Bear Paddle Swim School - Florence

"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."

"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!"

"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)."

"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."

"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."