Kirby Morgan Rex® 77 Diving Helmet
Kirby Morgan Rex® 77 Diving Helmet
Available Early Fall 2006!
• Stainless steel
• Unsurpassed performance under any conditions
• Undergoing the most extensive testing of any diving helmet
• Made exclusively for the most demanding commercial diver
Kirby Morgan 77 Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why is Kirby Morgan building a stainless steel helmet after more than 40 years of building helmets from fiberglass?
A. Kirby Morgan originally built metal helmets and has experimented with a variety of materials over the years for building life support equipment, and stainless steel is one of them. In recent years the technology for prototyping helmets from stainless steel has evolved to the point where we felt we could build accurate prototypes that would reflect what is required of production units. Since some customers prefer metal helmets, we wanted to be able to offer a helmet that would please this group of divers.
Q. Does this mean that Kirby Morgan will stop manufacturing fiberglass helmets?
A. Kirby Morgan has no plans to discontinue manufacturing helmets from fiberglass.
Q. Our company has a large inventory of Kirby Morgan spare parts. Will we be able to use them on this stainless steel helmet?
A. Many of the parts that you have in inventory will fit this helmet. This includes neck rings, neck dams, locking collars, sideblocks, bent tubes, emergency valves, head cushions, face ports, whisker kidney plates, and more. Some parts found in the EXO-BR and EXO-26 Original regulators will also cross fit.
Q. Will I be able to use my SuperFlow 350 or 450 regulator on this helmet?
A. As the helmet is configured now, it will only accept the high-performance Rex® regulator. However, in the future, we will have regulator pods that will accept our other regulators, so you will be able to set up the helmet with any KMDSI regulator you prefer.
Q. Why are you using the REX® regulator on this helmet?
A. We have chosen to offer this helmet initially with our Rex® regulator because it is our highest performing regulator, with the lowest breathing resistance and best work of breathing. If you dive with a low pressure compressor, this regulator will provide you with outstanding performance.
Q. Isn’t the Rex® regulator a plastic regulator?
A. No, we have developed a stainless steel version of this regulator. The rubber shroud you see covering the regulator on the front of this flier is part of the exhaust system, which is made from rubber on all of our helmets.
Q. What are the advantages of a stainless steel helmet shell?
A. There are many advantages to a stainless steel helmet shell. These include:
• Rugged material
• No refinishing required if the surface is scratched or gouged
• Faster production of helmets for customer delivery
• Elimination of threaded inserts for securing port retainer to helmet shell
Q. What are the disadvantages of a stainless steel helmet shell?
A. There are a few disadvantages to a stainless steel helmet shell. These include:
• Material will carry an electrical charge
• Slightly greater thermal conductivity than fiberglass
• You may experience slightly higher noise levels than when diving with a fiberglass helmet
Q. Is this helmet more or less expensive than the Kirby Morgan 47 which uses the same regulator?
A. This helmet will be similar in price to the Kirby Morgan 47, although the exact price has not been determined at this time.
