Available Training Workshops
- QPS Certified Training - Qimera Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced Training
- QPS Certified Training - FMGT Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced Training
- Introduction to Geodesy, Positioning, Horizontal and Vertical Datums
- Introduction to Multibeam Bathymetry
- Introduction to Multibeam Backscatter
- Introduction to Multibeam Water Column
- Advanced Multibeam Backscatter Workshop
- Advanced Multibeam Water Column Workshop
- Multibeam Crash Course
Recorded Webinars
Backscatter Training Testimonials
" An outstanding course! JB's depth of knowledge was incredible, and his ability to communicate complex ideas was top-notch. Who knew MS Paint could be such a powerful teaching tool? I gained a huge amount from this training—it was insightful, engaging, and fun. I’d highly recommend JB and HydroOctave for anyone looking to improve their understanding of sonar backscatter!" - C. Berry, CSIRO NCMI
“The TPU and Backscatter workshops are like a whetstone for the mind, call for reflection and give clues for future direction(s).” - Bart-Jan Tijmes, Principal Hydrographer Fugro NL Marine
"JB brings backscatter basics and beyond in this workshop! He introduces and gradually builds on the material until you can easily conceptualize backscatter principles. I have so much more confidence in making backscatter decisions while on survey or in processing. This workshop is for all levels of expertise and I definitely recommend it!" - Hydrographer, Fugro
“HydroOctave was instrumental in helping our team with the development and implementation of a backscatter processing pipeline. All communication was clear and efficient; we would highly recommend working with JB!" – Erin Markham, Leidos
“This was an incredibly helpful workshop which greatly improved my knowledge base for collecting better backscatter data and creating better data products. The information from these sessions will help greatly as we continue to grow our program. Thank you, JB!”
“Jonathan presents critical material, connecting with participants, addresses individual and group needs as much as possible according to how much he is made aware of during the session.”
“What a fantastic workshop! JB does a phenomenal job of finding out what attendees want to learn and making sure that those points are covered in conjunction with the material promised. I learned some great strategies in both acquisition and post-processing, and how to ask more intuitive questions when more troublesome issues come up.”
“This workshop highlighted some best practices for backscatter acquisition that need to be discussed during survey planning and not something you should have done in the conclusions of your report.”
“This was by far the best remote learning experience I have ever been a part of. I'm sure an in-person mode would have helped to some degree, but this was completely engaging and well-crafted from start to finish.”
"I've used various types of sonars over the years without formal education in surveying or sonar fundamentals. Two days learning from JB completely leveled up my capabilities in both areas as well as my confidence in generating the sonar product I need. Absolutely blown away with his knowledge and ability to teach at all experience levels in a single room. Without hesitation, I can say this workshop will have lasting positive effects on my career. Truly appreciate it JB!" - Stephanie Dohner, Ph.D. Oceanographer, US Naval Research Laboratory, Ocean Sciences Division, Code 7354
"Very clear and concise information, provided at an even pace that's accessible for people of all experience and skill levels."
"This workshop is a good start for all level of user for better understanding on Backscatter Data. It's not just theory but also practical skills. Thumbs up to JB!" - Intan,THSG,Malaysia
"A fantastic training workshop! The amount of topics and material covered in a short duration in an easy to understand way was impressive. I came away with skills and knowledge that will be useful for upcoming surveys. The focus on sonar-specific setting and best practices as well as environmental/survey condition settings was extremely beneficial. I highly recommend this course if you are looking to gain a better understanding of backscatter."
"Very informational, well worth the time."
"Excellent training by Jonathan Beaudoin (JB) of HydroOctave and hosted by the University of Delaware as part of their Blue Tech initiative. I highly recommend JB's Backscatter and Multibeam workshops." – Vince Capone, Black Laser Learning
"I haven't learned this much since my IHO Cat-B training!" – Steven Le Bars, ID OCEAN
" One of the best training courses/ workshops I have attended in a while. The skill of both presenters to deliver fairly complex content in an easy-to-understand way was exceptional.
If you can only undertake one training course this year, make sure its this one! You will come out with a much better appreciation of Backscatter and Multibeam data!" – Andrew Stanley, Ocean Infinity
“The content covered in the course was excellent, especially considering the short duration. The course successfully bridged the gap between theory and practical applications, which was one of its strongest aspects. The inclusion of sonar-specific tips and notes was highly valuable.” - Sy XinhLe, Guardian Geomatics
“I highly recommend JB's services for anyone wanting to do a good job at collecting and processing backscatter data. The workshop is very detailed and tailored to the customer and extremely helpful to prevent any issues in the field.” - Gabriela De Oliveira, McKim & Creed
"A pretty well-packed and complex training, the workshop creates great solid foundation for whose who is dealing with MBES / multi-sensor datasets (processors, QC coordinators, Party Chief etc.) Hosts are extremely experienced in the topic, but the same time they do provide enough clarification on the principles and the idea behind.
The special focus is on the applied aspects, hardware - settings to be used in different circumstances - my favorite part as the field activities is something unreversible should not be underestimated. Definitely recommended for all survey enthusiasts.” – Sergey Provanov, Sulmara
Multibeam Crash Course Testimonials
"Jonathan Beaudoin from HydroOctave breaks down MBES acquisition in a way that is relatable and informative. I learned a lot this week from the 40-hour course. I would recommend this course to anyone that wants to understand Multi Beam, no matter your level of understanding, you will get something out of this class." - Mark Dragovich, DRAGO
"No matter what level of experience you have, you will come out with a much better understanding of multibeam. I had very little experience with multibeam and walked out of this course with a solid foundation to build upon. JB does a fantastic job of teaching multibeam, which can be very complex, and making it make sense for everyone to understand." - Nathan Reaux, RPLS
“Continually improving course that goes through practical and vital multibeam concepts step by step”
"Brilliant course! Jonathan is an excellent teacher and tailored the course to suit the requirements of our company. Would recommend to anyone looking to expand on existing knowledge." - Adam Gould Lead Geophysicist SEP Hydrographic
"JB leaves the marketing pamphlets at the door and cuts down to the core concepts that everyone in the industry needs to know. No matter if you are starting out or a veteran, this course will ensure you have everything you need to feel more confident in multibeam decisions whether in the office or in the field." - Joseph Adamski
“JB did a great job over the span of a 4 day workshop on hydrography and multibeam analysis. He started at the very fundamentals ( hardware, beam-formation, extraneous factors ) and spent the second half of the workshop on uncertainty quantification. Along the way he also provided useful resources/references. As a software developer in this industry, it helped me understand the nuances of the tools I build.”
“I recently attended a four day training hosted by HydroOctave. JB kept the session engaging and made the content clear for all experience levels. He simplified complex topics and gave me a real sense of what it’s like to be a surveyor. I left confident that what I learned will help me create better software for our customers.” - Adam Foster
“JB's workshop was excellent! His teaching style is captivating and interactive, keeping the group engaged throughout the exploration of complex topics. As someone with 12 years of experience operating different multibeam systems, his course made a lot of lights go off about the how and why things work. I would strongly recommend JB's courses to anyone who has the opportunity to attend.”
“I thought JB was an exceptional lecturer. He was able to easily break down things and not assume that we know everything initially. I really enjoyed his visualizations and explanations behind the theory.”
“Thank you for your grandma explanations and patience with the winding flow of our questions and discussion! It was so helpful to be able to just let the questions flow rather than sticking to a rigid curriculum. I think it really made the training customized to our needs.”
“Instead of just knowing which button to click it was great to learn why that works.”
“The informal style of the sessions worked really well. JB was so enlightening in so many areas I finished each day mentally exhausted. His illustrations using Microsoft Paint were the most helpful.”
“I love JB's grandma-level explanations! I aspire to simplify highly technical theories or operations as well as he does. As things became more detailed, it was much easier to keep pace with some of the topics.”
“JB provided an informative and entertaining workshop with valuable insights for our group (of varying levels of hydrographic surveying experience). I believe we all came away with valuable lessons that can be applied to our unique survey needs. – Tom Schoenrock-Rossiter (eTrac)”
“Excellent multiday workshop. I can see the immediate benefits of this new knowledge and understanding of Multibeam both on the water during survey, and in processing. This course will make you a better hydrographer!”
“I really like how JB would bust out MS Paint to draw something for explanation. I am a visual learner, so it really accelerated the understanding.”
“This was one of the most useful workshops I've attended. I enjoyed how it was specifically tailored to our needs.”
“This workshop was hands-down the best one I've been to because of the level of engagement, the organization and planning, the expertise, and the openness to be able to ask questions and discuss. Bravo!”
“The grandma to nerd level is a great metric. I appreciated the plain diagrams and explanations with the equations to have a visual of the variables.”
“I really appreciated how we would take complex topics and simplify them into relatable analogies and examples.”
“JB manages a group course and engagement with ease. His candor and smooth transitions between multi-faceted subjects is exceptional.”
“This course will keep you engaged and is very informative in the classroom and on the water”
“HydroOctave Consulting provided students with a comprehensive overview of the multibeam echo sounder, bathymetric, and backscatter data. The course content prepared students for future seabed mapping projects.”
“JB is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Multibeam and is fantastic and unpacking how and why it works and its various applications.”
“J.B. is an excellent and approachable instructor with a wealth of theoretical and practical knowledge on multibeam bathymetry and backscatter.”
"Forget what you thought you knew about multibeam and backscatter, this seminar will not only help make your data and imagery better but also help you confidently and professionally offer your services knowing your doing it all well and using best practices." - Professor Stephen Nagiewicz, Maritime History and Archaeology, Stockton University
“The saying goes that knowledge is power, and this HydroOctave course has helped make us more powerful throughout our lineup. It had much value to offer everyone, from new surveyors to seasoned experts and everyone in between. If you are looking to shore up and amp up your organization's multibeam skill base, I highly recommend this course.” - Lawrence Haynes Haselmaier, Jr.; NAVOCEANO NP431 Technical Lead; IHO S-102 Project Team Chair
“Your process for customizing the course according to the needs of the attendees coupled with your decades of expertise in the subject matter clearly enable you to provide highly relevant and effective training.”
“JB did a fantastic job with the delivery of the material and tying subjects together for all skill levels. I highly recommend this course for people involved in the hydrography community to help gain familiarity with modern bathymetry data acquisition systems, QA/QC recommendations, and troubleshooting scenarios.”
“This training should be a prerequisite for anyone coming into the hydrographic science community, as it does a fantastic job of laying the groundwork and teaching the fundamentals of such a complex subject!”
“This course was excellent! It is a practical and efficient way to ensure an entire survey team is on the same page: not only on the fundamentals, but also niche survey knowledge and nuances.”
“Direct and applied approaches to multibeam systems.”
Qimera Beginner and Advanced Training Testimonials
“The invaluable part of a training course with JB isn't just his vast amount of knowledge. It's his ability to get your whole team communicating, troubleshooting, and developing new and improved ways to streamline what we do. We all ended the week with a new confidence in multibeam processing/QAQC and some solid action items for better surveying and processing. Thanks JB!” – Lauren McHugh, S.T. Hudson
“A great class for people who has some understanding of hydrography and wishes to become proficient. Would definitely recommend this class to my Hydro friends!”
“Great training! I really enjoyed and learned from it.”