Estimation of directional spectra from wave buoys for model validation

The new method is tested on a range of artificial test cases, and applied to data obtained from a wave buoy deployment off the New Zealand coast, in conjunction with outputs from a numerical spectral wave model simulation. It is shown that the method can provide satisfactory results in a wide range of conditions. Unlike existing approaches, the proposed method can accommodate sea states with more than two directional peaks, and can assist in removing spurious spectral energy arising from existing methods for estimating directional spectra from buoy data.