Surface‐reflected/bottom‐reflected ray transmissions in a divergent channel are studied when the sound velocity decreases linearly with depth. The sound source and receiving point are located on the bottom. Under certain simplifying assumptions, ray geometry is examined, and conditions are given under which a ray is surface reflected, refracted, or a combination of these. Expressions are developed for travel time and geometrical spreading loss. For an isovelocity medium, initial ray angle, travel time, and spreading loss of individual arrivals are examined as functions of bottom angle. These quantities are shown to be greater for a divergent channel than for a horizontal channel. Assuming a CW source and Rayleigh reflection theory, the total field at a receiving point is determined. It is found that the variation in intensity values decreases with increasing bottom divergence.