Un Mar de Colores · Pacific Beach, CA
Thursday surf sessions tie directly to watershed curriculum — science isn't abstract, it's the water they paddle in.
Un Mar de Colores runs its flagship Ocean Stewards After-School Program for Pacific 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 Tourmaline Surfing Park, Crystal Pier. Our Pacific Beach cohort draws primarily from Pacific Beach Middle, Mission Bay High, Mission Beach Elementary. Transportation, meals, tutoring, and surf instruction are entirely free.
Tuesday–Thursday, year-round · Completely free
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.
Looking for free after-school for teens in Pacific Beach? Every Ocean Stewards week includes certified tutoring, environmental literacy, healthy snacks, transportation, and Thursday surf sessions at breaks like Tourmaline Surfing Park, Crystal Pier — reinforcing science with ocean experience.
Parents ask if Thursday beach days require swimming ability. We build water comfort progressively in supervised zones — many Ocean Stewards teens start with limited ocean experience and gain confidence within weeks.
Environmental justice in Pacific Beach isn't abstract: watershed health, beach closures, and plastic pollution affect the same communities we serve. Our programs connect surf skills to stewardship of San Diego's coastline.
Recruitment in Pacific Beach runs through counselors, teachers, and community partners who know which students need this most. We don't run open enrollment chaos — we build intentional cohorts.
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).
In partnership with San Diego Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 3+ 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.
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.
“"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."”
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 Tourmaline Surfing Park, Crystal Pier. We publish cohort calendars early for Pacific Beach families.
Ocean Stewards is Un Mar de Colores's free year-round after-school program for BIPOC teens ages 13–17 in Pacific Beach. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons include academic tutoring, environmental literacy, and college prep. Every Thursday is a beach day with surf instruction reinforcing the week's science curriculum.
Absolutely — many Ocean Stewards teens start Thursday sessions with limited ocean experience. We build water comfort progressively in supervised zones with certified bilingual coaches. No swimming test required.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Pacific Beach are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Pacific Beach Middle, Mission Bay High, Mission Beach Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Pacific Beach family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at Tourmaline Surfing Park. We also use Crystal Pier for skill progression. Classroom components happen at Kate Sessions Park & Rec Center and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages 13–17. In Pacific Beach specifically, our recruitment runs through San Diego Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Pacific Beach Middle, Mission Bay High, Mission Beach Elementary. 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 Tourmaline Surfing Park, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Pacific 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 Pacific Beach, where 28% 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 Pacific Beach surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 44%-BIPOC Pacific 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 Pacific Beach, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Pacific Beach Middle, Mission Bay High, Mission Beach Elementary and referrals from Kate Sessions Park & Rec Center and San Diego Junior Lifeguards. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Ready to get your child in the water? Contact Un Mar de Colores — priority enrollment for Pacific Beach Title I school students.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Pacific 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.
Web platform architecture and development by Codinito.