Un Mar de Colores · San Diego, CA
San Diego's Free Week-Long Surf Camp by Un Mar de Colores
Monday through Friday, 8am–3pm: four hours in the water, afternoons in ecology and Kumeyaay coastal history.
Un Mar de Colores ofrece surf camp gratuitas para jóvenes de San Diego de 6–17 años, directamente en la costa de San Diego. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 55% BIPOC (1,386,932 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en La Jolla Shores y Tourmaline, con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de Kate Sessions Elementary, Mission Beach Elementary, Pacific Beach Middle.
Horario — programa en San Diego
Summer (June–August), Monday–Friday cohorts · Completamente gratis
Quizás sientes esto
- —Your teen and your younger child need different pacing, but most camps lump ages together without structure.
- —Large commercial ratios mean nervous first-timers from San Diego get lost in the lineup — or never enter it.
- —After-school is packed during the year — summer is the only window, and affordable options in San Diego vanish fast.
Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua
- Marine ecology afternoons connect surf skills to watershed science relevant to San Diego and San Diego.
- Bilingual staff and parent communications in English and Spanish every day of the week.
- Cultural arts workshops — painting, poetry, storytelling — with Kumeyaay coastal history modules.
Por qué operamos este programa en San Diego
San Diego is the second-largest city in California with a 30% Hispanic/Latino population and the 2nd-largest school district in the state. Our San Diego programming spans La Jolla Shores, Tourmaline Surfing Park, Mission Beach, and OB Pier, serving San Diego Unified's 98,000 students — with particular focus on Title I middle and high schools in PB, Mission Bay, and Point Loma.
- Población
- 1,386,932
- Residentes BIPOC
- 55%
- Hogares hispanohablantes
- 30%
- Distancia a la playa
- En la costa
Surf Camp en San Diego — Lo que debes saber
Free surf camp in San Diego isn't a summer gimmick — it's how Un Mar de Colores delivers full-week ocean immersion for BIPOC youth ages 6–17. While commercial camps charge $400–$800 per week, we provide five Monday–Friday full days of certified bilingual instruction, marine ecology, cultural arts, lunch, gear, and transportation at zero cost.
Marine ecology at camp answers why San Diego beaches close after storms or sewage events — students learn watershed-to-ocean pipelines, especially relevant near cross-border river systems like the Tijuana River.
Por qué San Diego importa para nuestra misión
When we say free for San Diego youth, we mean wetsuits, soft-tops, rashguards, sunscreen, transportation, and instruction — the full stack commercial programs charge $50–$150 per session for.
With 1,386,932 residents, San Diego is one of the communities where a single free surf cohort can change dozens of lives per season. Our shuttles and school partnerships make distance (on the coast) a logistics problem we solve, not a barrier families carry alone.
Socios comunitarios locales en San Diego
En asociación con el San Diego Unified School District y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 5+ escuelas Título I.
Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I
- San Diego Unified School District
- •Kate Sessions Elementary
- •Mission Beach Elementary
- •Pacific Beach Middle
- •Mission Bay High
- •Point Loma High
Socios comunitarios
- ◆San Diego Unified School District
- ◆San Diego Junior Lifeguards
- ◆Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- ◆San Diego Public Library
- ◆Mission Bay Aquatic Center
Currículo del programa
Our summer surf camps run Monday through Friday across North County and San Diego, serving BIPOC youth ages 6–17. Each one-week cohort combines four mornings of in-water surf instruction with afternoon programming in marine ecology, Kumeyaay coastal history, and cultural arts. Camps are capped at 18 students per cohort to maintain a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio, and every camp ends with a Friday family showcase on the beach. Camps are entirely free — wetsuits, boards, transportation, daily lunch, and all materials included.
- →Daily in-water surf instruction (4 hrs/day)
- →Marine ecology & watershed education
- →Cultural arts workshops (painting, poetry, storytelling)
- →Kumeyaay coastal history and stewardship
- →Nutrition and hydration for athletes
- →Friday family showcase and celebration
Qué se incluye — Gratis para cada joven de San Diego
- ✓5-day Monday–Friday full-day camp (8am–3pm)
- ✓Certified bilingual instructors (CPR + First Aid, 4:1 ratio)
- ✓Wetsuit, soft-top surfboard, and rashguard for the week
- ✓Free daily lunch and snacks
- ✓Round-trip transportation from Title I schools
- ✓Cultural arts and marine biology enrichment
- ✓Family showcase and photo album
Por qué Un Mar de Colores
Since 2018, Un Mar de Colores has served thousands of youth across San Diego County and the Cali-Baja region — with funding from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors keeping every program 100% free.
Lo que dice nuestra comunidad
“"He used to approach new activities with extreme anxiety — to the point where sometimes we couldn't even get out of the car. Now he goes much deeper into the water."”
Preguntas frecuentes — Surf Camp en San Diego
Who certifies surf camp instructors in San Diego?+
Coaches hold CPR and First Aid credentials and train with San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division protocols. Many are alumni of our Surf Athletic Scholarship program. Safety documentation is available to San Diego parents on request.
Is transportation provided from San Diego to surf camp?+
Round-trip shuttle transportation runs from partner Title I schools. If San Diego is inland (on the coast from the coast), we solve the daily commute — not your family. Coastal cohorts meet directly at local teaching beaches near La Jolla Shores and Tourmaline.
How is Un Mar surf camp different from commercial camps near La Jolla Shores and Tourmaline?+
Commercial camps optimize for paying tourists and locals with gear. Un Mar is a BIPOC-led nonprofit: free instruction, Title I partnerships, marine ecology and Kumeyaay history curriculum, and coaches who reflect San Diego's communities. We're building access, not selling camp weeks.
¿Los programas de Surf Camp en San Diego son realmente gratuitos?+
Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en San Diego son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Kate Sessions Elementary, Mission Beach Elementary, Pacific Beach Middle, e instrucción bilingüe certificada. El financiamiento proviene de la San Diego Foundation, subvenciones comunitarias y donantes individuales.
¿Dónde se realizan exactamente las lecciones en San Diego?+
Las lecciones principales se realizan en La Jolla Shores. Todas las sesiones de agua ocurren dentro de las zonas salvavidas de la bandera.
¿Qué edades son elegibles en San Diego?+
Servimos a jóvenes de 6–17 años. Nuestra Beca One Ocean cubre las edades 6-12, Ocean Stewards After-School sirve a 13-17, y las Becas Atléticas de Surf están disponibles para jóvenes competitivos a través de nuestras asociaciones con San Diego Unified School District.
¿Cómo inscribo a mi hijo/a?+
Contáctenos a través de nuestra página de contacto. La inscripción prioritaria se otorga a estudiantes de Kate Sessions Elementary, Mission Beach Elementary, Pacific Beach Middle y otras escuelas de Título I en San Diego Unified School District. Los grupos de verano suelen llenarse con 3-4 semanas de anticipación.
¿Listo para entrar al agua?
Spots in our San Diego cohorts are limited to keep instructor ratios safe. Contact us to reserve a place.
Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores son gratuitos para jóvenes de San Diego. Contáctanos para inscribirte, hacer voluntariado, o apoyar el movimiento.
Un Mar de Colores es una organización sin fines de lucro 501(c)(3) liderada por personas BIPOC, basada en Oceanside, California. Ofrecemos programación gratuita de surf, océano y educación ambiental para jóvenes en San Diego y Tijuana — conectando culturas, costas y comunidades desde 2018.
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