Maximum entropy estimation of the directional distribution in ocean wave spectra

A general maximum entropy estimate for the directional distribution of the directional wave spectrum is introduced. The estimate appears to be superior to conventional methods, including maximum likelihood methods, when applied to data from a heave/pitch/roll buoy. The simplicity of the estimate makes it easy to apply when an expression for the directional distribution rather than its moments is sought. The estimate is illustrated with wave data from the Norwegian Sea.