How do I avoid the effects of the ship’s shadow when logging optical data with the Free-Falling Optical Profiler?

The free-falling profiler is designed to profile away from a small boat or large ship to avoid any potential shadow effects. The instrument is deployed by hand from the leeward side of the vessel and allowed to descend while the vessel drifts downwind. When the profiler is pulled back up to the surface, the fins cause the instrument to maintain its location and come straight up. Using this method, the optical profiles can be performed at a safe distance from the vessel.