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The names Bob Kirby and Bev Morgan are etched across every ocean of the world. Once, the global standard in surface-supplied diving equipment belonged to England’s Siebe Gorman—but Kirby and Morgan changed that forever. Their innovations set a new benchmark, making their names synonymous with professional diving. Yet, despite their legendary status, only a select few divers have ever met either man in person. Both became increasingly private over the years, leaving most to know them only through their work.
Now, however, there’s a rare chance to step into Bob Kirby’s world—through his autobiography Hard Hat Divers Wear Dresses. True to form, Kirby delivers his story with blunt honesty, sharp humor, and no room for sentimentality.
Beginning with his U.S. Navy diving career in the early 1950s, Kirby recounts his move into abalone diving, surrounded by a colorful cast of misfits scraping a living from the Southern California seafloor. His journey eventually takes him to Santa Barbara, where he dives into the risky early days of offshore oil. There, readers encounter close calls with white sharks, unreliable equipment, and the rough-and-tumble life of working divers.
Kirby’s career takes a pivotal turn when he joins Associated Divers and, with the help of fellow innovators, designs and builds the groundbreaking helium recirculator helmet. Around this time, he meets Bev Morgan—an accomplished diver with a background in fiberglass molding from the surfing world. Their combined skills would give birth to the Kirby Morgan company, revolutionizing commercial diving equipment.
Self-published by Kirby and limited to just 1,000 copies, Hard Hat Divers Wear Dresses is unapologetically candid—flaws and all. This memoir is more than a book; it’s a rare firsthand account from one of diving’s true pioneers. Whether your passion is commercial, recreational, technical, or military diving, Kirby’s story captures an industry in its prime through the eyes of a man who helped shape it. Signed.