Patent ID: 8867315

Claim:
A system for listening to underwater sounds, the system comprising: a surface buoy configured to be disposed at a surface location on a water body, a hydrophone connected to the surface buoy for recording underwater sounds, a stretchable hose having a characteristic stretch extension selected to accommodate a predicted vertical heave of the surface buoy, the stretchable hose being attached to the surface buoy, for connecting the hydrophone to the surface buoy, the stretchable hose comprising: at least one conductor disposed in a sidewall of the hose, and a hose coupling attached to one end of the stretchable hose, wherein the hose coupling is configured to allow the at least one conductor to pass from the sidewall of the stretchable hose through the hose coupling to an external interface without exposure to water, and an anchoring member connected to the hydrophone, wherein, in response to vertical heave of the surface buoy at the surface location on the water body, a length of the stretchable hose adjusts to thereby maintain the hydrophone at a predetermined depth in the water body.