★ 5

I can't say enough good about this place! I have 7 grandkids who have all attended here. We started here as soon as they opened. The older ones started at the Y, but the pool was cold, the instructors were untrained and inconsistent and they kids did not look forward to the lessons. The grands that go here range from 8 down to 2 and they LOVE coming to swim lessons! I have a large in-ground pool and other outdoor water features so SAFETY is my priority. Bear Paddle takes this super seriously. Kids are taught so many safety measures while having fun. The older ones are excellent swimmers now, working on different swim strokes and still remember all the safety things they learned early on. The staff is so accommodating and really want what is best for each child. Currently, they have created a private class for the 2 and 3 year old who had progressed very quickly through the Teddy/ Mommy and Me classes and Logan, the instructor, has been working with these two little ones in such a professional manner...having tons of fun and at the same time, teaching them what they need to know to be safe around water. I am confident that even these little ones will be mastering what they need for next summer's pool season. HIGHLY recommend! Worth every penny!

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★ 5

Bear paddle school has been incredible! Our instructor, Logan, has been absolutely amazing with my son and nephew. It’s difficult to teach two toddler boys, but he makes it fun and engaging. They both have improved in a matter of weeks with his help! I am now confident my son knows lifesaving measures around water and I will be forever grateful for the work Bear paddle does.

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★ 5

We love this place. The people are great, my grandson has learned to love the water and he looks forward to every swim lesson. The front desk staff are helpful, kind and accommodating. The teacher we have now is AMAZING.

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★ 4

This is a great place to start swim lessons. They do a good job with introduction to water & basics. However, once my kids were beyond the basics, I felt like they didn’t progress much more. We moved to a location that had longer lanes & more space. It’s really great for beginners though & would recommend. The staff is really great and honestly pretty consistent over the 5 months we were there. They pay close attention to how each kid is progressing and move them into classes accordingly. The facility is pretty clean. It’s organized and the staff look to genuinely like working there.

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★ 4

Great packages and staff. They are patient and understanding of the children.
Well laid out facility, loud but all Indoor pools are. Clean and spacious

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★ 4

Went to watch grand children learn to swim. All was great, the way the instructors helped the kids was wonderful. Facility is need of a cleaning around the poll. Rust running down walls, ventilation system needs a cleaning.

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★ 1

My two kids have been students for over two and a half years. We signed a contract at the beginning that stated we would give 30 days notice when we needed to cancel lessons, which we knew about.

We have a lot going on this summer and intended to come back in the winter and also get our third child enrolled.

However, over the last year, the quality of the facility has deteriorated, the water is frequently off temp, the instructor turnover has been high in these recent months, the classes are frequently started late or wrap up early (which for over $1/minute is ridiculous) and the broken security alarm at the entrance is incredibly annoying.

We were fine with all of that, shockingly, but just needed to cancel classes for the summer. We called on Thursday 3/6/25 to officially give notice of the cancel and the manager I spoke to told me about the 30-day notice policy and that she would make a note in our kids profiles and have the paperwork ready to sign when we came in on our regularly scheduled day on Monday.

Upon arrival, we were told that would not be the case, that it would be effective from Monday 3/10/25, meaning we would be charged for an additional class. The front desk attendant went and called her manager and said that the phone conversation, although notated, wouldn’t hold up. Even with all of the money we lost in credits that we couldn’t get rescheduled in time — and trying to cancel per contract, it left a bad taste in our mouths and unless we can get this squared away, Bear Paddle has lost a present AND future Bear Paddle family.

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★ 5

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★ 5

This place has been amazing for my kids. My son is very scared of getting his face in the water and hesitant to engage in lessons. He had been elsewhere for lessons and they were less than helpful. Miss Lexi has been flexible, patient, and kind in getting him adjusted to being the water. She has gone above and beyond to help us, and my son loves her. Thank you Lexi and Bear Paddle!

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★ 1

I am so disappointed! Our experience with our grandson started off well but then he went to instructor to instructor. They can’t keep instructors. The inconsistency is not helping him learn anything. We are polling him.

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★ 5

Fantastic instructors!

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★ 1

Front Desk Friendliness: 0/5
Swim Instructor: 4/5
Parking: 1/5
Seating: 1/5 (hardwood bench seating)
My son’s experience: 5/5

Tonight was a free consultation for our 4 year old son. Parking was extremely limited and delayed us. We walked in 2 mins late. The front desk attendant passive aggressively mentioned an issue with our tardiness several times.

The swim instructor was great with our son, but after the session we stood there waiting for a follow-up, feedback, next steps, etc. that never came. She just went back into the water and looked in another direction.

When going the front desk, I waiting several minutes standing there, trying to be obvious and being seemingly ignored, while the attendant was chatting with a coworker. Again, no follow-up, no asking for our business, no next steps, etc.

To be clear, there were no customers with the instructor when we arrived nor was anyone waiting behind us once the session was over which confused me as to why we were given such a hard time about being 2 mins late. Most places have a short grace period for this.

My son absolutely loved the experience. Sadly, because of the reasons listed above, an opportunity for the school to acquire a new customer has been lost and my son will not get to have his fun here. We will be actively seeking another swim school for our needs.

Thank you.

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★ 2

My grandson learned to swim-very slowly, as the lessons are only 30 minutes. Something that could have been learned over a summer was stretched out over two years. Beware the hidden fees. They recently charged me a new "activity fee" that I did not authorize. The 30 day cancellation policy requires cancellation in writing, not by phone. Their business practices are structured toward making the most money from the clients, not toward customer service.

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

We have been so incredibly satisfied with our Bear Paddle experience so far. Our son’s instructor is Emelia Warren. She has went above and beyond in her instruction. With our son starting lessons later than preferred, leading to a lot more fear of the water, she has demonstrated amazing patience, for which we are so grateful. He loves to swim now. A year ago, that would have seemed so unlikely to happen any time soon. Thank you Emelia and Bear Paddle Swim School!! We are so excited to watch him continue to grow in his confidence and skill with your expert instruction!

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★ 5

We love coach Abby at the Florence location! She was super interactive, fun, and my daughter showed amazing growth in just one session. Thanks, coach Abby!

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★ 4

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★ 2

I knew my kid was going to miss 2 swim classes in advance because we were going on vacation. Bear paddle would not let me reschedule her class before she missed. They said she had to miss the class first and then I could reschedule it after. I put a request in online after we got back to make it up. They didn't contact me until a week later to reschedule it (an hour before her swim class. I showed up to her class and tell them about it and they told me they could only reschedule one at a time. Now I have to wait another week to reschedule the second swim class. Where is the logic in that? Teenage girls pretty much run this facility so there’s no customer service. The girls that actually teach the class and don’t run the front desk are really good with kids but they don’t push your kids at all (probably so they can keep sucking $150 a month out of you).

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★ 1

Please don’t bring your children here, it’s a waste of money you spend so much a month and they only get 30 min a week and with 3-4 kids in a group they get like 5-10 minutes of swim time and that’s it. Swim lessons should be private for 30 minutes worth of time not 4 kids in 1 group for 30 minutes. What a waste.

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★ 1

Safety doesn’t seem to be a priority. They moved swim lessons for babies to an area that didn’t have walk in steps and the woman with the short haircut that works the front desk is unwilling to listen to reason, claiming we’re supposed to set infants on the side of the pool then get in. I’m not sure about you but I don’t feel safe putting my 9 month old on the side of the pool while I try to get in. Frankly, she was quite smug about the whole thing. Her bad attitude was unnerving. Additionally the bathroom/changing area is disgusting. I went for one month and didn’t see any staff tending to the area.

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★ 2

The good, the bad, and the ugly

The good: flexible and understanding. Family swim included in fees. Teachers are great! The pool was always a comfortable temperature. The skills assessments were helpful and our kid made amazing progress here.

The bad: They sent an unapologetic email about raising the price of private lessons by 43%! When we spoke to them management had an attitude and was unapologetic. No attempts at retention via offering other services were made. Also, for the price the floors could be so much cleaner. Lots of hair and debris everywhere.

The Ugly: This location is getting rid of sensory friendly swim time during private lessons. Once Bear Paddle Florence was accommodating to my son's disability, but this changed when a new manager took over. No recommendations or attempts at retention were made. The lack of accomodations is why we won't be back.

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★ 5

We enrolled our daughter in 2 summer clinics, and had great experiences with the instructors (Miss Jayden, and Miss Kyrie), as well as with Molly, the manager. They all showed such genuine care for providing an individualized swim experience, and went to great lengths to help our first-time swimmer succeed! Thank you Bear Paddle!

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★ 1

My grandson was already jumping into the water and accidentally going under when he began there. They just carried him & 2-3 other kids in his group, 2-3 feet back and forth for 30 mins. At the end they hop from the side to the instructor & MAYBE they go under! This same technique for 2 months accomplished NOTHING but wasted time and money! Very very very disappointed and Everyone I’ve encountered had the same experience!

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★ 5

We love it here! My daughter has more confidence in the water and ive seen tremendous improvements in her swimming skills.

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★ 5

I accompanied my daughter and granddaughter to swim today. The swim school is clean, big and welcoming. The teachers are loving and professional. I really enjoyed the experience. It would have been nice if the ladies up front would greet clients when they come in though.

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★ 5

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★ 1

As someone who has taught swim lessons and coached swimming, really underwhelmed by what they do, particularly at the price for a 30 minute lesson. On top of that they make it hard to cancel and make you give 30 days notice to cancel. Have to have a credit card on file and lots of "we'll talk to the manager" that never gets returned. Won't take our other kids here.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Grandkids love it and great instructions

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★ 5

Great first time lesson for my 10 month old!

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★ 2

Overpriced and underdelivered... I just felt like they kept doing the same thing each week. It was a bunch of teenagers teaching. Also it's hard to even find an open class. I have tried other places that were cheaper and more instructive. I wouldn't pay for it again.

Update: the email address you have sent in your reply says undeliverable when you email.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

Super cute

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★ 4

Nice my little girl loves it. Can't wait for next lesson. Each week.

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★ 5

My Grandson Carson Thompson takes classes here and today was the first time ever that I watched. His teacher was the best! I loved her personality with him!

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★ 5

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★ 5

Grandkids love this place. Great place for kids to learn to swim.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

I love it! BUT please answer your phones! Please! You gotta answer the phones, you just gotta!

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★ 4

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★ 5

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★ 5

We had a great time today at Bear pedals took my grandson for a swim lesson he's 14 months and he loved every minute of it he will be coming back!!!

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★ 4

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★ 1

My 4 yo daughter was incredibly excited to start swim lessons for the first time. The building decor was exciting and friendly. Everything was clean. Initially the class seemed ok however it was moved to the larger swim lane that is deeper.
The class ratio was 3 to 1, not bad I thought. I definitely noticed that the other 2 children had swimming experience. My daughter has never swam in a pool up to this point. There was zero instruction regarding any type of water education for my daughter. I had to stop the teenage coach and let her know my dtr had zero experience. She was about to let her just "swim" unsupported in a deep lane.
The coach was responsive and seemed to be attentive to my daughter's "extra" needs but then she just let go of her before she was at the platform and my dtr went under struggling to grab the bars of the platform. Thankfully she did get herself onto the platform, but then she was scared and crying. Rightfully so for a newbie to the water.
The coach had no awareness of the incident. My dtr refused to get back in the water, and I did not blame her. I was incredibly disappointed that her first experience with water went like this at a SWIM LESSON!
I spoke with the front desk about moving my dtr down a level because clearly this was the wrong level based on what I saw. They spoke with the coach and assured me she is in the right level. They did recognize that she may do better in the shallow lane (eye roll.) The manager was kind and did show my dtr the shallow lane and said that she would personally sit out there next week to watch her during the lesson. She also said that my dtr would get a floatie device on before she got in the pool. My dtr reluctantly agreed to a second try next week.
Hopefully, I will be able to update with a positive response. Stay tuned...

Source: Google

★ 1

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★ 1

Teachers were great but be careful with management. After trying to cancel classes for a month (I.e. called and called and always had answering machine respond), they still charged me an extra month. They make it really hard to cancel and then they say they have a 30 day notice requirement. 🤦🏼‍♀️ How convenient for them. 😡

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★ 4

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 1

Pool is dirty & staff rude

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★ 5

Great coaches and very friendly

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★ 4

Great place! My son had a good first class. It's really crowded though but that isn't their fault.

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★ 5

This place is Awesome! When we started our freshly turned 4 year old son didn't want anything to do with swimming unless it involved floaties of some sort. The teachers / coaches here are incredible and have great patience. Ms. Taylor & Ms. Maria have been fabulous with helping him progress. Ms. Taylor really took our son under her wing & went out of her way to encourage him & make classes fun! We are soooo thankful for Ms. Taylor with all her advice, along with helping us & our son. He loves her & now lovesss coming to Bear Paddle for his swim lessons!

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★ 5

My children love Bear Paddle. Everyone that we encounter from the door to the pool are wonderful. They take the details that they teach very seriously before they level up. I am very impressed with everything that they do and teach. Jennifer, Taylor, and Hannah are the best!!

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★ 5

We LOVE bear paddle! One daughter loves the water and the other not so much. After a few lessons and a lot of patience from the instructors she is finally comfortable enough to stay in the water! Our kids are around multiple bodies of water so learning to swim is really important to us and we couldn’t thank bear paddle enough for all the guidance they’ve provided and not giving up on our stubborn kid! Taylor is amazing! Even though she isn’t our instructor she has been with us from day 1 providing guidance and reassurance that we will get there! Would definitely recommend! We look forward to swim time every week!

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★ 5

I can’t stress enough how amazing this place is! All three of my kids attend classes here and love it. Bear Paddle teaches the kids the importance of water safety and builds their confidence in the water. The staff is super friendly and professional. The facilities are impeccable. We highly recommend Bear Paddle!

Source: Google

★ 5

My 3 children have all attended Bear Paddle Florence location. I have been super impressed!!! My last child was scared of the water and shy. Taylor took extra time to work with her to make her comfortable and acclimated to the water. I appreciate their patience and help with her. Would definitely recommend!!!

Source: Google

★ 5

We love our lessons! My son Everett has came here since he was 6 months old. He gets soooo excited to get in the water and swim with us and his wonderful teachers, everyone who works here is beyond sweet and great to him. We've had Maria, and Taylor as instructors and he just loves them both. Jennifer the manager is the sweetest and always makes sure to check on the families and learn everyone's name. We absolutely can't recommend this swim school enough!

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★ 5

My son absolutely loves his swim lessons, he has had Maria and Taylor as instructors, and they have both been beyond wonderful to him and his swimming growth. Thank you guys!

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★ 5

We’ve done Bear Paddle with both my son and daughter and we love it. Coach Taylor has been amazing in helping my son with not only his skills but his confidence. Even though she doesn’t teach my daughter she always makes sure to make her feel welcome and excited for swimming when she’s there. Would highly recommend!

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★ 5

We've had the greatest experience with Bear Paddle! Patrick has always been so kind and informative. The instructors have really helped our daughter stay interested and have fun learning to swim and stay safe around water. 10/10 would recommend.

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★ 5

We switched to Bear Paddle after not having luck at another facility. Since coming here my daughter has made a lot of progress. She looks forward to coming each week and seeing the people. She loves her teacher, and being greeted at the front desk when we arrive. Everyone is nice, and very helpful. And scheduling a make up is easy. So happy we switched!

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★ 5

Thank you Bear Paddle for helping my daughter so much! She just turned 3 and she’s already swimming without floats during lessons. Miss Taylor is the greatest ever, give that girl a raise! And Patrick always makes us feel welcome and excited to come to swim lessons! Can’t wait for many more milestones and patches!!

Source: Google

★ 5

LOVE Bear Paddles! We eagerly awaited their opening for our son, now 4 years old and have continued lessons with our twin 1 year old daughters. The manager and instructors are amazing with the littles and truly treat each child uniquely, push them to grow, celebrate their successes, support them through each challenge, and have a magical bucket of unlimited patience! Our 4 year old can already swim without any support and is talking about doing swim team this summer, our 1 year olds can almost fall in from the edge and get back to the wall and are starting to float or move around in the water with limited support. The safety for this momma to know that we are on a path for being safe and respectful around water is huge! And last thing I would mention, is that the team members here create a community. They know your family, they are super responsive, and always have a huge smile! I couldn't imagine having our kiddos go anywhere else and would hands down tell anyone who will listen that you owe it to your family to give them a try! A program worth every penny!

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★ 5

My daughter has been attending bear paddle and she loves it! The teachers are always friendly and greet Ryleigh with a smile. Even with a 3 student class I feel like Ryleigh always gets the help she needs to meet her individualized swimming skills. The staff are always willing to help and always make sure we feel comfortable at all of our lessons. We recently switched from one lesson a week to two.

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★ 5

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★ 4

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★ 5

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★ 5

Awesome school with teachers/coaches who have a lot of passion for teaching. And the water is warm.

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★ 5

They do a fantastic job with the kids. Fun and instructive.

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★ 5

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★ 1

Very small. Geared towards small kids. Great for toddlers. If you try it and don’t like it they will not give your money back and will avoid your phone calls. Not very well ran.

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★ 5

I love taking our son here. He really enjoys it and is learning.

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★ 5

Bear Paddle Florence is the best swim school in the area! My son has been a student since it opened and he is such a confident safe swimmer! The teachers, supervisors and front desk staff care about the kids and their experiences in the water as though they were their own children! We will be at Bear Paddle forever!

Source: Google

★ 5

Great place to have you child learn to swim. Instructors make it fun for the kids to learn how to swim. And the kids receive patches as they move up to higher levels.

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★ 3

My daughter has been going here for 16 weeks. At first it was great but that last four weeks I almost dread going. My daughter is getting better with her skills which is great but the teacher is more focused on the other kids in the class that aren't at the same skill level. And in fact I had to ask the teacher about a patch that wasn't being given to my daughter even though she was doing the skill consistently and the teacher said she thought she had given her that patch. Just getting disappointed at this point.

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★ 5

The whole family loves this place. The instructors are all very great with the kids, and the admin is always great with the parents.

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★ 5

Great teachers!

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★ 4

This is an indoor swimming school. The kids learn to swim in small groups with a trained instructor. The kids are grouped according to age and skill level. The instructors push the kids, but never too far. It is always based on the kid's own comfort level. My daughter has been going for three months and has already graduated to level 2. They give out patches kids can keep when they master a new skill. It keeps them motivated and gives them something to work towards. Thanks bear paddles!

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★ 5

Started my daughter here at 6 months old (now 17 months old). It's amazing how much she can actually do already as far as swimming. She kicks and paddles with flotation. She loves her time here every week. They actually teach children how to swim and techniques that will come in handy if they were to fall into a pool (swim toward wall, flip to breathe etc.). The staff is great! They are always friendly and ready to answer any questions you have. Highly recommend.

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★ 5

The facilities are clean and all the instructors are very kind. Highly recommended to any parent!

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★ 5

Love taking my little girl there 2X a week. The teachers are friendly, it's a safe place and I love how they gear everything towards the kids.

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★ 5

The instructors are amazing and work so well with my boys. They both love it and I highly recommend Bear Paddle Florence!

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

The facilities are impeccably clean and all the instructors we worked with were very kind. Kenzie was our coach and she did a great job managing both of my boys. I’m hoping to go back for more lessons next winter.

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★ 5

I took my boy the first day and he was so happy that he ask me to get his cousing going too. Now I have both of my grandkids learning and having fun together every week. I love the place and all the people who work there. My kids look foward to their class every week.

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★ 5

After a week of spring swim camp, we went from being afraid to let go of our 3 year olds hand near the pool to watching him get in and out safely and swim through the water with almost no support. The staff are professional and earned our son's trust. Plus, the place is always immaculately clean. I don't know how they do that with so many kids going through!

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★ 4

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★ 1

Started out ok but the professionalism and quality of class instruction went down hill fast. Due to the lack of progression of the classes, we finally decided to move our child out of the program and place her in figure skating instead. Apparently they do not like loosing business and decided to punish our child by not giving lessons during her scheduled times. Each session they would have her swim laps with little to no instructions while they focused on children in class tiers lower than her. This is what you get when you decide to move on. During our last class, they completely ignored her and had her swim laps the whole time while they focused on another child in a lower class who couldn't even swim a single lap without being held up. I recommend you stay away from this place and find more skilled instructors.

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★ 5

My 3 year old loved his first lesson at Bear Paddle. He was a little hesitant at first but the teacher was amazing with him and he warmed up really quickly. Can't wait for our next lesson!

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★ 5

Our son has enjoyed his small group lessons at Bear Paddle and will likely be swimming with no assistance at all by summer at age 4.

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★ 5

The instructors have been wonderful with my shy child. He has advanced to the next level in 6 weeks from the intro level. Very clean facilities.

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★ 5

My three-year-old has been going to Bear Paddle classes for almost two months, and we absolutely love it! When we began, he was afraid to get in the water, and he cried the whole first lesson. The teachers have been very patient and excellent in working with him. He quickly got over his fear and now loves class. We're seeing rapid progress in his comfort and swim abilities. Excellent interactions with all staff there, and nice, clean facility.

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★ 4

This is a great place to begin swim lessons. My daughter has improved so much and loves going to class. While I do wish the classes were a tad bid longer than 30 mins and that it wasn't as pricey, I would highly recommend it.

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★ 5

Great Swim School. The instructors are the best and I love the small class sizes.

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★ 4

This is a great place. My son has had so much fun learning from here. The instructors are very patient and keep the kids engaged while they wait their turn. Only reason I didn't give 5 stars is I do wish the class was just a little bit longer (like 15 min more). It seems as soon as they get started they are done but it's still long enough that it keeps my son's attention and he keeps participating.

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★ 5

Bear Paddle Swim School has exceeded my expectations! The swim lessons are a little expensive, but you get what you pay for and in this case, it's worth it. The teachers have been positive and make learning to swim fun. My daughter is so excited to go each week. I can't believe the progress she has made!

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★ 1

We like the indoor heated pool and is very clean. But I don't feel kids learn as much as they should for the money spent (very expensive for 30 minute lessons). If I could do it over again I would choose a different place. Also the front service desk guy always seems rushed and does not take the time to give you his attention and needs to work on his customer service skills.
Updated: After 6 lessons we are done with this place. We feel like we wasted our money and should have gone somewhere else.

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★ 5

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