Un Mar de Colores · Ocean Beach, CA
Career exploration in marine science, coastal conservation, and environmental justice — not generic job fairs.
Un Mar de Colores runs its flagship Ocean Stewards After-School Program for Ocean Beach teens ages 13–17, in partnership with San Diego Unified School District. Students meet three afternoons a week for tutoring, environmental literacy, and career exploration, with a Thursday beach day at OB Pier, Dog Beach (Ocean Beach). Our Ocean Beach cohort draws primarily from Ocean Beach Elementary, Dana Middle School. Transportation, meals, tutoring, and surf instruction are entirely free.
Tuesday–Thursday, year-round · Completely free
Ocean Beach's OB Pier and Dog Beach locations offer our Point Loma peninsula cohorts direct-access surf instruction. The San Diego River mouth at Dog Beach provides paddle-flat-water training, and our Ocean Beach Elementary and Dana Middle partnerships anchor our youth recruitment across the 92107 zip code — one of San Diego's most culturally diverse beach neighborhoods.
Looking for free after-school for teens in Ocean Beach? Every Ocean Stewards week includes certified tutoring, environmental literacy, healthy snacks, transportation, and Thursday surf sessions at breaks like OB Pier, Dog Beach (Ocean Beach) — reinforcing science with ocean experience.
After-school programs near OB Pier, Dog Beach (Ocean Beach) for Ocean Beach teens run Tuesday through Thursday during the school year. Inland families rely on shuttles (on the coast) so weekly beach days aren't limited to coastal zip codes.
With 15,000 residents, Ocean Beach 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.
When we say free for Ocean Beach youth, we mean wetsuits, soft-tops, rashguards, sunscreen, transportation, and instruction — the full stack commercial programs charge $50–$150 per session for.
Primary Ocean Beach teaching location. Used for intermediate progression from Tourmaline and Mission Beach.
The Ocean Beach Pier is the longest concrete pier on the West Coast at 1,971 feet. Closed for reconstruction in 2024, with reopening projected for 2027.
Used for paddle fundamentals and flatwater training (San Diego River mouth). Not for in-water surf instruction due to no lifeguard coverage.
Dog Beach OB was California's first leash-free beach (1972). Sits at the mouth of the San Diego River — our classroom for river-to-ocean watershed lessons.
In partnership with San Diego Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ Title I schools.
The Ocean Stewards After-School Program is Un Mar de Colores's flagship year-round offering for BIPOC teens ages 13–17. Three afternoons a week, students meet at partner school sites for academic tutoring, environmental literacy modules aligned with the California NGSS standards, career exploration, and college preparation. Every Thursday is a beach day — students head to The Strand, Tamarack, or Moonlight for water programming that reinforces the week's environmental science curriculum. The program runs during the full school year, connecting academic outcomes with coastal stewardship and career pathways in marine science.
Federal EIN 85-2947340. Mailing: PO BOX 232471, Encinitas, CA 92024. We operate on the ancestral lands of the Kumeyaay Nation with respect and community accountability.
“"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 — an annual leadership retreat connects Ocean Beach teens with cohorts across San Diego. It's an opportunity to build county-wide community, deepen environmental leadership skills, and connect with alumni mentors.
Every Thursday, Ocean Stewards teens head to The Strand, Tamarack, Moonlight, or other partner beaches for surf instruction and water programming that reinforces the week's environmental science. Wetsuits, boards, and bilingual coaches are provided.
Ocean Stewards runs Tuesday through Thursday during the school year, 3pm–6pm. Tuesday and Wednesday are at partner school sites. Thursday is a beach day at local breaks near OB Pier, Dog Beach (Ocean Beach). We publish cohort calendars early for Ocean Beach families.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Ocean Beach are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Ocean Beach Elementary, Dana Middle School, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Ocean Beach family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at OB Pier. We also use Dog Beach (Ocean Beach) for skill progression. Classroom components happen at OB Town Council and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages 13–17. In Ocean Beach specifically, our recruitment runs through San Diego Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Ocean Beach Elementary, Dana Middle School. Cohorts are age-appropriate (One Ocean for 6–12, Ocean Stewards for 13–17).
No. We begin every cohort with ocean-safety fundamentals in chest-deep whitewater at OB Pier, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Ocean Beach, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at local community pools for students who request extra comfort-building.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in Ocean Beach, where 21% of households are Spanish-speaking, we intentionally pair at least one bilingual coach to every session. Cultural programming is delivered in both languages, and parent communications are always sent in Spanish and English.
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most Ocean Beach surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 39%-BIPOC Ocean Beach community we serve; (3) our curriculum includes environmental justice, Kumeyaay coastal history, and cultural arts — not just surf skills. We exist because the ocean should belong to everyone in Ocean Beach, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Ocean Beach Elementary, Dana Middle School and referrals from OB Town Council and San Diego River Park Foundation. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Don't wait for summer — year-round Ocean Beach cohorts fill fast. Reach out now for free enrollment.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Ocean Beach youth. Reach out to enroll, volunteer, or support the movement.
Un Mar de Colores is a BIPOC-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Oceanside, California. We provide free surf, ocean, and environmental programming for youth across San Diego and Tijuana — bridging cultures, coasts, and communities since 2018.
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