SpringAdventures, LLC - Gainesville, Florida

Stephen M.

We had a fantastic experience with Robert as our children’s scuba diving instructor! Our kids were supposed to finish their open water dives with a local instructor, but when that fell through, we were scrambling to find someone near Gainesville. Living in Charlotte, NC, I expected it to be a challenge. However, from the moment Robert answered the phone, I knew we were in good hands.

Robert was thorough in explaining his services and setting clear expectations. When we arrived for the first day of lessons, the weather fortunately cleared up, and we got started. Robert’s personality was perfect—his humor made the lessons enjoyable for the kids while keeping them focused. He maintained their attention throughout and ensured they accomplished everything they needed to.

Safety was a top priority for Robert, and he made sure the kids understood how to stay safe during their dives. Over the course of two days, we completed four dives, and apart from the unpredictable weather (which, unfortunately, Robert can’t control!), we couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

If you’re looking for a dive instructor who combines fun, professionalism, and a strong emphasis on safety, I highly recommend Robert. He made the process smooth and enjoyable for everyone involved!

Leigh W.

Robert is a rock start Scuba Instructor. He provided Scuba class for four of our groups of teenagers in person in Florida after completing the online course. Robert was very kind and patient while instructing our neurodiverse population aged 13-18. He was also very flexible with the structure of the course in order to meet the needs of our groups and give them the best possible experience. He stayed late or shifted time to accommodate the weather and our students learning speed/processing.

While supporting our students accommodations Robert never sacrificed the safety or content of the course. He emphasized safety, functional skills and skill retention along with high standards of risk management throughout the course.

Not only did we complete the certification he made sure it was fun for everyone involved with humor and showing us great dives and locations.

Nathaniel G.

Robert is THE MAN!! Scuba has been a bucket list item for a long time and I couldn’t imagine a better instructor to learn from! Roberts passion for scuba made the course extremely enjoyable and informative. Very grateful to have this experience with Robert for our course as the dive spots he took us to provided the best intro to scuba experience imaginable. Can’t recommend a better instructor and will definitely be back for more learning with him!

Kelsey B.

If you choose Robert and Spring Adventures for your scuba certification you won't be disappointed! Robert was a blast to work with and an amazing instructor. I wish I could say that I took to diving like a fish to water, but my first day was difficult. I was anxious and nervous, cold, having a hard time getting used to breathing with the regulator, and there were times I thought I wanted to quit, but Robert stuck with me. Everytime I felt myself getting nervous, I could see him getting more and more calm. It helped immensely. By the end of the second day, I was having a blast. He was extremely supportive, informative, safe, and again fun. Can't say enough great things! Thanks again for helping me accomplish my goal, Robert!

sherry F.

I had a great experience learning what is required to scuba. Robert did a great job pushing me to get past my small panic issues. I managed to accomplish the related tasks and get a good feel for scuba. Would definitely recommend Robert if you are interested in trying a scuba session 😀 👍

Jack D.

Robert is an incredible dive instructor! He prioritized our safety throughout our 2 day open water course and had a great progression with skills/diving locations to learn. Cant beat learning to dive in Florida springs with manatees swimming around! The small class size led to a very personalized opportunity to learn. Highly recommend SpringAdventures for any diving course/gear rentals/gear recommendations! Thank you Robert!

Rebecca E.

Robert Bauer (SpringAdventures, LLC) is an excellent Scuba Instructor. Beyond being deeply knowledgeable, experienced & capable, he is patient (understatement) & compassionate. If you are physically able & mentally serious about learning to dive, this guy will absolutely get you there safely & competently. His teaching equipment is top shelf and it is meticulously maintained (that’s really important). He conducted the course exactly how it was represented on the website.

Note: Diving is an athletic endeavor both mentally & physically.

I wasn’t prepared (my bad) for the intensity and steep learning curve of this 2 day compressed course; the whole thing was new to me from the gear to breathing under water to the required skills. All I’d ever seen about diving was in movies or limited diving stuff I witnessed when previously viewing Florida’s beautiful springs from the safety of the adjacent dry ground. Scuba is bucket list item for me, but I was unprepared for the task ahead to actually master it.

The gear is heavy - it was more than half my body weight, so carrying it on dry land (to/from parking lot/water) presented unexpected challenges for me (5’6”, 125 lbs).

As you prepare to take this course, my advice is be familiar with how you as an individual learn a new skill. Are you an adept swimmer who will easily acquire new underwater skills in a constantly changing environment while executing submerged, simultaneous tasks or do you need more time (like me) to break the process down into parts and practice (repeatedly) on land before adding water (and repeating again)?The key there is MORE TIME, which is not necessarily an option in this two day class ESPECIALLY if there are others taking the same class at the same time. There’s no right or wrong, just know what YOUR style before engaging a 2 day course. Most importantly, don’t be shy if once you get there, you are struggling. If you are acing skill after skill right down the line, bravo (I’m jealous), but if it’s not coming easily or naturally, do yourself a huge favor and have meaningful & multiple conversations with your instructor about your innate abilities. Check in with how you, and how he/she thinks you, are doing. There’s no shame in it and your life (and possibly the life of others), hang in the balance.

Further, I’d suggest watching as many PADI teaching videos on YouTube as you can find BEFORE starting class. I wish I had. It would have lended a very helpful element of “what to expect-ness”.

Robert rightfully takes safety with the utmost seriousness. He saved my butt a number of times while I discovered for myself that I just plain & simple need more time to become safe & proficient. That’s on me, not him. He did the best with what he had to work with and he did get me safely to the bottom where I could witness for myself cave vents disgorging 750 crystalline gallons per second. Which is really what it’s all about - having FUN and experiencing the glories of the whole underwater world. Thank you, Robert, for your commitment to safely teach me new & glorious things about diving…and myself.
God bless.

Antony C.

Robert was an amazing instructor and provided a very quality, relaxing, and safe experience. I came to him for specific certification for my career and he was able to teach me skills that were going to be beneficial to the type of work I would be doing. Will definitely come back for future certs.