Exhibit 99.1

[West Marine Logo]

Contact: West Marine, Inc.

Tom Moran, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(831) 761-4229

WEST MARINE REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2008

OPERATING RESULTS

WATSONVILLE, CA, April 30, 2008—West Marine, Inc. (Nasdaq: WMAR) today released preliminary unaudited operating results for the first quarter of 2008.

Pre-tax net loss for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2008 was $25.4 million, or ($0.81) per share after-tax, compared to a pre-tax loss of $18.4 million, or ($0.53) per share after-tax last year.

Net sales for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2008 were $113.3 million, compared to net sales of $125.8 million for the thirteen weeks ended March 31, 2007. Comparable store sales for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2008 decreased 9.4% compared to the same period a year ago.

Gross profit for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2008 was $22.5 million, a decrease of $4.6 million compared to the same period last year. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 19.9%, a decrease of 160 basis points compared to 21.5% last year. Due to their relatively fixed nature, occupancy expenses as a percentage of net sales increased by almost 200 basis points on the declining sales, driving this reduction in gross profit percentage. Product margins improved slightly year-over-year.

Selling, general and administrative expense for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2008 was $46.8 million, an increase of $2.8 million compared to $44.1 million for the same period last year. The increase primarily was attributable to expenses associated with the ongoing SEC investigation of $1.6 million, higher marketing expenditures of $0.9 million which reflected a change in timing, and foreign exchange losses with an impact of $0.6 million. For the first quarter of 2008, selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of net sales was 41.4% compared to 35.0% last year. Interest expense was $0.8 million for the first quarter of 2008, down from $1.4 million last year due to reduced debt levels and lower interest rates.

As of March 29, 2008, long-term debt was $89.0 million, which is down $6.6 million, or 6.9%, from this time last year, and is down 40.0% from the same period two years ago.

Geoff Eisenberg, Chief Executive Officer of West Marine, commented, “Our operating results were mostly in line with our internal expectations, reflective of market softness and weak sales previously announced for the first quarter. While we’ve always experienced a loss in the first quarter, we have taken significant steps to ensure that West Marine remains very strong financially during this current industry downturn. We believe that our present inventory position, our reduced capital spending plan, and our roughly $100 million credit availability will allow us to make appropriate strategic investments and weather current market challenges.

The boating season in North America is just starting to move into high gear, and while we don’t see a dramatic turnaround in customer activity, we are pleased to see a recent slight improvement in sales compared to first quarter results. We remain cautiously optimistic and believe excellent execution of our key strategic initiatives will position West Marine very well for the future.”

WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL

As previously announced, West Marine will hold a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 8:30 AM Pacific Time to discuss first quarter 2008 results. The live call will be webcast and available in real time on the Internet at www.westmarine.com in the “Investor Relations” section. The earnings release will also be posted on the Internet at www.westmarine.com in the “Press Releases” section on the Investor Relations page. Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site and download the streaming media software required to listen to the Internet broadcast.

Interested parties can also connect to the conference call by dialing (888) 756-1546 in the U.S. and Canada and (706) 634-1083 for international calls. Please be prepared to give the conference ID number 44553358. The call leader is Geoff Eisenberg, West Marine’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

An audio replay of the call will be available April 30, 2008 at 11:30 AM Pacific Time through May 7, 2008 at 8:59 PM Pacific Time. The replay number is (800) 642-1687 in the U.S. and Canada and (706) 645-9291 for international calls. The access code is 44553358.

ABOUT WEST MARINE

West Marine, the country’s largest specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories, has 370 stores located in 38 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Our catalog and Internet channels offer customers approximately 80,000 products and the convenience of exchanging catalog and Internet purchases at our store locations. Our Port Supply division is one of the country’s largest wholesale distributors of marine equipment serving boat manufacturers, marine services, commercial vessel operators and government agencies. For more information on West Marine’s products and store locations, or to start shopping, visit www.westmarine.com or call 1-800-BOATING (1-800-262-8464).

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 including forward-looking statements concerning earnings expectations and statements that are predictive or express expectations that depend on future events or conditions that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements that relate to West Marine’s earnings expectations, as well as facts and assumptions underlying these expectations. Actual results may differ materially from the preliminary expectations expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements due

to various risks, uncertainties or other factors, including our ability to manage inventory and operating expenses, including legal and administrative costs related to our restatements of prior years’ earnings, continued market softness and unseasonably cold weather or natural disasters, as well as the other factors set forth in West Marine’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2007. Except as required by applicable law, West Marine assumes no responsibility to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

West Marine, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited and in thousands, except share data)

	March 29, 2008			As Restated (1) March 31, 2007
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash	$	12,044		$	10,493
Trade receivables, net		8,113			7,708
Merchandise inventories		286,899			279,500
Deferred income taxes		8,046			9,209
Other current assets		27,784			30,368
Total current assets		342,886			337,278
Property and equipment, net		66,778			68,907
Goodwill		—			56,905
Intangibles		182			220
Other assets		9,692			4,049
Total assets	$	419,538		$	467,359
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	68,559		$	57,713
Accrued expenses		46,040			46,255
Total current liabilities		114,599			103,968
Long-term debt		88,954			95,553
Deferred items and other non-current liabilities		8,560			9,256
Total liabilities		212,113			208,777
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $.001 par value: 1,000,000 shares authorized; no shares outstanding		—			—
Common stock, $.001 par value: 50,000,000 shares authorized; 21,917,348 shares issued and 21,893,745 shares outstanding at March 29, 2008, and 21,731,951 shares issued and 21,712,795 shares outstanding at March 31, 2007		22			22
Treasury stock		(348	)		(282	)
Additional paid-in capital		171,389			166,200
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)		(154	)		(159	)
Retained earnings		36,516			92,801
Total stockholders’ equity		207,425			258,582
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	419,538		$	467,359

(1) Amounts for the first quarter of 2007 reflect the restatement adjustments previously discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2007. Such corrections and related disclosures will be included in our Form 10-Q for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2008 expected to be filed on or before May 8, 2008.

West Marine, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited and in thousands, except per share amounts)

	13 Weeks Ended
	March 29, 2008					As Restated (1) March 31, 2007
Net sales	$	113,263		100.0	%	$	125,783		100.0	%
Cost of goods sold		90,778		80.1	%		98,693		78.5	%
Gross profit		22,485		19.9	%		27,090		21.5	%
Selling, general and administrative expense		46,821		41.4	%		44,055		35.0	%
Impairment of long-lived assets		266		0.2	%		0		0.0	%
Loss from operations		(24,602	)	-21.7	%		(16,965	)	-13.5	%
Interest expense		846		0.8	%		1,423		1.1	%
Loss before income taxes		(25,448	)	-22.5	%		(18,388	)	-14.6	%
Benefit from income taxes		(7,787	)	-6.9	%		(7,036	)	-5.6	%
Net loss	$	(17,661	)	-15.6	%	$	(11,352	)	-9.0	%
Net loss per common and common equivalent share - basic and diluted	$	(0.81	)			$	(0.53	)
Weighted average common and common equivalent shares outstanding - basic and diluted		21,894					21,596

(1) Amounts for the first quarter of 2007 reflect the restatement adjustments previously discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2007. Such corrections and related disclosures will be included in our Form 10-Q for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2008 expected to be filed on or before May 8, 2008.

West Marine, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited and in thousands)

	13 Weeks Ended
	March 29, 2008			As Restated (1) March 31, 2007
Operating activities:
Net loss	$	(17,661	)	$	(11,352	)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization		4,725			5,073
Impairment - long-lived assets		266			—
Share-based compensation		418			336
Tax (expense) benefit from equity issuance		(18	)		311
Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation		—			(312	)
Provision for deferred income taxes		31			410
Provision for doubtful accounts		72			16
Lower of cost or market inventory adjustments		876			1,390
Loss on asset disposals		63			17
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable		(1,481	)		(2,011	)
Merchandise inventories		(39,468	)		(27,827	)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		(6,315	)		(6,670	)
Other assets		424			(46	)
Accounts payable		33,698			19,304
Accrued expenses		(1,736	)		564
Deferred items and other non-current liabilities		(2	)		696
Net cash used in operating activities		(26,108	)		(20,101	)
Investing activities:
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment		—			194
Purchases of property and equipment		(4,629	)		(3,582	)
Net cash used in investing activities		(4,629	)		(3,388	)
Financing activities:
Borrowings on line of credit		44,989			40,966
Repayments on line of credit		(8,335	)		(14,440	)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		1			921
Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation		—			312
Net cash provided by financing activities		36,655			27,759
Net increase (decrease) in cash		5,918			4,270
Cash:
Beginning of period		6,126			6,223
End of period	$	12,044		$	10,493

(1) Amounts for the first quarter of 2007 reflect the restatement adjustments previously discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2007. Such corrections and related disclosures will be included in our Form 10-Q for the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2008 expected to be filed on or before May 8, 2008.