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Un Mar de Colores · La Jolla, CA
Plastic pollution science, watershed connections, and California coastal policy — not just picking up trash.
Un Mar de Colores hosts ongoing Ocean Stewardship cleanup and conservation programming across the La Jolla area and surrounding coast. Monthly events combine hands-on beach cleanup with environmental justice education, citizen science data collection, and policy literacy. Our La Jolla programming partners with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla Recreation Center, San Diego Junior Lifeguards, and all events are free and family-friendly.
Monthly cleanups, quarterly workshops · Completely free
La Jolla Shores has the gentlest beginner waves in San Diego County — a gradual sandbar bottom, 500 yards of lifeguarded beach, and consistent waist-high surf. Our cohorts come from San Diego Unified's Muirlands Middle, Kate Sessions Elementary, and Mission Bay High, with curriculum support from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Windansea serves only our advanced Surf Athletic Scholarship athletes.
Free ocean stewardship for La Jolla communities is part of Un Mar's BIPOC-led Cali-Baja movement — coastal access as stewardship right, not eco-tourism product.
With 22% Spanish-speaking households in La Jolla, bilingual cleanup briefings and materials are standard — not English-only safety instructions on the sand.
La Jolla families deserve instructors who look like their kids and speak their language. With 35% BIPOC residents, bilingual coaching isn't a nice-to-have — it's how we earn trust on day one.
Recruitment in La Jolla 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.
The safest beginner break in San Diego County. Gradual sandbar, 500 yards of lifeguarded beach, consistent waist-high surf.
La Jolla Shores is home to Scripps Institution of Oceanography, our partner for marine ecology curriculum. The beach is protected by the La Jolla Underwater Park & Ecological Reserve.
Advanced-only break used exclusively for our Surf Athletic Scholarship cohort. Never used for beginner instruction.
Windansea is one of California's most historic surf spots, famously chronicled in Tom Wolfe's 'The Pump House Gang.' The iconic palm-frond shack dates to the 1940s.
In partnership with San Diego Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ Title I schools.
Ocean Stewardship at Un Mar de Colores connects coastal cleanup action with deeper environmental justice education. Monthly cleanups run across Oceanside, Imperial Beach, Cardiff, and partner sites, with each event combining hands-on debris removal with short teaching moments about the watershed-to-ocean pipeline, the plastic pollution crisis, and California coastal policy. Our Ocean Stewardship program is free and family-friendly, and we specifically prioritize recruitment from BIPOC communities whose relationships with the coast have historically been gated by cost or culture. Every participant contributes to our citizen science database tracking pollution patterns across San Diego County.
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."”
Yes — we partner with Title I schools for field-trip style stewardship events. Contact us to coordinate a La Jolla school group cleanup with curriculum alignment.
Contact Un Mar de Colores or check our event calendar. No fees, no gear required — register early for popular monthly events near La Jolla Shores, Windansea Beach. Bring your family and neighbors from La Jolla.
Yes — every cleanup includes data collection training. Participants document debris types and locations, contributing to Un Mar's database tracking pollution patterns across San Diego. La Jolla volunteers contribute real science.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in La Jolla are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No La Jolla family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at La Jolla Shores. We also use Windansea Beach for skill progression. Classroom components happen at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages All ages. In La Jolla specifically, our recruitment runs through San Diego Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock 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 La Jolla Shores, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In La Jolla, 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 La Jolla, where 22% 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 La Jolla surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 35%-BIPOC La Jolla 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 La Jolla, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary and referrals from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and La Jolla Recreation Center. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Sign your La Jolla youth up today — every program is 100% free, with wetsuits, boards, and transportation included.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for La Jolla 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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