SWAN accounts for the following physics:
- wave propagation, shoaling, refraction due to current and depth;
- wave generation by wind;
- three- and four-wave interactions;
- whitecapping, bottom friction, and depth-induced breaking;
- wave induced set-up;
- transmission through and reflection from obstacles.

SWAN computations can be made on a regular and a curvi-linear grid in a Cartesian or spherical co-ordinate system. The use of nested runs allows for higher resolutions in the area of interest.

SWAN provides a.o. the following output :
- one- and two-dimensional spectra;
- significant wave height and mean wave period;
- average wave direction and directional spreading;
- one- and two-dimensional spectral source terms;
- dissipation;
- wave-induced force and set-up.

Svašek Hydraulics has linked SWAN directly to the hydrodynamic model FINEL2D and to the morphological package MORFIN.