Wave models are an integral part of coastal engineering due to their ability to quantify information that is either unobtainable or unavailable. However, these models rely heavily on the input of a directional wave spectrum that describes the variation of energy with frequency and direction. This study investigated how five methods for computing the directional wave spectrum perform within the nearshore spectral wave model, STWAVE. The results of the five experimental runs showed that overall, the greatest differences between spectra were observed in the significant wave height parameter. The mean wave direction showed greater differences at the offshore model domain boundary and lesser differences as the wave enters the nearshore; and the peak period had fewer differences at the boundary, but at the nearshore the differences were dependent upon the presence of wind forcing. Winds had a significant impact on observed differences between the spectra in the domain by dominating the wave field variation.