Skipper is our new AI-powered boat parts finder and boating gear shopping assistant, designed to bring the expertise of our best in-store associates and the depth of West Advisor to every online experience. Whether you’re planning your next fishing trip, searching for boat parts or learning to tackle a new project—Skipper is here to guide you like a pro through it all.
What Skipper Knows
Every expert tip from West Advisor—all of the articles, guides, and best practices that have helped boaters, sailors and anglers for decades. Skipper integrates this knowledge into its boat parts finder and marine search tools, giving you smarter recommendations.
Everything the internet knows about boating. Skipper’s training includes extensive data from across the web so it can connect context like your location, your boat type, fish species in your area and more to guide you to the right gear.
Everything our best in-store associates know—Skipper has been trained using insights from our in-store experts where it was first piloted, so it understands your needs, our boat parts catalog, and what’s available in real-time across all our marine parts finder tools.
How to Activate Skipper
1. Type in any search term or question in the search bar
2. Click on the blue Skipper button
3. Get the products or advice you need
How to Get the Best Results
When you ask Skipper a question, it won’t just show products—it will guide you toward the right boat parts or DIY advice for your specific needs. Skipper acts as your personal parts finder, prop selector, and boating gear search assistant all in one.
Here are some example questions you can ask Skipper:
“I’d like to go fishing and am a beginner. What do I need to buy?”
“What should I know when buying a fish finder?”
“How do I choose a wakeboard size and shape?”
“How can I get internet for my boat? Compare the options for me.”
“What should I consider when selecting an anchor? Show me some options for my 30-foot boat.”
“Help me find replacement boat parts for my outboard motor.”
“Use the prop selector to match the best propeller for my engine.”
Skipper will ask clarifying questions to refine your search across boat and engine parts, boat accessories and boat repair tools. For example, “Are you fishing in saltwater or freshwater?”. The more you share about your trip, your boat, or your goals, the more accurate Skipper’s recommendations become. So feel free to “say more” to help Skipper deliver precise parts finder results and tailored product comparisons.”
About Skipper’s Technology & Accuracy
Skipper is a large-language model (LLM), the same type of technology used in the most advanced AI assistants today. Its intelligent framework powers an integrated marine parts finder, boat parts search system and prop selector tool that make marine shopping effortless. While Skipper is highly accurate, it may occasionally suggest a product that’s not the perfect match for specialized needs. Enter, our fine humans. We advise our customers to trust Skipper’s recommendations, but in scenarios where the product needs to meet exact requirements, contact support via our help center to verify the product prior to purchase. We are here to help you.
We are confident this experience will address significant gaps in our digital experience, providing customers with conversational expert support across all boat parts, marine accessories, and parts finder tools.