PDDS is a portable sonar system capable of detecting potential underwater threats like divers and diver delivery vehicles in shallow waters. The system alerts the operator and indicates the type of threat so that effective countermeasures can be initiated in time. The system can be deployed either outboard from a ship or at any location in a harbor typically beside a wall, pier or at the sea bottom. The system consists of two parts, an underwater unit and a shore unit, interconnected by water blocked cable carrying data and power supply lines. As an auto-alert system, PDDS performs detection, tracking and classification of divers or diver-like targets automatically and alerts the operator accordingly.