Sub Sea Systems - Our World: July 2019

It's never easy saying goodbye to a coworker, especially one who has been with the company for nearly a decade! This week we're dedicating our blog to Christina Azbill, Sub Sea Systems’ uber-talented Graphic Designer. Although she will be sincerely missed, we’re excited to share that Christina is pursuing a new endeavor…and major life change! In her own words, here's what Christina had to share about her history with Sub Sea, and her new adventure.

What has prompted your departure from Sub Sea Systems?

I had the opportunity to purchase a business and become an entrepreneur. My daughter, Ashley, and I are the proud new owners of a restaurant. It’s an established restaurant in my hometown. We'll be serving up burgers, pouring beer, and scooping ice cream!

Tell us more!

I live in a little town called Garden Valley, in the beautiful foothills of Northern California. There are few restaurants that serve locals, and this particular restaurant is a popular, well-known spot. Our community is very supportive and really wants a place to dine out. Soon, Ashley and I will be serving both locals and tourists alike, seven days a week!

Red Rooster Burgers & Brew

What will your new workday look like?

Our hours are 11am-8pm– serving both lunch and dinner. It’ll be a long day!

What is the most exciting (and scariest) aspect of this career move?

I am most excited to be working alongside my daughter– who also happens to be pregnant with my first grandchild! I’ll be able to see her grow into the best Mom ever. I’m sure that will prove to be both exciting and challenging.

The scariest part of this major change is that I will be leaving the career I worked so hard to enter into, graphic design. I was a single Mom with two little kids in tow (Ashley and James), while I attended college to obtain my degree. It was six years of very hard work and a lot of challenges!

What will you miss the most about working at SSS?

I will miss my Sub Sea Systems' family, whom I have seen every workday for 9 years. I will also miss the innovative ideas SSS is involved with.

Hannah and Christina

What skills have you learned at SSS that you will take with you to your new gig?

Now that I will have my own employees, I plan to treat them like family, just as SSS’ management treated their employees.

What is the name of your new business? Give it a shameless plug.

Red Rooster Burgers & Brew!

Red Rooster Burgers & Brew Ice Cream Counter!

How did you come up with the business’ name?

For many years locals referred to the building that we’re purchasing as the “R&R.” We wanted to "go retro" and integrate R&R back into the business name. Ashley runs a coffee trailer on the premises called Red Rooster Coffee Stop. (R&R / Red Rooster). We decided to establish a connection to both businesses, so we chose Red Rooster Burgers & Brew. We can’t wait to start!

What are some of your favorite memories of working at SSS?

With SeaTREK, I enjoyed working with the Operators, helping them brand their business or getting them ready for operation by processing their SeaTREK Guide certifications. The Operators are extended members of the SSS family.

With FunCat, I enjoyed rebranding it to SolarCat, helping to give it a more desirable look and watching it morph into a solar energy-making machine. ☺

Clear Lounge was an amazing project to work on. Creating large format graphics, helping with the layout, and every little tiny detail was fun and challenging!

Aquaticar took me to another level of design and really got my brain working. Helping to design part of the car, and laying out the system for potential clients to visualize what they could do with an Aquaticar system was very rewarding.

Deep Dive VR is another fun, large-format project. Projects like this (from conception to production) are fun because we get to create everything that is put in front of potential clients. Everything from imagery to actual models of what the project will look like when built. Modeling the projects in 3D was a highlight of mine, but mostly I reveled in creating the mini models. I really get a kick out of creating something on a small level that mimics the actual finished, full-sized product.

REEF ALLIANCE cleanup day is a day I try not to ever miss and have only missed one cleanup day due to my son Jordan’s football schedule, (GO JUNIOR GRIZZLIES!) It’s a nice way to give back to the community and help our world have a little less garbage in its oceans.

Christina and her kids- James, Ashley, and Jordan

What would you like to add as your final farewell?

This is not farewell! This is, "see you this weekend for Happy Hour!" Haha ☺ ...and bring the office dogs!

We wish Christina the greatest success with her new business and look forward to a "company outing" for burgers, brews, and celebratory ice cream!

Follow Red Rooster Burgers and Brew on their Facebook page for updates on the restaurant!

Christina's Rooster, Jeff

As we approach our 20th anniversary this month, we pause for a moment of reflection and attempt to define 20 years of passion and hard work. It seems like it was just a couple years ago that we started our very first Sea TREK helmet diving program at Xcaret Park in Mexico.

Over the years, we have been fortunate to travel the world, establish new locations, and work with talented operators and certified Sea TREK Guides, whose dedication and commitment have helped Sea TREK grow beyond our wildest expectations. Together, we have established over 50 Sea TREK locations and made the underwater world accessible to millions of guests!

We have many memories and milestones to celebrate, however, we’ve narrowed it down to some of the most significant highlights from the past 20 years. Join us for a walk down memory lane!