Any decent VHF handhelds under $100?

Newbie here with limited funds to throw at my first trip.  Reviews of cheap VHF units are all over the place.  Anyone have a recommendation for one that is well suited for our purposes?

Your life can depend on your VHF radio.   Cheap is not the way to go. Get a good one that will last you years.
Icom or Standard Horizon brands make good units. I personally own Standard Horizon HX300 and Icom M24.
They float and are not bulky.  I've accidentally dropped them over board and floated up so I got them back.

How about 99$?    http://www.westmarine.com/buy/standard-horizon--hx150-floating-handheld-vhf-radio--14272991

Thanks so much guys!  I just ordered the HX150 via Amazon.  Turns out I had some AmEx rewards points to spend so this radio ended up costing me just 30 dollars.  This was the last thing on my list of necessary equipment for my first trip.  Wahoo!

The Standard Horizon is a good radio you can't beat for the price.

Icom & Standard Horizon seem to be the better of the brands.  Yes, some of the cheap ones look attractive & they do have their place such as a spare or loaner radio when taking a buddy out who you know will always be a rod lengths away from you all the time.  Those type of situations.  As far as situations where I may not be able to see another boater or kayaker, I want to trust in a good radio. 

This is what I've been using for over a year.  http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Electronics-MRHH125-Waterproof-Handheld/dp/B00126K8BM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436681801&sr=8-1&keywords=vhf+radio

 1-3 Watts just doesn't' sound like it would cut it for me.  If i'm going to be signaling for assistance I want at least 5w since many spots I fish are many many miles from any forms of rescue.

1 watt range is great for hailing a boat within your fleet (basically, a "yells" distance away) or within a harbor area.  Focus on 5 or 6 watts with the option to drop down to 1 watt (which most 5 watt radios have/do).

Icom & Standard Horizon seem to be the better of the brands.  Yes, some of the cheap ones look attractive & they do have their place such as a spare or loaner radio when taking a buddy out who you know will always be a rod lengths away from you all the time.  Those type of situations.  As far as situations where I may not be able to see another boater or kayaker, I want to trust in a good radio.

As a Lowrance rep, I don't understand why you don't mention the Lowrance Link-2.

Icom & Standard Horizon seem to be the better of the brands.  Yes, some of the cheap ones look attractive & they do have their place such as a spare or loaner radio when taking a buddy out who you know will always be a rod lengths away from you all the time.  Those type of situations.  As far as situations where I may not be able to see another boater or kayaker, I want to trust in a good radio.

As a Lowrance rep, I don't understand why you don't mention the Lowrance Link-2.

Nothing wrong with the Link 2.  For the sake of 'choices', Icom & Standard Horizon offer a larger selection.  Lowrance offers only 1 handheld, the Link-2, for those that like to stick with 1 brand throughout their purchasing (aka. "making it all match")  I will admit, I have minimal hands-on experience with the Lowrance handheld VHF radio.

I also had the requirements for being under $100,  I agree that 3 watts is less power but has met the requirements for what I've been using it for.  The documentation say up to 27 mile range.  If I get 1/3 the range that is more than sufficient.

http://www.buytwowayradios.com/products/cobra/cobra-mr-hh125.aspx

FishingForTheCure, I like the Link-2 for the fact that if I push the "panic" button, the Coast Guard automatically knows my position as well as who and what they are looking for.

It's a great unit from what I've learned & seen about it.

Props to you El Bandito for getting the necessary safety gear before heading out on your first outting! I would recommend learning how to use the radio at home before going out like whats on each channel, programming some channels to your scan memory, what not to do on the radio and most importantly how to correctly make a distress call..