diff --git a/src/rendering/water-material.ts b/src/rendering/water-material.ts
index 7f5f6c20..abd518e5 100644
--- a/src/rendering/water-material.ts
+++ b/src/rendering/water-material.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export interface WaterContactPatch {
 export interface WaterMaterialResult {
   material: MeshBasicMaterial | ShaderMaterial;
   animationUniform: { value: number } | null;
+  contactPatchesUniform: { value: Vector4[] } | null;
 }
 
 interface WaterMaterialOptions {
@@ -138,6 +139,13 @@ export function collectWaterContactPatches(volume: OrientedWaterVolume, contactB
     .slice(0, MAX_WATER_CONTACT_PATCHES);
 }
 
+export function createWaterContactPatchUniformValue(contactPatches?: WaterContactPatch[]): Vector4[] {
+  return Array.from({ length: MAX_WATER_CONTACT_PATCHES }, (_, index) => {
+    const patch = contactPatches?.[index];
+    return new Vector4(patch?.x ?? 0, patch?.z ?? 0, patch?.radius ?? 0, patch?.intensity ?? 0);
+  });
+}
+
 export function createWaterMaterial(options: WaterMaterialOptions): WaterMaterialResult {
   if (options.wireframe) {
     return {
@@ -148,7 +156,8 @@ export function createWaterMaterial(options: WaterMaterialOptions): WaterMateria
         opacity: Math.min(1, options.opacity + 0.2),
         depthWrite: false
       }),
-      animationUniform: null
+      animationUniform: null,
+      contactPatchesUniform: null
     };
   }
 
@@ -160,16 +169,14 @@ export function createWaterMaterial(options: WaterMaterialOptions): WaterMateria
         opacity: options.opacity,
         depthWrite: false
       }),
-      animationUniform: null
+      animationUniform: null,
+      contactPatchesUniform: null
     };
   }
 
   const animationUniform = { value: options.time };
   const halfSize = new Vector2(Math.max(options.halfSize.x, WATER_CONTACT_EPSILON), Math.max(options.halfSize.z, WATER_CONTACT_EPSILON));
-  const contactPatches = Array.from({ length: MAX_WATER_CONTACT_PATCHES }, (_, index) => {
-    const patch = options.contactPatches?.[index];
-    return new Vector4(patch?.x ?? 0, patch?.z ?? 0, patch?.radius ?? 0, patch?.intensity ?? 0);
-  });
+  const contactPatchesUniform = { value: createWaterContactPatchUniformValue(options.contactPatches) };
   const waveStrength = Math.max(0, options.waveStrength);
   const waveAmplitude = 0.016 + Math.min(0.12, waveStrength * 0.06);
   const clampedOpacity = Math.max(0.14, Math.min(1, options.opacity));
@@ -254,25 +261,39 @@ export function createWaterMaterial(options: WaterMaterialOptions): WaterMateria
       );
     }
 
+    float fbm(vec2 p) {
+      float value = 0.0;
+      float amplitude = 0.5;
+
+      for (int octave = 0; octave < 4; octave += 1) {
+        value += noise(p) * amplitude;
+        p = p * 2.02 + vec2(17.1, 11.7);
+        amplitude *= 0.5;
+      }
+
+      return value;
+    }
+
     void main() {
       vec3 normal = normalize(vWaveNormal);
       vec3 viewDir = normalize(vViewDir);
       float fresnel = pow(1.0 - clamp(dot(viewDir, normal), 0.0, 1.0), 2.8);
 
-      float refractPattern =
-        sin((vLocalSurfaceUv.x + normal.x * 0.6) * 2.2 + time * 0.8) *
-        sin((vLocalSurfaceUv.y + normal.z * 0.4) * 1.9 - time * 0.65);
-      float detail = noise(vLocalSurfaceUv * 1.8 + vec2(time * 0.12, -time * 0.09));
-      float refraction = refractPattern * 0.08 + (detail - 0.5) * 0.12;
+      float largeWave = fbm(vLocalSurfaceUv * 0.42 + vec2(time * 0.06, -time * 0.04));
+      float mediumWave = fbm(vLocalSurfaceUv * 0.95 + normal.xz * 0.55 + vec2(-time * 0.11, time * 0.09));
+      float microWave = noise(vLocalSurfaceUv * 3.6 + normal.xz * 1.6 + vec2(time * 0.24, -time * 0.19));
+      float caustics = fbm(vLocalSurfaceUv * 1.8 + normal.xz * 1.2 + vec2(time * 0.16, -time * 0.14));
+      caustics *= fbm(vLocalSurfaceUv * 2.7 - normal.xz * 1.4 + vec2(-time * 0.21, time * 0.18));
 
       vec3 deepTint = waterColor * vec3(0.52, 0.66, 0.78);
       vec3 shallowTint = mix(waterColor, vec3(0.72, 0.9, 1.0), 0.2 + fresnel * 0.24);
-      vec3 color = mix(deepTint, shallowTint, 0.58 + refraction);
+      float contactFoam = 0.0;
+      float contactRipple = 0.0;
+      float contactSheen = 0.0;
 
       float edgeDistance = min(halfSize.x - abs(vLocalSurfaceUv.x), halfSize.y - abs(vLocalSurfaceUv.y));
       float edgeBand = max(0.22, min(halfSize.x, halfSize.y) * 0.12);
       float edgeFoam = isTopFace > 0.5 ? 1.0 - smoothstep(0.0, edgeBand, edgeDistance) : 0.0;
-      float contactFoam = 0.0;
 
       if (isTopFace > 0.5) {
         for (int patchIndex = 0; patchIndex < ${MAX_WATER_CONTACT_PATCHES}; patchIndex += 1) {
@@ -282,22 +303,30 @@ export function createWaterMaterial(options: WaterMaterialOptions): WaterMateria
           }
 
           float normalizedDistance = length(vLocalSurfaceUv - patchData.xy) / patchData.z;
-          float ring = smoothstep(0.38, 0.72, normalizedDistance) * (1.0 - smoothstep(0.88, 1.2, normalizedDistance));
-          contactFoam = max(contactFoam, ring * patchData.w);
+          float contactBody = 1.0 - smoothstep(0.0, 0.82, normalizedDistance);
+          float ripple = (sin(normalizedDistance * 14.0 - time * (2.4 + patchData.w * 1.6)) * 0.5 + 0.5) * exp(-normalizedDistance * 3.2);
+          float wakeNoise = noise(vLocalSurfaceUv * 3.4 + vec2(time * 0.34, -time * 0.28));
+          float foamField = max(contactBody * 0.38, ripple * (0.72 + wakeNoise * 0.28)) * patchData.w;
+          contactFoam = max(contactFoam, foamField);
+          contactRipple = max(contactRipple, ripple * patchData.w);
+          contactSheen = max(contactSheen, contactBody * patchData.w);
         }
       }
 
-      float sparkle = max(0.0, sin(vLocalSurfaceUv.x * 5.2 + time * 1.35) * sin(vLocalSurfaceUv.y * 4.4 - time * 1.08));
-      float foam = clamp(max(edgeFoam * 0.42, contactFoam) * (0.45 + waveStrength * 0.75) + sparkle * 0.06, 0.0, 0.72);
-      vec3 specular = vec3(pow(max(0.0, dot(reflect(-viewDir, normal), normalize(vec3(0.25, 0.88, 0.35)))), 18.0)) * (0.18 + fresnel * 0.52);
+      float refraction = (largeWave - 0.5) * 0.18 + (mediumWave - 0.5) * 0.14 + (microWave - 0.5) * 0.08 + contactRipple * 0.06;
+      float glints = smoothstep(0.78, 0.97, fbm(vLocalSurfaceUv * 4.8 + normal.xz * 2.2 + vec2(time * 0.38, -time * 0.31))) * (0.14 + fresnel * 0.28);
+      vec3 color = mix(deepTint, shallowTint, clamp(0.46 + refraction + fresnel * 0.24 + caustics * 0.08, 0.05, 0.98));
+      float foam = clamp(max(edgeFoam * 0.48, contactFoam) * (0.52 + waveStrength * 0.8) + caustics * 0.08 + glints * 0.06, 0.0, 0.84);
+      vec3 specular = vec3(pow(max(0.0, dot(reflect(-viewDir, normal), normalize(vec3(0.25, 0.88, 0.35)))), 18.0)) * (0.14 + fresnel * 0.56 + caustics * 0.14 + contactSheen * 0.12);
 
       color = mix(color, vec3(0.97, 0.99, 1.0), foam);
       color += specular;
       color += vec3(0.05, 0.08, 0.12) * fresnel;
+      color += vec3(0.02, 0.05, 0.08) * caustics;
 
       float alpha = isTopFace > 0.5
-        ? clamp(surfaceOpacity + fresnel * 0.16 + foam * 0.12, 0.32, 0.9)
-        : clamp(surfaceOpacity * 0.72 + refraction * 0.05, 0.16, 0.68);
+        ? clamp(surfaceOpacity + fresnel * 0.18 + foam * 0.16 + contactRipple * 0.08, 0.32, 0.92)
+        : clamp(surfaceOpacity * 0.72 + refraction * 0.08 + caustics * 0.04, 0.16, 0.7);
 
       gl_FragColor = vec4(color, alpha);
     }
@@ -314,7 +343,7 @@ export function createWaterMaterial(options: WaterMaterialOptions): WaterMateria
       waveAmplitude: { value: waveAmplitude },
       isTopFace: { value: topFaceFlag },
       halfSize: { value: halfSize },
-      contactPatches: { value: contactPatches }
+      contactPatches: contactPatchesUniform
     },
     transparent: true,
     depthWrite: false,
@@ -323,6 +352,7 @@ export function createWaterMaterial(options: WaterMaterialOptions): WaterMateria
 
   return {
     material,
-    animationUniform
+    animationUniform,
+    contactPatchesUniform
   };
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/domain/water-material.test.ts b/tests/domain/water-material.test.ts
index c340df4e..2dcb0c7d 100644
--- a/tests/domain/water-material.test.ts
+++ b/tests/domain/water-material.test.ts
@@ -108,5 +108,6 @@ describe("water material helpers", () => {
     expect(material.uniforms["surfaceOpacity"]?.value).toBeGreaterThan(0.14);
     expect(material.uniforms["waveStrength"]?.value).toBe(0.35);
     expect(material.uniforms["isTopFace"]?.value).toBe(1);
+    expect(result.contactPatchesUniform?.value).toHaveLength(6);
   });
 });
\ No newline at end of file