Un Mar de Colores · Santee, CA
Mentorship & Gear for Santee Competitive Surfers
Competition entry fees, travel costs, high-performance gear, and one-on-one coaching — funded for BIPOC surfers from Santee.
Un Mar de Colores's Surf Athletic Scholarship program supports competitive BIPOC youth and teens from Santee and the greater San Diego region. Scholarship athletes receive high-performance gear, competition entry fees, coaching, and travel support across the California contest circuit. Training sessions happen at our nearest coastal breaks including OB Pier (17 miles) and Coronado Central (16 miles) (closest breaks to Santee). Referrals and nominations come through Santee School District / Grossmont Union High athletics programs and our partner community organizations.
Schedule — Santee Program Days
Ongoing · Completely free
You Might Be Feeling This
- —Instagram shows pro surfers from wealthy coastal towns — your Santee teen doesn't see a pathway that looks like them.
- —Judging and heat strategy require coaching your teen can't access without paying premium rates in San Diego.
- —Your surfer is the only Brown kid at regional contests — lineup culture and judging feel stacked against Santee athletes.
What Changes When Youth Get in the Water
- All competition entry fees paid — NSSA, WSA, and regional events across California circuit.
- Physical therapy and injury prevention support — athletes aren't pushed through pain without care.
- Scholarship recipients often emerge from free surf lessons and camp — clear pipeline from beginner to competitor.
Why We Run This Program in Santee
Santee is an East County city home to Santee School District (approximately 6,000 students). Our Santee cohort travels 17 miles to OB Pier for water programming, making Santee one of our more transportation-intensive partnerships. Hill Creek and Cajon Park Elementary are our Title I partnership schools.
- Population
- 58,895
- BIPOC residents
- 38%
- Spanish-speaking households
- 17%
- Distance to beach
- 17 mi
Surf Athletic Scholarship in Santee — What You Should Know
Un Mar scholarship alumni often return as coaches — Santee contest culture builds from within, not imported from tourist surf towns.
Judging literacy coaching teaches Santee athletes how heats are scored — compete strategically, not just athletically.
Why Santee Matters to Our Mission
Serving Santee means meeting families where they are: San Diego schools, community centers, and partner orgs that already hold trust. We don't wait for families to find the beach — we bring youth to the water.
Santee sits inside San Diego County's coastal equity gap — 38% 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.
Local Santee Partners & Referral Sources
In partnership with Santee School District / Grossmont Union High and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ Title I schools.
School district & Title I partners
- Santee School District / Grossmont Union High
- •Hill Creek Elementary
- •Cajon Park Elementary
Community partners
- ◆Santee School District
- ◆Santee Library
- ◆Town Center Community Park
Program Curriculum
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.
- →Competitive coaching and contest prep
- →Physical conditioning and nutrition
- →Mental performance and visualization
- →Sponsorship navigation and athlete branding
- →Mentorship from professional BIPOC surfers
- →College and pro-surfing pathway counseling
What's Included — Free for Every Santee Youth
- ✓High-performance wetsuits and boards
- ✓Competition entry fees paid
- ✓Travel costs for California contest circuit
- ✓One-on-one coaching from certified trainers
- ✓Physical therapy and injury prevention
- ✓Annual contest gear package
Why Un Mar de Colores
Un Mar de Colores is recognized by partners including the San Diego Foundation, Surfrider San Diego, WILDCOAST, and school districts across San Diego — not a pop-up program, a sustained movement.
What our community says
“"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."”
Frequently Asked Questions — Surf Athletic Scholarship in Santee
Which contests does scholarship cover?+
California contest circuit events including NSSA and WSA regional competitions across San Diego — not limited to one beach near Santee. Coverage aligns with athlete development pathway.
How much does competitive surf coaching cost vs scholarship?+
Private contest coaches in San Diego County often charge $100–$200 per hour. Un Mar scholarship provides one-on-one certified coaching, heat strategy, and mental performance training free for Santee recipients — plus fees, travel, and gear.
What mental performance training is included?+
Visualization, heat anxiety management, judging pressure strategies, and contest psychology — funded modules for BIPOC athletes facing lineup intimidation in predominantly white contest culture near OB Pier (17 miles) and Coronado Central (16 miles).
Are surf athletic scholarship in Santee really free?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Santee are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Hill Creek Elementary, Cajon Park Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Santee family has ever paid for our programming.
Where exactly do surf athletic scholarship happen in Santee?+
Santee is 17 miles inland from the coast, so our cohorts are shuttled to OB Pier (17 miles) — our nearest Un Mar teaching beach. Classroom components including curriculum, cultural arts, and tutoring happen at Santee School District and partner schools inside Santee.
What ages can enroll in Santee?+
We serve youth ages Youth & teens. In Santee specifically, our recruitment runs through Santee School District / Grossmont Union High — with priority enrollment for students from Hill Creek Elementary, Cajon Park Elementary. Cohorts are age-appropriate (One Ocean for 6–12, Ocean Stewards for 13–17).
Does my child need to know how to swim before starting?+
No. We begin every cohort with ocean-safety fundamentals in chest-deep whitewater at OB Pier (17 miles), supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Santee, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at inland pools via our Santee School District partnership for students who request extra comfort-building.
Are lessons taught in Spanish in Santee?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in Santee, where 17% 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.
How is Un Mar de Colores different from other surf athletic scholarship in Santee?+
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most Santee surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 38%-BIPOC Santee 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 Santee, not just those who can afford access.
How do I sign my Santee child up?+
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Hill Creek Elementary, Cajon Park Elementary and referrals from Santee School District and Santee Library. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Ready to Get in the Water?
Join hundreds of Santee families who trust Un Mar de Colores for free ocean programming. Enroll today.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Santee 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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