  To accurately predict the consequences of nearshore waves, coastal engineers
often employ numerical models. A variety of these models, broadly classified as
either phase-resolving or phase-averaged, exist; each with strengths and
limitations owing to the physical schematization of processes within them.
Models which resolve the vertical flow structure or the full wave spectrum
(i.e. sea-swell (SS) and infragravity (IG) waves) are considered more accurate,
but also more computationally demanding than those with approximations. Here,
we assess the speed-accuracy trade-off of six well-known wave models for
overtopping (q), under shallow foreshore conditions. The results demonstrate
that: i) q is underestimated by an order of magnitude when IG waves are
neglected; ii) using more computationally-demanding models does not guarantee
more accurate results; and iii) with empirical corrections to account for IG
waves, phase-averaged models like SWAN can perform on par, if not better than,
phase-resolving models but with far less computational effort.
