About
Bear Paddle Swim School - Louisville offers year-round swimming lessons for children of all ages and skill levels in a fun, safe, and engaging environment. They focus on progressive skill development with small class sizes and highly trained instructors, aiming to build water safety and confidence.
The facility features warm, 90-degree saltwater pools, providing a comfortable learning environment for swimmers.
What are people saying (AI review summary)? Reviews for this swim school are mixed, highlighting both strong positives and significant negatives. Many customers praise the fun learning environment, clean and well-maintained facilities, excellent instructors (specifically mentioning Miss Abby and good instructor-to-child ratios), and a focus on essential safety skills like the 'humpty dumpty' practice. However, several critical issues were raised. Concerns include perceived poor value for money, with some parents feeling children only get 10-15 minutes of actual swim time in a 30-minute class. A major point of contention is customer service, with reports of unanswered phone calls for weeks, inflexible membership hold policies for loyal customers (even for valid reasons like ear piercings), and a perceived lack of benefits for long-term patrons. High staff turnover and always-rising prices for classes are also mentioned. Lastly, parking can be challenging during busy times.
Location
Gallery
Amenities
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Accepts Credit Cards
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Accessible Entrance
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Accessible Restroom
Reviews
Listing Reviews
August 11th, 2025Brian C Newman
Clean, fun pool school for the young kids to become water fans. Facilities are well-maintained, and front desk staff are helpful. Parking can be challenging at busy times.
June 4th, 2025crystal spencer
This place is amazing and I love that they make learning fun but also a good level of making the children mind the teachers. I can not speak highly enough about miss abby! My daughter loves having her as a teacher and even on make up days where abby is not her teacher, she gets in a wave or a hello to my little girl. I highly recommend giving the complimentary class a try and seeing if its a good fit for you!
August 11th, 2024Deepak Thapa
They will charge you for a 30-minute class and when multiple children with a single teacher your kids will be able to swim on for a good 10-15 minutes. They should charge for 15 minutes, not for 30 Minutes
April 17th, 2018Karla Hill
My 3 yr old daughter loves her swim classes! They take it easy with her and are careful not to push her out of her comfort zone while also making sure she's learning new skills. I particularly like the "humpty dumpty" skill at the end of every class where they practice what to do if you fall in the pool. The instructor to child ratio is incredible and the teachers really do a good job!!
August 14th, 2024La'Shai Williamson
I am VERY disappointed with Bear Paddle. My child has been a swimmer here for 5 YEARS and i normally am mostly satisfied outside of the high turnover or teachers, bit even that I understand to a certain degree with kids going off to college or wanting a livable wage. But they recently lost one of their best employees who managed the hell out of that place. And when she left apparently so did the importance of answering the phones. I have tried for 2 WEEKS to call them and ask if my child's membership can be held and not taken out of my account this month due to her getting her ears pierced. She is not allowed to swim for 30 days. And when they FINALLY answered their phone today I was told that they couldn't do that but they could give me makeup classes. As a person who already have about 15-20 makeup classes this is absolutely absurd to me. There is no benefit of being a loyal customer for 5 years? Nevermind the ALWAYS rising prices of these 30 minute classes, but now I can't put a simple hold on her account. It's literally one month, smdh. These are the things that make me not want to spread the word for others to join here. The policies are totally outdated and not realistic. Life happens, I appreciate the makeup up lessons but at this point I just want the money to not come out. There are many more swim schools in Louisville now, that offers better deals for first time customers, and maybe even better loyal customer benefits.
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Opening Hours
| Sunday | 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM |
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| Monday | 3:00 – 8:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 3:00 – 8:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 3:00 – 8:00 PM |
| Thursday | 3:00 – 8:00 PM |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM |
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