Metre sea water

Metre sea water (MSW) is a unit of pressure used in underwater diving, defined as an increase of 1 bar for every 10 metres of water depth. It is commonly used in the field of diving to measure the pressure exerted by the surrounding water on the diver's body.

Definition

A metre of sea water (MSW), or sometimes metre sea water, is a unit of pressure. It is not an SI unit. 1 MSW equals 0.1 bars, 10,000 pascals or about 1.0197162129779 kilograms-force per square centimetre. This pressure increases with depth, which is why it is a crucial measurement in diving.

Use in Diving

In scuba diving, the pressure exerted by the surrounding water is a critical factor that affects the diver's safety and health. The pressure increases with depth, and this increase is measured in MSW. Divers use this measurement to calculate their decompression stops and to determine the maximum depth they can safely dive.

Relation to Other Units

The MSW is closely related to other units of pressure. One MSW is approximately equal to one atmosphere (atm), which is the pressure exerted by the Earth's atmosphere at sea level. It is also approximately equal to 0.1 bar, another unit of pressure commonly used in diving.

See Also

• Bar (unit)
• Pascal (unit)
• Atmosphere (unit)
• Underwater diving
• Decompression (diving)

References

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