhelds also offer many of the same features found on fixed-mount units. One advantage is the portability of a handheld such as that of a cordless phone. They may be just perfect for a dinghy or a small boat without its own electrical system. Handheld VHF radios do have a limited range of five miles due to their short antennas. They also have a maximum output of six watts. Connecting an external antenna or using a telescoping antenna can achieve a significant increase in range.

Battery life on hand helds vary with the size of the battery pack. Many models have optional battery packs with longer operating times, or greater transmitting power, or both. Some have battery saver circuits that turn off the receiver to save power. The battery life of a handheld can be increased by switching from full transmit power to one watt of transmit power. Options of different kinds of batteries range from Ni-Cd to alkaline to lithium.