Un Mar de Colores · Pacific Beach, CA
Tijuana River watershed case study: California's most cross-border and pollution-impacted river system — taught with honesty.
Un Mar de Colores ofrece watershed education gratuitas para jóvenes de Pacific Beach de All ages años, directamente en la costa de Pacific Beach. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 44% BIPOC (45,892 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en Tourmaline Surfing Park, Crystal Pier, con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de Pacific Beach Middle, Mission Bay High, Mission Beach Elementary.
Summer cohorts + year-round school field trips · Completamente gratis
Pacific Beach sits between Mission Bay and the open Pacific, producing the mellowest learner waves in the city. Tourmaline Surfing Park — designated a surf-only beach in 1981 — is the safest and most instructor-friendly break in San Diego. Over 55% of students at Mission Beach Elementary, Pacific Beach Middle, and Mission Bay High qualify for free or reduced meals, making this one of our highest-impact urban partnerships.
Watershed-to-ocean tracing answers why Pacific Beach storm drains matter — runoff pipelines taught from street to Tourmaline Surfing Park, Crystal Pier.
Hydrology field education near Tourmaline Surfing Park, Crystal Pier connects classroom water cycle lessons to standing in streams and measuring flow — Pacific Beach students learn by tracing, not memorizing.
Pacific Beach sits inside San Diego County's coastal equity gap — 44% of residents identify as BIPOC, yet beach access has historically been gated by cost, transportation, and culture. Un Mar de Colores closes that gap with free programming and school-based recruitment.
When we say free for Pacific Beach youth, we mean wetsuits, soft-tops, rashguards, sunscreen, transportation, and instruction — the full stack commercial programs charge $50–$150 per session for.
Un Mar's primary Pacific Beach teaching location. Designated a surf-only beach in 1981 — the safest and most instructor-friendly break in San Diego.
Tourmaline was designated surf-only by San Diego City in 1981, making it the first formally protected teaching beach in Southern California.
South side of pier offers a sand-bottom peak ideal for graduating students from Tourmaline.
Crystal Pier was built in 1927 and is one of only two piers in California with an overnight hotel (Crystal Pier Hotel & Cottages).
En asociación con el San Diego Unified School District y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 3+ escuelas Título I.
The Watershed Explorers program is Un Mar de Colores's flagship environmental education offering. Summer overnight cohorts trace the journey from Cuyamaca Rancho State Park's mountain streams to the San Diego coast, with special focus on the Tijuana River watershed — California's most cross-border and pollution-impacted river system. Curriculum integrates hydrology fundamentals, Indigenous Kumeyaay perspectives on water, and California coastal policy. Year-round day trips serve school field-trip groups across our 15+ Title I partner schools, and all programming is free with transportation included.
Program safety is documented: lifeguard coordination, 4:1 ratios on youth water days, trauma-informed staff training, and parent communication protocols in English and Spanish.
“"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."”
Yes — we partner with 15+ Title I schools for year-round day-trip field trips. Teachers contact Un Mar to schedule NGSS-aligned hydrology, climate resilience, and advocacy modules with transportation included for Pacific Beach classrooms.
Yes — 100% free. Year-round day-trip field trips for San Diego Unified School District classrooms include bilingual materials, certified naturalist educators, and transportation. Overnight Watershed Explorers summer cohorts are also free for Pacific Beach youth — no tuition or material fees.
Watershed Explorers is Un Mar de Colores's flagship watershed education program — summer overnight cohorts tracing water from Cuyamaca Rancho State Park mountain streams to the San Diego coast. Pacific Beach youth experience multi-day immersion in hydrology, Kumeyaay water perspectives, Tijuana River case study, and clean water advocacy.
Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en Pacific Beach son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Pacific Beach Middle, Mission Bay High, Mission Beach Elementary, e instrucción bilingüe certificada. El financiamiento proviene de la San Diego Foundation, subvenciones comunitarias y donantes individuales.
Las lecciones principales se realizan en Tourmaline Surfing Park. También usamos Crystal Pier según el nivel del grupo. Todas las sesiones de agua ocurren dentro de las zonas salvavidas de la bandera.
Servimos a jóvenes de All ages 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.
Contáctenos a través de nuestra página de contacto. La inscripción prioritaria se otorga a estudiantes de Pacific Beach Middle, Mission Bay High, Mission Beach Elementary y otras escuelas de Título I en San Diego Unified School District. Los grupos de verano suelen llenarse con 3-4 semanas de anticipación.
Sign your Pacific Beach youth up today — every program is 100% free, with wetsuits, boards, and transportation included.
Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores son gratuitos para jóvenes de Pacific Beach. 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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