Price versus quality of batteries.....

On my Checkmate I was having problems with the deck lift running slow or not lifting at all, and the stereo's amps shutting off.
I was running 2 800CCA batteries in parallel.
I switched to a red optima and one of the other batteries as a switched reserve.
The sundeck lifted a lot faster and the amps did not shut down. 
The deck was getting heavier from absorbing some water and the stereo was a little over 2000 watts.
I think the optima has a larger surge capacity
They can be mounted anywhere and there is no worry about acid or vapors.

If all you need it for is starting a motor, don't spend the extra money.

Thanks for the responses! Do the Optima's last as long (longer??) than the others??

I installed 3 Optimas in my boat when I bought it in 2005 (1 for starting/accessories, 2 for the trolling motor) ....haven't taken them out yet.

I've never had an optima, every time I've asked sales people about them they have quietly said not to waste my money. And yes, they had them on the shelf. They didn't really say anything bad about them, just that they weren't worth the extra money. If you take care of your batteries they will last a long time. I keep mine on a maintainer over the winter, just make sure you check fluid levels. The big asset I could see with them is the fact that they are dry cells, supposed to be more resistant to vibration.