msw

   symbol for "meters of seawater," a conventional unit of pressure. The pressure exerted by seawater varies slightly with temperature and salinity, but for practical purposes the convention is that each meter imposes a pressure of 0.1 bar or 10 kilopascals (about 0.102 kilograms of force per square centimeter or 1.45 pounds per square inch). Sometimes the convention is that each meter is equivalent to 0.1 atmosphere (0.1013 bar), which is practically the same thing. In English units, 1 msw = 3.28 feet of seawater (fsw). Underwater pressure gauges are frequently calibrated in this unit.