The proposal lies at the intersection of two normally distinct scientific disciplines -- the mathematical description of marine hydrodynamics and metamaterial science -- to transform existing understanding of the potential of ocean wave energy harvesting. Longstanding theoretical limits based on traditional marine engineering principles will be broken by the use of metamaterials and metasurfaces in a water wave setting. This programme of work describes how the new water wave metamaterial landscape will be explored and the exciting potential that wave energy converter design concepts exploiting it have to offer. The goal of this work is to illustrate how the struggling wave energy research and commercial sectors can finally move along the same path that wind turbine technology has enjoyed with a solution to the critical issue of how to develop scalable installations.