Un Mar de Colores · Imperial Beach, CA
Addresses financial barriers that excluded Latino, Indigenous, and Black youth from competitive surf pipelines.
Un Mar de Colores's Surf Athletic Scholarship program supports competitive BIPOC youth and teens from Imperial Beach and the greater San Diego region. Scholarship athletes receive high-performance gear, competition entry fees, coaching, and travel support across the California contest circuit. Local training happens at IB Pier. Referrals and nominations come through South Bay Union School District athletics programs and our partner community organizations.
Ongoing · Completely free
Imperial Beach is the southernmost beach city in California and ground zero for our Tijuana River watershed work. Beach closures from transboundary sewage flows regularly impact water quality here, which is why our Imperial Beach cohorts combine surf instruction with direct environmental justice education — kids learn about the river and the coast as a single system. Mar Vista Middle and Imperial Beach Elementary are our flagship Title I partners.
Professional BIPOC surfer mentorship connects Imperial Beach scholars to adults who navigated the same barriers — not white coaches who never faced lineup exclusion.
With 42% Spanish-speaking households in Imperial Beach, bilingual parent communications during contest season keep families informed — registration deadlines, travel logistics, and scholarship coverage explained in English and Spanish.
Whether Imperial Beach 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.
Parents in Imperial Beach often ask how a nonprofit can offer everything free. Answer: San Diego Foundation grants, community donors, and partners who believe Imperial Beach youth belong in the lineup — same as any other kid in San Diego.
Primary Imperial Beach teaching location — WHEN water quality is safe. Tijuana River sewage flows regularly close this beach.
Imperial Beach sits at the southern terminus of California and is the closest beach to the US-Mexico border. The Tijuana River mouth is 2 miles south.
In partnership with South Bay Union School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 3+ Title I schools.
The Surf Athletic Scholarship program supports BIPOC youth and teens pursuing competitive surfing at the scholarship or professional level. The program provides high-performance wetsuits and boards, pays all competition entry fees, covers contest travel costs across the California circuit, and provides one-on-one coaching from certified trainers. Scholarship recipients are mentored by alumni and partner professional BIPOC surfers, and the program specifically addresses the financial barriers that have historically excluded Latino, Indigenous, and Black youth from the competitive surf pipeline.
We do not charge families. Ever. That policy is structural — grants, donors, and shop revenue fund access so Imperial Beach youth are never waitlisted for inability to pay.
“"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 — physical therapy and injury prevention are included. Imperial Beach athletes aren't told to compete through pain because rehab wasn't budgeted at home.
Contact Un Mar de Colores or ask your South Bay Union School District counselor for referral. Competitive enrollment requires demonstrated contest skill and need — we'll evaluate Imperial Beach athletes for current cohort availability.
BIPOC youth and teens pursuing competitive surfing at scholarship or professional levels. Priority for athletes demonstrating contest-ready skill and financial need — often referred from South Bay Union School District counselors or Un Mar surf lessons and camp in Imperial Beach. Competitive enrollment, not open beginner access.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Imperial Beach are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Imperial Beach Elementary, Oneonta Elementary, Mar Vista Middle School, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Imperial Beach family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at IB Pier. Classroom components happen at Imperial Beach Sports Park and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages Youth & teens. In Imperial Beach specifically, our recruitment runs through South Bay Union School District — with priority enrollment for students from Imperial Beach Elementary, Oneonta Elementary, Mar Vista 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 IB Pier, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Imperial 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 Imperial Beach, where 42% 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 Imperial Beach surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 73%-BIPOC Imperial 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 Imperial Beach, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Imperial Beach Elementary, Oneonta Elementary, Mar Vista Middle School and referrals from Imperial Beach Sports Park and South Bay Alliance. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Volunteer, donate, or enroll — however you join, you're helping Imperial Beach youth access the coast.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Imperial 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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