v3.25.2
Commitments and contingencies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and contingencies

Note 8. Commitments and contingencies

 

Royalty Agreement

 

On June 30, 2020, the Company entered into On June 30, 2020, the Company entered into Amendment No. 2 to its Patent License Agreement with Setaysha Technical Solutions, LLC (“STS”). The amendment set certain limits and expectations of the assistance from STS related to designing and commercializing certain diving products and revised the royalty payments due to STS as consideration for uncompensated services. The Company is obligated to pay STS a minimum yearly royalty of $60,000, or$15,000 per fiscal quarter, beginning in December 2019 and increasing by 2.15% per year. The minimum royalty was temporarily increased to $60,000 for fiscal years 2022, 2023 and 2024, with a fourth quarter true up against earned royalties. In addition, if the Company terminates the Agreement with STS prior to December 31, 2023, the Company is obligated to pay STS $180,000, less cumulative royalties paid in excess of $200,174 for the years 2019 through 2024. In accordance with the amendment, the Company will pay additional minimum royalties of $60,000 per year or $15,000 per quarter for the years 2022 through 2024. On January 24, 2024, the Company entered into Addendum No. 3 to the STS Agreement. Addendum No. 3 delays the additional minimum yearly royalty of $60,000, or $15,000 per fiscal quarter from 2024 to 2025. Therefore, no additional minimum royalty was required during 2024,but will be required beginning the fiscal first quarter of 2025. 2025 will be the final year of the additional minimum royalty under the STS agreement. On November 1, 2022 the Company issued to the designees of STS 1,155,881 shares of common stock with a fair value of $30,000 in accordance with the Patent License Agreement. Royalty recorded under the Amended agreement was $125,159.32 and $138,643 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As included in other liabilities, accrued royalties under this agreement were $35,020 and $41,151 at December 31, 2024 and 2023,

 

 

Consulting and Employment Agreements

 

On August 1, 2021, the Company and Blake Carmichael entered into a three-year employment agreement (the “Blake Carmichael Employment Agreement”) pursuant to which Mr. Carmichael served as Chief Executive Officer of BLU3. In consideration for his services, Blake Carmichael received (i) an annual base salary of $120,000, payable in accordance with the customary payroll practices of the Company, (ii) a cash bonus equal to 5% of the net income of BLU3, payable quarterly, beginning with the first full calendar quarter after the execution of the agreement, and (iii) upon execution of the Carmichael Employment Agreement, a non-qualified five-year stock option to purchase 3,759,400 shares at $0.0399, 33.3% of which shares vest immediately, 33.3% vest on the second anniversary, and 33.3% vest on the third anniversary of the agreement. In addition, Blake Carmichael is entitled to receive a five-year stock option to purchase up to 18,000,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.0399 per share that will vest upon annual financial metrics based upon a revenue measurement, expediency measurement and an EBITDA measurement. A measurement was made for the six months ended June 30, 2024 resulting in no additional expense since the vesting criteria were not met.

 

On September 3, 2021, SSI and Christeen Buban entered into a three-year employment agreement (the “Buban Employment Agreement”) pursuant to which Ms. Buban shall serve as the President of SSI. In consideration for her services, Mrs. Buban shall receive (i) an annual base salary of $110,000, payable in accordance with the customary payroll practices of the Company, (ii) a car allowance and cell phone allowance of $10,800 per year, (iii) a five-year option issued under the Plan to purchase 300,000 shares of common stock of the Company at $0.0531 per share, which option vests quarterly over the eight calendar quarters.

 

In addition, Mrs. Buban is entitled to receive a five-year stock option to purchase up to 7,110,000 shares of common stock of the Company at an exercise price of $0.0531 per share, which vests upon the attainment of certain defined annual financial metrics, as set forth in the Buban Employment Agreement. A measurement was made for the three months ended June 30, 2024 and no expense was recorded based upon the vesting criteria not being met.

 

 

On January 17, 2022, the Company entered into an agreement with The Crone Law Group, PC (“CLG”) for the provision of legal services. In consideration therefore, the Company will pay CLG a monthly flat fee of $3,000 for SEC reporting work and its normal hourly rate for other legal work and issued 1,000,000 shares of common stock with a fair market value of $27,500 to CLG.

 

On May 2, 2022, the Company entered into a two-year employment agreement with Steven Gagas (the “Gagas Employment Agreement”) pursuant to which Mr. Gagas shall serve as the General Manager of the dive shop currently operating within LBI. In consideration for his services Mr. Gagas shall receive an annual salary of $50,000.

 

On May 2, 2022, LBI, entered into a lease assignment agreement with Gold Coast Scuba, LLC and Vicnsons Realty Group, LLC whereby LBI is the assignee of a three year lease for the property located at 259 Commercial Blvd., Suites 2 and 3 in Lauderdale-By-The Sea, Florida for $2,816 per month base rent. The lease expired on March 31, 2023 and LBI is currently renting on a month to month basis. LBI has the option to renew the lease for a two year term with an increase of base rent of 3.5%.

 

On September 14, 2022, SSI entered into a sixty-month lease renewal for its facility in Huntington Beach, California commencing on February 1, 2022 with base rent of approximately $17,550 per month for the first 24 months with an annual escalation clause of 3.0% thereafter. Obligations under the lease are guaranteed by the Company. The Company paid an additional security deposit of $10,727 upon entering into the lease.

 

On September 30, 2022, SSI entered into a sublease of its facility in Huntington Beach, California with Camburg Engineering, Inc. (“Tenant”) commencing October 1, 2022, The term of the sublease is through December 31, 2023, with a base monthly rent of $2,247 for the first twelve months with a 3% annual escalation thereafter. The Tenant also pays a monthly common area maintenance of $112. The Tenant provided a security deposit of $2,426 upon entering into the sublease.

 

On December 22, 2022, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (the “CPSC”) issued a voluntary recall notice for the Nomad tankless dive system, which is distributed by BLU3, Inc. As part of the recall procedure, the CPSC has approved the Company’s proposed remedy for the recall and BLU3 received units back from consumers to repair affected Nomad units. The Company has evaluated the costs of this recall and has deemed it necessary to set an allowance of $160,500 for such costs. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 the Company repaired and returned 653 units to customers resulting in a reduction of the allowance of $93,161 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.

 

Legal

 

There are no outstanding legal issues as of July 30, 2025