Method for controlling a wave power system which converts the energy of the swell into electrical or hydraulic energy, said wave power system comprising at least one movable means which cooperates with at least one energy conversion machine, and said movable means performing an oscillatory movement with respect to said conversion machine, characterized in that the following steps are carried out: a) a dynamic model of said wave power system is constructed which links the speed of said movable means to said force exerted by the swell on said movable means and to the force exerted by said conversion machine on said movable means; b) an energy model of said wave power system is constructed which links the average power generated by said conversion machine to the force exerted by said conversion machine on said movable means, to the speed of said movable means, and to the efficiency of said wave power system; c) the force exerted by the waves on said movable means is predicted for a predetermined time period; d) a value controlling said force exerted by said conversion machine on said movable means is determined that maximizes the average power generated by said conversion machine, by implementing the following steps: i) an objective function is determined that is representative of the power generated by said conversion machine by means of said prediction of the force exerted by the swell on said movable means, of said dynamic model and of said energy model; ii) said objective function is discretized by the trapezoid rule; iii) in said discretized objective function, the future values of the control are weighted by predetermined weighting coefficients; iv) said value controlling said force exerted by said conversion machine on said movable means is deduced by minimization of said discretized and weighted objective function; and e) said conversion machine is controlled by means of said controlling value. a) a dynamic model of said wave power system is constructed which links the speed of said movable means to said force exerted by the swell on said movable means and to the force exerted by said conversion machine on said movable means; b) an energy model of said wave power system is constructed which links the average power generated by said conversion machine to the force exerted by said conversion machine on said movable means, to the speed of said movable means, and to the efficiency of said wave power system; c) the force exerted by the waves on said movable means is predicted for a predetermined time period; d) a value controlling said force exerted by said conversion machine on said movable means is determined that maximizes the average power generated by said conversion machine, by implementing the following steps: i) an objective function is determined that is representative of the power generated by said conversion machine by means of said prediction of the force exerted by the swell on said movable means, of said dynamic model and of said energy model; ii) said objective function is discretized by the trapezoid rule; iii) in said discretized objective function, the future values of the control are weighted by predetermined weighting coefficients; iv) said value controlling said force exerted by said conversion machine on said movable means is deduced by minimization of said discretized and weighted objective function; and i) an objective function is determined that is representative of the power generated by said conversion machine by means of said prediction of the force exerted by the swell on said movable means, of said dynamic model and of said energy model; ii) said objective function is discretized by the trapezoid rule; iii) in said discretized objective function, the future values of the control are weighted by predetermined weighting coefficients; iv) said value controlling said force exerted by said conversion machine on said movable means is deduced by minimization of said discretized and weighted objective function; and e) said conversion machine is controlled by means of said controlling value.