Dive Science

Water bends light, swallows colour and carries sound too fast to place. Most of what feels strange underwater is just physics doing what it always does, and knowing why makes you a calmer diver. Start with the altitude article if you dive from Johannesburg — it changes your tables.

Filter:underwater acoustics

August 26, 2026
4 min read

Why You Can't Tell Where Sound Is Coming From Underwater

Sound travels 4.5x faster underwater, which sounds useful until you realise it destroys your ability to tell which direction it's coming from. Here's the physics behind directionless hearing underwater.