"Wave climate synthesis” can, in this context, be regarded as the process of translating primary source data from meteorological and oceanographic agencies into models of wave climate suitable for engineering applications. .

Broadly, the term relates to methods for deriving wave statistics from wind statistics – important in many practical cases when only wind statistics are available and where wave data exists but covers an insufficient number of years to provide a reliable basis for defining the long-term climate and estimating the corresponding extreme conditions..

The term is also used to describe various techniques for translating existing stocks of simple wave or wind statistics into relatively sophisticated models of wave climate..

The paper will review the primary sources of data and describe some of the methods of analysing them to meet engineering requirements..

The subject matter of the presentation and of subsequent discussions should be of interest to engineering users of wave climate data – the offshore industry and related civil engineering interests, the shipping industry and the wave power community – as well as to meterological and oceanographic sectors..