Testimonials
A. Tack
My husband Brad and I decided to take sailing 101 and 103 with Floridaze Sailing and it was the best thing. We have always talked about buying a boat and sailing away but we weren't comfortable buying a boat before we knew how to sail. We talked to Bob, ordered our books and schedule a time to come down. Once our books arrived we started reading and very quickly found out that there was much more to sailing than just setting sail. I have never been in a sailboat before this time and I loved every minute of it. The first days felt like the longest. Just getting used to what we needed to be doing and learning what everything was got a little stressful, not going to lie. I am not going to claim to know everything, we still have lots to learn.
It's such a different world that powerboats but it's a good different.
Bob's experience and knowledge of sailboats is unmeasurable. He was such a patient and kind teacher we couldn't have asked for anyone better. After our four days of classes we left knowing we would always have a teacher, mentor, friend in Captain Bob. He did give us one piece of advice before leaving and that was not to buy a boat before running it past him first. Which was reassuring because we knew he wasn't just doing the classes and that was the end of it.
Well, after returning home we were fortunate enough to find a boat in his area that he has helped advise us on and even took time out of his day to go look at the boat for us. We cannot express our gratitude for his knowledge and expertise. He even gave us the shirt off his back!
Brad and I would highly recommend Floridaze Sailing for anyone looking to start a new sailing chapter in their life.
Greg
My son and I took our first three classes with Capt. Bob and at the end of it we each were able to single hand a 30 foot boot. I will advise anyone that wants to learn to sail to take his class. I will also tell them that by the end of day two you might want to throw him overboard but hang in there he’s a tough teacher but you will know what you are doing at the end of it and will appreciate what he teaches you. We now own a Pearson 303 and are confident in our sailing abilities to know when and how to sail or when not to sail. We keep our boat in Pensacola and love every moment on it, which it at least once a month and that’s not enough. I forgot to mention that the time on the water verses the classroom time is a better than any other school I have seen.
Linda
Thoroughly enjoyed my day on the water with Captain Bob and crew. Signed up for a sunset cruise, and in addition to being entertained with sailing stories, rum drinks, and Jimmy Buffet, Capt. Bob taught us the basics of sailing without us even realizing we were being taught. Will come back for more!
Jim
Instead of our usual week lying on the beach and often being in different places, our family spent four days learning how to sail with Captain Bob. Bob had to work with people of different ages and sailing experience (including complete novices) and was an outstanding instructor for all. Our classroom was the boat itself and Cpt. Bob’s approach to learning was hands-on. With decades of sailing experience, including competitive racing, Cpt. Bob really knows what he is doing. He will not let you get by with doing anything that could build bad habits or make sailing unsafe. At the same time, his passion for sailing, carpe diem ethos and big-hearted nature are infectious. You will not be able to just kick back but you will have a great time. Sailing gave us a deeper appreciation of the sea itself and the life in it: we saw porpoise alongside our boat on a couple of occasions. We left this spring break with wonderful memories and when our teenage sons were asked how they spent their vacation, they could say they learned how to become sailors. How cool. If you have any interest in sailing, DO THIS. Bob is great. - Marcia, April 2015
"My friend Joe and I decided we wanted to learn to sail. We had no experience, but wanted to take an immersion course to learn as quickly as possible so we could charter sailboats on our own. After researching a number of schools, we decided on Capt. Bob at Floridaze Sailing School because of their great reputation with former students, and having been rated as ASA school and captain of the year. Capt. Bob was very flexible in scheduling our week of classes where we took ASA 101, 103, and 104. We were definitely not disappointed. Capt. Bob knows his sailing. He is serious about getting it right and expects your full attention, but he makes sure you learn what you need to know to sail on your own. We chartered a 32 ft. sailboat a month after our lessons and felt completely comfortable. We highly recommend Capt. Bob and Floridaze Sailing School. Not only will you learn how to sail, but you'll have a good time doing it."
Holly
My husband and I took sailing lessons from Capt Bob, Aug, 2009, to become certified in bareboat coastal cruising. Captain Bob was very hard on us during our lessons. He was highly critical of our sailing, insisted on perfection in our navigation and opened a can of you know what on us at times! He gave us so much homework every night that we could barely watch any football. That's a crime in Alabama in case you don't know. He was so kind to arrange his schedule such that we could travel from Birmingham and get these courses in over long weekends to miss the minimum of work. He threw in a review day of sailing at a great rate to help us out and help us prepare for our first bareboat cruise. He was tough. The lessons were not easy, but BOB KNOWS HIS STUFF! We are proud to be sailors and that we can charter 42' bareboat and give them back the yacht better than we received it. Our first trip involved departing the doc on a rainy day and we were so glad that Bob insisted we know how to navigate well. We sailed for 10 days on 3 trips to the BVI and 1 to Antigua. We're returning to USVI and BVI this Dec. Last Dec, I was awakened on my birthday to pelicans diving off the starboard stern in a gorgeous anchorage off Peter Island and I remembered to thank God for Capt Bob who helped us get there!
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