Youth Surf Therapy at The Strand, Wisconsin Street Beach near Oceanside, California

Un Mar de Colores · Oceanside, CA

Trauma-Informed Surf Therapy Near The Strand, Wisconsin Street Beach for Oceanside

Free wetsuits, boards, transportation, and bilingual staff — zero cost during grief, stress, or instability.

Un Mar de Colores ofrece surf therapy gratuitas para jóvenes de Oceanside de 6–17 años, directamente en la costa de Oceanside. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 61% BIPOC (174,068 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en The Strand, Wisconsin Street Beach, con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de South Oceanside Elementary, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Ditmar Elementary.

Horario — programa en Oceanside

Monthly cohorts, year-round · Completamente gratis

Quizás sientes esto

—Your child is struggling — anxiety, grief, immigration stress — and traditional therapy waitlists in Oceanside stretch months.
—BIPOC youth in Oceanside (61% of residents) face mental health stigma layered on coastal access barriers.
—You worry the ocean isn't safe for a child already anxious — nobody explained trauma-informed pacing on the water.

Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua

Kumeyaay-led healing modules developed with elders — culturally grounded, not generic wellness language.
Somatic and movement-based therapy integrated with surf — body literacy through ocean movement.
Peer mentorship in small groups builds community — youth heal alongside others from Oceanside schools.

Por qué operamos este programa en Oceanside

Oceanside is Un Mar de Colores's home city — where free surf lessons, summer surf camp, and Ocean Stewards after-school were built for BIPOC youth, not as a commercial surf school. With 3.5 miles of coastline, the 1,942-foot Oceanside Pier, and 53,000+ students in Oceanside Unified, it is the epicenter of our work. The Strand, Wisconsin Street, and South Oceanside Beach host nearly all of our year-round programming, and most of our staff and youth come from the MLK Community Center and Boys & Girls Club of Oceanside.

Población: 174,068
Residentes BIPOC: 61%
Hogares hispanohablantes: 36%
Distancia a la playa: En la costa

Surf Therapy en Oceanside — Lo que debes saber

Licensed mental health professionals on-site differentiate Un Mar from volunteer-led beach days marketed as 'therapy' near The Strand, Wisconsin Street Beach.

Environmental justice framing in therapy modules connects emotional healing to why Oceanside beaches close after storms — watershed stress isn't abstract.

Por qué Oceanside importa para nuestra misión

The ocean off Oceanside belongs to everyone. Un Mar de Colores exists because San Diego has spent decades telling BIPOC youth otherwise — and we're changing that story one cohort at a time.

Whether Oceanside is on the coast or on the coast inland, we treat transportation as part of the program — not an extra parents must figure out. That's how you build real access, not marketing copy.

Dónde surfeamos en Oceanside

The Strand

Principiante

Un Mar's primary Oceanside teaching beach — south of the pier. Sand-bottom beginner reform, year-round lifeguards, and direct access from Oceanside Unified make The Strand where most free surf lessons and Thursday Ocean Stewards sessions start.

South of Oceanside Pier, The Strand has been a teaching beach for San Diego County surf programs for decades. The Oceanside Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division covers this stretch year-round. Summer swells here are often knee-to-waist high — ideal for first paddles without resorting to steeper North County point breaks.

Fondo: SandOleaje: 1–3 ft typicalSalvavidas: Todo el año

Wisconsin Street Beach

Principiante

Secondary Oceanside teaching beach between the pier and harbor jetty — used for Wednesday cohorts and intermediate progression after youth build confidence at The Strand.

Wisconsin Street sits between Oceanside Pier and the harbor breakwater. Slightly more exposed than The Strand, it is still a sand-bottom city beach with lifeguard coverage — our step-up spot before youth see heavier North County water.

Fondo: SandOleaje: 1–4 ft typicalSalvavidas: Estacional

Socios comunitarios locales en Oceanside

En asociación con el Oceanside Unified School District y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 7+ escuelas Título I.

Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I

Oceanside Unified School District
•South Oceanside Elementary
•Cesar Chavez Middle School
•Ditmar Elementary
•Laurel Elementary
•Lincoln Middle School
•Mission Elementary
•Palmquist Elementary

Socios comunitarios

◆Oceanside Boys & Girls Club (Carmelo Drive)
◆MLK Community Center (Division Street)
◆Oceanside Public Library
◆City of Oceanside Parks & Recreation
◆North County Lifeline
◆MiraCosta College Outreach

Currículo del programa

Surf therapy at Un Mar de Colores is more than recreational — it's a structured, trauma-informed mental health program that uses the ocean as a therapeutic setting. Licensed mental health professionals partner with trauma-informed surf coaches to deliver small-group sessions (8 youth maximum) combining ocean-based mindfulness, somatic movement, and culturally grounded healing modules developed with Kumeyaay elders. The program is especially effective for youth navigating anxiety, grief, immigration-related stress, and family instability. All programming is free and open to youth referred through partner schools, mental health agencies, and community organizations.

→Ocean-based mindfulness practices
→Small-group peer mentorship
→Somatic and movement-based therapy integration
→Trauma-informed surf coaching
→Culturally grounded healing (Kumeyaay-led modules)
→Family and caregiver support sessions

Qué se incluye — Gratis para cada joven de Oceanside

✓Licensed mental health professional on-site
✓Trauma-informed certified surf coaches
✓Small cohort size (8 youth maximum)
✓Wetsuit, soft-top board, and all equipment
✓Transportation from partner schools and referral orgs
✓Family caregiver support sessions

Por qué Un Mar de Colores

Board and staff leadership is BIPOC-majority. Decisions about Oceanside programming are made with community partners, not corporate sponsors.

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."”
— Middle school student— Parent, One Ocean

Preguntas frecuentes — Surf Therapy en Oceanside

Does my child need to know how to swim?+

No swimming test is required. We begin in chest-deep whitewater under direct coach and clinical supervision, building water comfort progressively. Many Oceanside participants start with limited pool experience.

Who can enroll in surf therapy from Oceanside?+

BIPOC youth ages 6–17, especially those navigating anxiety, grief, immigration-related stress, and family instability. Referrals welcome from Oceanside Unified School District counselors, mental health agencies, and community organizations in Oceanside.

What makes Kumeyaay-led modules part of surf therapy?+

Healing modules developed with Kumeyaay elders connect coastal stewardship, water relationships, and cultural recovery — culturally grounded practice for Oceanside Indigenous and Latino youth, not generic wellness language.

¿Los programas de Surf Therapy en Oceanside son realmente gratuitos?+

Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en Oceanside son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como South Oceanside Elementary, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Ditmar Elementary, e instrucción bilingüe certificada. El financiamiento proviene de la San Diego Foundation, subvenciones comunitarias y donantes individuales.

¿Dónde se realizan exactamente las lecciones en Oceanside?+

Las lecciones principales se realizan en The Strand. También usamos Wisconsin Street Beach según el nivel del grupo. Todas las sesiones de agua ocurren dentro de las zonas salvavidas de la bandera.

¿Qué edades son elegibles en Oceanside?+

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 Oceanside 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 South Oceanside Elementary, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Ditmar Elementary y otras escuelas de Título I en Oceanside Unified School District. Los grupos de verano suelen llenarse con 3-4 semanas de anticipación.

¿Listo para entrar al agua?

Spots in our Oceanside 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 Oceanside. Contáctanos para inscribirte, hacer voluntariado, o apoyar el movimiento.

Inscríbete / Contáctanos Donar

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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