The present work is the first attempt to methodologically assess the wave power prospects off the coast of Lebanon. Working around 1.5 years of buoy data, measurements for the significant wave height and wave period were inputted to establish a joint frequency table that was related to power matrixes of three selected wave energy converters. The spatial and temporal representability of the analysis was extended through assessing altimeter data of H-s over 20 years and for three points off the coast of Lebanon; southern Lebanon, buoy location off the coast of Beirut, and northern Lebanon. The altimeter data indicated that H-s values as measured through the buoy is within 1 standard deviation of the offshore regional mean, however adopting the regional mean value of H-s would more than double the potential power from waves from 4.6 kW/m to 9.8 kW/m. This puts the wave resources in the lower end of what is 'technically viable' and therefore it can be concluded that, given the current state of technology, wave power cannot contribute to the 12% target of renewable energy in the Lebanese energy mix by 2020. A re-evaluation of the wave power prospects post-2020, based on an actual and more robust data collection system, is recommended. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.