A distributed fiber optic cable comprises an elongate body and a first optical fiber longitudinally housed in the body, wherein the fiber describes a sinusoid having an amplitude and a first wavelength along the length of the body and wherein the sinusoid rotates along the length of the body so as to describe a twisted sinusoid having a twist wavelength. A method for sensing an acoustic wave comprises a) providing a set of signals collected from the cable, b) processing the signals so as to divide the fiber in each twist wavelength of cable into a predetermined number of channels, c) measuring the amplitudes in each channel and calculating the maximum and minimum amplitude in a preselected length of cable, d) using the calculated maximum and minimum for the preselected length of cable to determine the amplitude and direction of the wave at the preselected length of cable.