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A B S T R A C TShear-wave statics in marine seismic exploration data are routinely too large to be estimated using conventional techniques. Near-surface unconsolidated sediments are often characterized by low values of V s and steep velocity gradients. Minor variations in sediment properties at these depths correspond to variations in the shear-wave velocity and will produce significant static shifts. It is suggested that a significant proportion of the shear-wave statics solution can be estimated by performing a separate high-resolution survey to target near-surface unconsolidated sediments. Love-wave, shear-wave refraction and geotechnical measurements were individually used to form high-resolution near-surface shear-wave velocity models to estimate the shear-wave statics for a designated survey line. Comparisons with predicted statics revealed that shear-wave statics could not be estimated using a velocity model predicted by substituting geotechnical measurements into empirical relationships. Empirical relationships represent a vast simplification of the factors that control V s and are therefore not sufficiently sensitive to estimate shear-wave statics. Refraction measurements are potentially sensitive to short-wavelength variations in sediment properties when combined with accurate navigational data. Statics estimated from Love-wave data are less sensitive, and sometimes smoothed in appearance, since interpreted velocity values represent an average both laterally and vertically over the receiver array and the frequency-depth sensitivity range, respectively.For the survey site, statics estimated from near-surface irregularities using shearwave refraction measurements represent almost half the total statics solution. More often, this proportion will be greater when bedrock relief is less. I N T R O D U C T I O NThe resolution of commercial marine shear-wave data is routinely decreased by the presence of large static shifts. Static shifts are raypath-specific delays in traveltimes that are introduced into seismic data by either bedrock relief or nearsurface irregularities (e.g. surface topography, lateral velocity variations, the presence of a low-velocity layer). More often, however, it is a combination of these factors. The magnitude of *