Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Says Farewell to Robert (Bob) Kirby

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It is with a deep sense of loss that the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum must say goodbye to an important and beloved friend. Bob Kirby, co-founder with Bev Morgan of Kirby Morgan, passed away at his home in Carpinteria on June 2, 2022. Bob’s diving career spanned seven decades and his achievements in both diving and aviation earned him lasting international recognition, while his contributions of time, energy, love and humor to the museum earned him a special place in the hearts of SBMM’s staff, volunteers, and Board of Directors. He was truly a towering and memorable figure to his many communities of friends and colleagues.

Bob Kirby left the US Navy in the 1950s to become a California abalone diver. He quickly used his skills as a remarkable metalsmith to design a mixed-gas recirculating diving helmet with a small team of colleagues at Associated Divers. Bob’s helmet design was a major factor in the successful expansion of deep-water mixed gas diving that flourished in Santa Barbara, California, in the early 1960s, and gradually spread around the globe.