Un Mar de Colores · Spring Valley, CA
Competition Pathways for Spring Valley Youth Surfers — Free
Commercial contest coaching charges $100+ per hour. Un Mar scholarship charges nothing to families.
Un Mar de Colores's Surf Athletic Scholarship program supports competitive BIPOC youth and teens from Spring Valley 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 (13 miles) and Coronado Central (12 miles) (closest breaks to Spring Valley). Referrals and nominations come through La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools athletics programs and our partner community organizations.
Schedule — Spring Valley Program Days
Ongoing · Completely free
You Might Be Feeling This
- —Your surfer is the only Brown kid at regional contests — lineup culture and judging feel stacked against Spring Valley athletes.
- —Athlete branding and social media feel like secrets — industry gatekeeping keeps Spring Valley families uninformed.
- —Nutrition for competitive athletes gets expensive — contest season nutrition wasn't in the family budget.
What Changes When Youth Get in the Water
- Annual contest gear package ensures equipment parity at every event.
- All competition entry fees paid — NSSA, WSA, and regional events across California circuit.
- Nutrition and physical conditioning modules for contest-ready athletes from Spring Valley.
Why We Run This Program in Spring Valley
Spring Valley is 53% Hispanic/Latino and 13% Black — serving one of the most culturally diverse communities in East County. Our cohorts travel from La Presa Elementary and Kempton Street Literacy Academy to OB Pier, with classroom programming anchored at Spring Valley Library. We prioritize this partnership because of the city's distance from the coast and demographic alignment with our mission.
- Population
- 29,209
- BIPOC residents
- 79%
- Spanish-speaking households
- 45%
- Distance to beach
- 12 mi
Surf Athletic Scholarship in Spring Valley — What You Should Know
Physical therapy and injury prevention for scholarship surfers — athletes aren't told to push through pain because rehab wasn't budgeted in Spring Valley households.
College surf scholarship counseling for Spring Valley teens navigates NCAA pathways, alternative scholarships, and honest pro-surfing industry reality — not fantasy branding workshops.
Why Spring Valley Matters to Our Mission
From Spring Valley's Title I schools to the sand, our pipeline is built on real partnerships — not generic 'serving the area' language. Every cohort names the schools, beaches, and community orgs involved.
Serving Spring Valley 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.
Local Spring Valley Partners & Referral Sources
In partnership with La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 3+ Title I schools.
School district & Title I partners
- La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools
- •La Presa Elementary
- •Loma Elementary
- •Kempton Street Literacy Academy
Community partners
- ◆La Mesa-Spring Valley School District
- ◆Spring Valley Library
- ◆Grossmont Union High School District
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 Spring Valley 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
Board and staff leadership is BIPOC-majority. Decisions about Spring Valley programming are made with community partners, not corporate sponsors.
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 Spring Valley
Why BIPOC priority for surf scholarship in Spring Valley?+
Latino, Indigenous, and Black youth have been historically excluded from competitive surf pipelines by cost and culture. With 79% of Spring Valley residents BIPOC, scholarship rewrites who gets fees, travel, and mentorship — access as corrective justice.
Are contest entry fees paid for Spring Valley scholars?+
Yes — NSSA, WSA, and regional qualifier entry fees across the California contest circuit are paid for scholarship athletes. Spring Valley families aren't choosing between groceries and contest registration.
What gear do scholarship surfers receive?+
High-performance wetsuits and contest boards sized for competition conditions — plus an annual contest gear package. Not beginner soft-tops. Equipment parity for Spring Valley athletes competing near OB Pier (13 miles) and Coronado Central (12 miles) and across San Diego.
Are surf athletic scholarship in Spring Valley really free?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Spring Valley are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like La Presa Elementary, Loma Elementary, Kempton Street Literacy Academy, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Spring Valley family has ever paid for our programming.
Where exactly do surf athletic scholarship happen in Spring Valley?+
Spring Valley is 12 miles inland from the coast, so our cohorts are shuttled to OB Pier (13 miles) — our nearest Un Mar teaching beach. Classroom components including curriculum, cultural arts, and tutoring happen at La Mesa-Spring Valley School District and partner schools inside Spring Valley.
What ages can enroll in Spring Valley?+
We serve youth ages Youth & teens. In Spring Valley specifically, our recruitment runs through La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools — with priority enrollment for students from La Presa Elementary, Loma Elementary, Kempton Street Literacy Academy. 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 (13 miles), supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Spring Valley, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at inland pools via our La Mesa-Spring Valley School District partnership for students who request extra comfort-building.
Are lessons taught in Spanish in Spring Valley?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in Spring Valley, where 45% 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 Spring Valley?+
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most Spring Valley surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 79%-BIPOC Spring Valley 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 Spring Valley, not just those who can afford access.
How do I sign my Spring Valley child up?+
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of La Presa Elementary, Loma Elementary, Kempton Street Literacy Academy and referrals from La Mesa-Spring Valley School District and Spring Valley Library. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Ready to Get in the Water?
Join hundreds of Spring Valley families who trust Un Mar de Colores for free ocean programming. Enroll today.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Spring Valley 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.