A simple theoretical dynamic model with a linearized damping coefficient is proposed for the gap resonance problem, as often referred to as the piston mode wave motion in a narrow gap formed by floating bodies. The relationship among the resonant response amplitude and frequency, the reflection and transmission coefficients, the gap width, and the damping coefficient is obtained. A quantitative link between the damping coefficient of the theoretical dynamic model (ε) and that devised for the modified potential flow model (up) is established, namely,3/8pnu=πεω (wherenω is the natural frequency). This link clarifies the physical meaning of the damping term introduced into the modified potential flow model. A new explicit approach to determine the damping coefficient for the modified potential model is proposed, without resorting to numerically tuning the damping coefficient by trial and error tests. The effects of the body breadth ratio on the characteristics of the gap resonance are numerically investigated by using both the modified potential flow model and the viscous RNG turbulent model. It is found that the body breadth ratio has a significant nonlinear influence on the resonant wave amplitude and the resonant frequency. With the modified potential flow model with the explicit damping coefficient, reasonable predictions are made in good agreement with the numerical solutions of the viscous fluid model.