Sub Sea Systems - Our World: June 2015

Friday, June 26, 2015

FunCats Bring New Customers to Watersport Rental Businesses

If you don’t know about FunCats you are missing out on a really fantastic product. There is nothing like it on the market. Successful watersport business owners have snapped up FunCats and attracted an entirely new customer base. From the chaise-lounge seatback and comfortable armrests with cup holders to the easy to use controls and pontoon storage, FunCat offers a unique experience to customers.

What is it about FunCat that brings NEW customers to watersport rental businesses?

The FunCat is leisurely.

You can cruise around the water for hours without so much as lifting a finger — well… that is all you have to do — lift one finger and press the controls. The chaise-lounge seat reclines, allowing you to lay back, kick up your feet and enjoy the breeze across the sea. It is like a mobile hammock hovering over sparkling waters. Most watercraft rentals require physical exertion and/or a fair amount of know how. FunCats bring in the customers who want to relax and have no experience with maneuvering watercraft.

FunCats are romantic.

Romance seekers find FunCat excellent for cuddling. The side-by-side seating provides for a perfect date. Customers can ride out to a secluded spot in the middle of the lake and watch the sunset while hand in hand.

FunCats are unique.

Millenials (those born between 1980 and 2000) represent 1/3 of the population. Market research shows that Millenials spend more money on experiences than on products. It also shows that they spend a lot of time looking for something new to try. From finding a dive restaurant that has the best breakfast to snorkeling in cenotes, Millenials want to be the first to discover fresh adventures. FunCats are truly unique, and they offer that new experience which people crave.

FunCats are fun for families.

A FunCat can hold up to 500 lbs. Families can ride around all day, swimming, fishing, or just cruising, and the controls are so easy that even the kids can drive! Customers with kids love renting FunCats.

Quite a few businesses around the world have utilized these FunCat qualities to enhance their customer base and increase revenue.

In San Diego, Resort Watersports introduces people to FunCats everyday. Andy Berry (Owner/Operator) says,

“FunCats have proven to be a very popular rental. They’re easy to use, and our guests can relax on the water without the hassle of paddles, oars, sails or gasoline-powered motors. Our customers come back time and again to rent FunCats!”

He currently has 12 FunCats and they are always on the water.

Action Sport Rentals — which offers FunCats at 3 San Diego locations — has rented to Orange County native Lydia McLaughlin (Real Housewives of Orange County alum) who posted a FunCat selfie photo to instagram and commented: “I just discovered my new favorite boat!”

On Disney Cruiselines’ private island Castaway Cay in the Bahamas guests can rent FunCats off of the beach. Many fans of the mouse have ridden the Cat!

Another popular rental location in the Bahamas is at the Atlantis. Customers from all over the world cruise around the tropical waters in view of the landmark Atlantis resort.

WuZhiZhou island in China, renowned for its romantic legends, offers FunCat rentals for romantic rendezvous.

With over 20 locations worldwide we are expanding daily. Next up? Cancún at La Isla Shopping Village Lighthouse Marina on Nichupté Lagoon. FunCat rentals will offer stability and maneuverability in the gorgeous mangrove lagoon abundant with wildlife including: turtles, frogs, iguanas, crocodiles, and leopards.

Interested in expanding your business? Looking to start a rental business of your own? Contact Sub Sea Systems at 530-626-0100 for more information about available opportunities. Visit www.funcats.com to learn more about this amazing product. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and Subscribe to this blog for updates, entertainment, and more.

Friday, June 19, 2015

Father’s Day is Sunday — Knock his argyle socks off!

Father’s Day is this Sunday. Hopefully you’ve already planned what to do for your Dad, but if you have not we have some really fun ideas. From amazing activities to extravagant gifts or homemade crafts — we have pulled together a selection of unique suggestions that will help you on your way to the perfect Father’s Day.

Dads do a lot. Some Dads are mechanics and love cars, some Dads are fisherman and embrace the great outdoors, some Dads love technology and play video games, while some Dads are business men who love to travel; some are construction workers who can fix anything, some are gourmet chefs, news writers, or serve in the U.S. military. Some Dads are retired with grandchildren and some are just learning what it is to be a Dad. Dad means a lot of different things to different people, and while neckties, argyle golf socks and BBQs are common themes for Father’s Day, the important commonality is that what a real Dad does is protects us, teach us, and love us.

Why not use this Father’s Day to knock his socks off and show your appreciation for everything he does with the experience of a lifetime! Sea TREK helmet diving is an underwater adventure. Without even knowing how to swim, you can take your Dad underwater and enjoy the experience of walking on the sea floor while hundreds of glittery fish swirl around you. Sea TREK offers many options including: Sea TREK in an aquarium, Sea TREK in the open sea, Sea TREK with sharks, Sea TREK with stingrays and Dolphin TREK. Whether touching the wings of a stingray, holding a starfish, or walking with a dolphin — you can be sure your Dad will remember this Father’s Day with an experience that also includes creating memories with you. To learn more visit www.sea-trek.com

Another wonderful activity, just right for Father’s Day, is in Cozumel, Mexico. Clear Lounge is the world’s first underwater oxygen bar. Take Dad to this unique, interactive, freestanding aquarium, and using Sea TREK technology walk, bounce, and float along the bottom of a 13,000-gallon aquarium. You will breathe rejuvenating oxygen through the helmet with a fun scent of your choice. While in the lounge you can compete against Dad with underwater Jenga, write him messages on our magnetic boards, shoot at him with our high-powered underwater bubble guns and pose with him in our photo booth with silly props and a fun video wall. To learn more check out www.clear-lounge.com

If you want to splurge and get Dad a really wonderful gift that is perfect for family time, and that he will use again and again, you should check out the FunCat electric catamaran. Fishermen, outdoorsmen, and businessmen alike will feel their worries melt away as they motor around the lake while sitting next to you — their child. The comfortable armrests, chaise lounge seat back and silent motors make the FunCat perfect for quality Father/Son or Father/Daughter time. Check out the great summer special we have going on right now at http://www.funcats.com

Is your Dad a foodie? Or does he just love to eat? Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora in Resorts World Sentosa is promoting a special Father’s Day dinner. Dine while seated in the massive S.E.A. aquarium, and viewing the open ocean habitat with over 100,000 marine animals. Treat Dad to gourmet food, beautiful underwater scenery, and great company. Learn more here.

Want to find the perfect craft for a special handmade Father’s Day gift? We have a ton of ideas on our Father’s Day Pinterest Board. You should be able to find a tutorial or idea that will best suit your Dad. Our favorite idea is the fishing lunch! Give dad a fishing day and pack him a special lunch. Customize a lunch box; include a sandwich, drinks, and fun ‘fish’ food such as goldfish crackers, gummy worms, and Swedish fish. What a fun day!

Check out our Pinterest board for more ideas.

Follow Sea TREK® Helmet Diving's board Father's Day on Pinterest.

Additionally, be sure to spend quality time with your Dad. One day a year we honor our Father’s and the best gift you can give your Dad, is your time.

Happy Father’s Day Dads!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Weddings by the Sea — Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Weddings by the sea tips tricks and ideas heading

June is the most popular month for weddings. Sub Sea Systems is excited that our Director of Marketing, Hannah Mayfield, will be married this month to Evan de Bie, her long-time sweetheart. Because of this upcoming celebration we have weddings on our brains, and it made us wonder why June is such a popular month for the momentous occasion? Common theories include: temperate weather — perfect for outdoor weddings (Hannah’s reasoning for her choice), an abundant availability of flowers at great prices, and some older traditions that are not common reasons today, but should give you a little giggle. http://bridetide.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-is-june-most-popular-wedding-month.html

Whatever the real reason — June is wedding month, and Sub Sea Systems would like to share some really great resources for brides and grooms to be. Whether you are planning a destination wedding, booking activities for your honeymoon, or searching for unique and creative ideas to commemorate your big day, we have provided excellent advice from expert brides-to-be, blogs, and websites.

www.theknot.com provides a copious amount of information. From advice on etiquette, engagement and wedding ring shopping, local vendor connections, and inspiring photography to a customizable wedding website, The Knot makes the steps to planning a wedding a lot easier. Hannah and Evan have created a beautiful wedding website that they graciously have allowed us to share with you. Think of the possibilities! https://www.theknot.com/us/hannah-mayfield-and-evan-de-bie-jun-2015

www.honeyfund.com is a website that allows couples to register for cash toward specific honeymoon costs such as: accommodations, travel, dining, or even special tours and events. This is a great place to add a Sea TREK tour to your tropical cruise, a FunCat rental to your all inclusive resort stay, or a Clear Lounge experience to your trip to Cozumel.

Planning a destination wedding? www.airbnb.com is a great resource for finding accommodations. With many options available you can be sure you will find the right place for you and your guests’ needs. You can rent a large house for all of your family or a beautiful beachside condo for your wedding night. Thinking about a destination for your big day? Check out these beautiful wedding places around the world. http://www.brides.com/honeymoons/destination-weddings/2013/09/best-destination-wedding-locations#slide=1

Unique wedding ideas are everywhere. From really creative and often satirical photo shoots, to taco trucks, waffle bars, and bungee jumping — there certainly are a lot of really fun and different ways to get married. Here are some of our favorites:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/17/fun-wedding-ideas_n_6298112.html

And we can’t forget Sea TREK Spain’s owner/operator Filiberto Medina’s spectacular underwater photos with his beautiful wife — complete with tuxedo, gown, and champagne glasses.

Sea TREK would be the perfect avenue for a unique underwater wedding. Choose from nearly 50 locations worldwide, and plan your I dos under the sea.

And last, but NOT AT ALL least… Pinterest.

www.pinterest.com is simply inspirational. With beautiful images, links to DIY (Do it Yourself) tutorials, shopping, and innovative ideas, Pinterest allows you to create “boards” where you can “pin” your favorites. Need ideas for your invitations, favors, or tuxedos? Pinterest serves as a great source of “Pinspiration.”

Check out our Pinterest board with ocean and destination themed wedding ideas, honeymoon activities, and much more.

Follow Sea TREK® Helmet Diving's board Weddings by the Sea on Pinterest.

Please share, comment, repin and like this post. Make sure to let us know your great wedding ideas. If you are getting married this sunny June — Congratulations!.. and of course, Congratulations Hannah de Bie to be! We know your wedding will be beautiful!

Friday, June 5, 2015

One Family Reveals the Real Clear Lounge Experience

Clear Lounge — The world’s 1st underwater oxygen bar has been getting a lot of buzz, and it is not just the O2! Since it’s launch in April at Puerta Maya in Cozumel Mexico, Clear Lounge has been all over social media, news, and blogs with a lot of shares, likes and comments.

The comments have ranged from excited pledges to participate during upcoming vacations, to disdainful jokes about how boring it must be, and even disbelief that Clear Lounge is even real!

This week Sub Sea Systems reveals the firsthand account of one family that participated in Clear Lounge — and by the way… it is REAL!

The Murphy Family visits Clear Lounge

My name is Andrea Murphy. I am the social media and web designer for Sub Sea Systems. I also write this blog. I was inspired to write about my personal experience with Clear Lounge when going through social media posts and comments. I was really surprised to see that some people thought Clear Lounge looked like a boring thing to do, (I think it looks amazing) but I have also actually experienced the Clear Lounge, and I personally know how exhilarating, entertaining, and truly fun it is.

My husband (Sean Murphy), my 8-year-old daughter (Katie Murphy) and I were able to be some of the first participants to enter the Clear Lounge before it was shipped to Cozumel. My Son (Finn Murphy) watched us play in the 13,000-gallon aquarium, and begged to go in (he is only 5, and the age requirement is 8).

Clear Lounge employs an easy-to-use helmet diving system called “Sea TREK®” which enables guests to walk around and breathe in the underwater lounge. Sea TREK is so simple that nearly anyone can do it – non-swimmers, glasses and contact lens wearers, and even those who want to avoid getting their hair or make-up wet!

Hannah Mayfield (Sub Sea Systems’ Director of Marketing and an experienced Sea TREKKER) explained how the experience would work. She showed us the proper hand signals, and made sure Katie was listening and understood what to do. Katie does not know how to swim; in fact she does not even like to put her head underwater (she had a traumatic experience at the beach when she was 4). I was very surprised that she wanted to try Clear Lounge, and I was apprehensive; I did not think she would go through with it, but I was happy she wanted to try.

Hannah entered the Clear Lounge first, and then Sean. I stood by while Jim Mayfield (President and CEO of Sub Sea Systems) lowered the helmet carefully onto Katie’s shoulders. I grabbed Finn’s hand and quickly headed down the stairs to the front of the aquarium, so I could watch and get pictures of Katie. As I hurried away I noticed the look of panic on Katie’s face– I hoped that Hannah, Jim and Sean could coax her down. I raced down to the front so that could get at least one picture. By the time I got to the bottom Katie was walking around in the tank with a huge smile on her face. She kept waving and smiling, and writing messages on the magnetic message boards. Smiley faces, “This is so cool!” and “I like this!” were some of her messages.

8 year old says hello to little brother from inside clear lounge

Finn and I watched while Sean and Katie played underwater Jenga and shot the bubble guns. Katie even wrote a message to Finn, and placed her hand against the inside of the acrylic while he placed his hand on the outside.

When it was my turn to go, I realized my heart was pounding– I was nervous! I had to tell myself, “If my 8 year old can do it, I can do it!” As I climbed down the ladder into the aquarium, the helmet was lowered onto my shoulders and the water level around me began to rise. I felt a little fear. It was confusing because my brain told me I should hold my breath, but my body could still breathe normally. At the bottom of the ladder Hannah used the “OK” signal to check on me. I was still feeling a little weird. Hannah mimed taking deep breaths, and I followed her instructions. After I took about 2 deep breaths, my fear vanished — YES, I can breathe even while underwater! I began to notice things other than my panic. The citrus scent I had selected subtly blew into the Sea TREK helmet, and the cool breeze from the airflow supplied me with oxygen.

sea trek in clear lounge hi to the outside world

I turned around to view my environment and find my little Katie. It was so beautiful and surreal. The lights and bubbles sparkled all different colors. The crystal clear acrylic gave me a view of my husband and son watching us from outside. I walked toward Katie and noticed how amazing it felt to walk on the bottom. It was like bouncing, being weightless, floating and walking at the same time. Katie began to shoot me with the bubble gun. It was exhilarating to watch and feel the torrential bubbles burst apart against the acrylic lens of my helmet. I grabbed the other bubble gun and started firing back at Katie. I could see her giggle even though I could not hear it. Then we walked over to the photo booth and posed together with fun props. I even held my hand up to the acrylic so Finn could mirror my hand from the outside. Before I knew it, it was time to get out.

While I waited at the top of the ladder, Hannah had to convince Katie it was time to get out. She kept writing messages, “I don’t want to go!” and “Just a little longer.”

When she finally reached the surface she was grinning from ear to ear. “That was so cool, Mom!” she said.

When I asked her what she thought of the experience she said, “At first I was afraid, but then I got used to it and I was not afraid anymore. I was unsure about how heavy the helmet would be, but I was happy because the ball float made it lighter for me.”

“When I was underwater it felt like I was in the air, like I was flying, because there’s not as much gravity in the water,” explained Katie.

8 year old does sea trek in clear lounge with props

Katie expressed that she really enjoyed walking around, and her favorite part was shooting me (her Mom) with the bubble gun. Of course! She loved the peppermint scent, and the lips and glasses photo booth props. She recommends her friends try Clear Lounge, and says she can’t wait to do it again.

My husband, Sean, said that he loved the feeling of weightlessness and the beauty of being in the clear water. He wishes he had tried bouncing around!

Finn (my 5-year-old son) says, “It was really cool! I want to do it so I can stay underwater with an air helmet because I can’t hold my breath that long!”

I am pretty sure the oxygen gave us all a second wind that night, but maybe it was just the excitement of the Clear Lounge — although, Finn went to bed early — Hmmm?

Clear Lounge was a hit with my family (to Finn’s chagrin he will have to wait 3 more years before he can participate), so for anyone who thinks this might be boring, think again. This was one of the most exciting, distinctive, unconventional activities that I have ever tried. This is a bucket list item you did not even know you needed to check off your list.

For more information on Clear Lounge please visit www.clear-lounge.com
If you’re ready to check the experience off your bucket list, you can make a reservation today through: www.clearloungecozumel.com

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Free Desktop, iPad and iPhone Wallpapers

Because Sub Sea Systems is immersed in the underwater world, we are always capturing beautiful images. We have an extensive collection of intriguing underwater images from all of our Sea TREK locations around the world, as well as access to some wonderful shots of a variety of sea creatures. We would like to offer you some of our imagery as desktop wallpaper, or iPad and iPhone background images. Please browse the beautiful images and select the correct size for your preferred device. A new window will open. Follow the directions below.

Desktop

Right click or control click the image, select Save As, and save the image to your computer (be sure to note where you saved the image). Then navigate to your System Preferences or Control Panel and Select Desktop and change the desktop background. Select the image you saved. Done!

iPhones & iPads

Click the action/share button. Select Save to Camera Roll. Go to Settings > Wallpapers & Brightness > Choose a New Wallpaper. Navigate to the image on your Camera Roll. Done!

These images are meant for personal use only. Please Share them with your friends and enjoy the beauty of the landscape beneath the sea.
Special Thanks to Dolphin Cove, Karen Doody, and Kyle Mayfield.