An apparatus for acquiring survey data including streamer equipment comprising a lead-in cable; and a geophysical streamer with a plurality of geophysical sensors distributed along the geophysical streamer, including a forward geophysical sensor; a depressor coupled to the streamer equipment in front of the forward geophysical sensor; a variable tension control device coupled at a back end of the geophysical streamer; and a plurality of tension control system sensors. A method for acquiring survey data including obtaining data from tension control system sensors of a geophysical streamer system; identifying an adjustment to be made to one or more tension control factors of the geophysical streamer system to reduce or control vibrational behavior of streamer equipment of the geophysical streamer system making the adjustment to the one or more tension control factors; and acquiring survey data with the geophysical streamer system.