Maintenance & Repair Bulletin

Kirby Morgan finds it necessary to call attention to the fact that, with age and exposure to the elements, fiberglass can lose its integrity, turn brittle and become difficult or impossible to work with. Attempted repairs to such units will be short term at best, and worst, inadequate and dangerous. Repairs often will not "stick" well to aged, brittle or otherwise compromised fiberglass. The condition of the fiberglass that holds the threaded inserts for the port retainer screws is an area of special concern. Weakened material here can make proper insert replacement, repairs or rebuild impossible.

Kirby Morgan recommends replacement of fiberglass shells, frames & yokes that have been in service for twenty five years or more (sometimes fewer than 25 depending on condition). At the very least, these units should be thoroughly inspected at the Kirby Morgan factory or by Dive Lab to determine if they still retain adequate structural integrity. Because of the many safety issues that stem from the condition of underwater life support equipment, we feel units twenty five years and older have reached the end of their service life. Special circumstances, e.g. long term storage and/or infrequent use, may be exceptions—to be determined by the Kirby Morgan factory or by Dive Lab.

Fiberglass manufactured in 1991 or before is 25 years old or older.

To check the date of manufacture of your Kirby Morgan fiberglass product, please email your serial

number to kmdsi@kirbymorgan.com