When Open Water Swimmers Text Each Other
LOL, LMK, NVM, ROFL, ICYMI, TBH and many other abbreviations, acronyms, emoticons, smileys, onomatopoeic and stylized spellings are used on the Internet, in forums, emails and via SMS.
So what kind of English abbreviations and acronyms can be used or texted by open water swimmers?
- RFC: or really freaking cold, real frantic chill, royal frigid cojones (as in: the water was RFC…)
- dt: dead tired (as in: How are you? Just finished swimming, dt…)
- otb: on the beach (as in: meet us otb…)
- sia: sea is angry (as in: howz the water? rufwater, the sia…)
- bal: bumpy and lumpy (as in: how was the swim? bal…)
- lab: lumpy and bumpy (as in: how was the swim? lab…)
- titw: toes in the water (i.e., expected start time of a swim)
- tits: toes in the sand (i.e., expected start time of a swim)
- wc: whitecaps
- bs: big surf
- bw: big waves
- ss: still swimming or shark sighting
- jl: just landed
- bat: brown adipose tissue or brown fat
- dq: disqualified
- dnf: did not finish
- dns: did not start, did not swim
- irb: inflatable rescue boat
- nl: no lifeguard
- oab or onb: out-and-back
- ptp: point-to-point
- ice: in case of emergency
- mpa: marine protected area
- otl: over time limit
- pow: Pool Open Water
- rtf: round trip flag
- got spyhopped: encountered a whale or shark
- ufo: unidentified floating object
- dust?: did you swim today?
- ruf: rough (as in: ocean was ruf today…)
- lis: land in sight
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Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
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