Abstract Cost of energy is a critical factor to the success of Wave Energy Converters (WEC), in order for wave energy converters to compete with other forms of renewable and fossil-fuelled power generation. Essentially, the energy converted into electricity by a WEC is a function of the resource the converter is placed in, the converter's prime mover, and the converter's power take- off system. This is a dynamic system and changes to one aspect can have a significant influence on another. Kinematics and kinetics are fundamental in fluid-structure interaction and design for optimizing wave energy camture performance, as well as loadings for mooring and structural analysis. The following analysis domains are covered in this paper:physical description of variables affecting wave energy capyure performancethe kinematics of wave energy converter motion, i.e. the geometrical aspects of motion (variables, reference frames and transformations,the kinetics of wave energy converter motion, i.e. the study of the forces acting on the wave energy converter and the motion they produce,combining the wave energy converter kinematics and kinetics to obtain a dynamic model and 5) description of numerical solution method. The paper presents the mathematical formulation with numerical method which can be used together with laboratory testing of a WEC. The combination of numerical computations and laboratory testing can be used to produce results to predict how the WEC responds to real wave conditions.