Water covers more than 70% of the Earth's surface, yet much of it remains unmapped at the precision required for safe navigation, infrastructure design, and resource management. For geospatial professionals, understanding how depth is measured beneath the water surface is an increasingly essential skill and the single beam echo sounder is where that knowledge begins.

This course introduces the fundamentals of single beam echo sounders in hydrographic surveying, with practical context drawn from real survey operations. Developed in partnership with the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science and taught by Jim Naismith, RPLS, LSLS  the course grounds every concept in professional field practice.

You will explore the physics of sound in water, the sonar equation, sound velocity management, transducer beam geometry, and a practical comparison of single beam and multibeam data outputs. Throughout, the course emphasizes the critical decisions surveyors must make in the field and the important differences between survey-grade equipment and consumer-grade alternatives.