Un Mar de Colores · Cardiff by the Sea, CA
Summer cohorts across San Diego — Cardiff by the Sea families enroll through school counselors and partner orgs.
Un Mar de Colores runs free summer surf camps for Cardiff by the Sea youth ages 6–17. Each week-long Monday–Friday cohort combines morning surf instruction at Cardiff Reef with afternoons of marine ecology, cultural arts, and Kumeyaay coastal history. Priority enrollment goes to students of Ada Harris Elementary, Cardiff Elementary. Wetsuits, soft-top boards, daily lunch, and round-trip transportation are all included.
Summer (June–August), Monday–Friday cohorts · Completely free
Cardiff Reef is one of California's most beginner-friendly longboard breaks — cobblestone-to-sand bottom with gentle reform. Our Cardiff cohorts draw primarily from Cardiff School District's Ada Harris and Cardiff Elementary, plus Encinitas Union partner schools. The San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve anchors our Cardiff marine biology curriculum, connecting surf to watershed in a way unique to this corner of North County.
Cultural arts workshops during camp — visual art, poetry, oral tradition — center voices historically marginalized in coastal culture. Every cohort contributes work to community showcases.
Representation in the lineup changes camp outcomes. When Cardiff by the Sea kids see coaches who share their language and background, retention and joy rise — they're not guests in someone else's surf culture.
With 11,724 residents, Cardiff by the Sea is one of the communities where a single free surf cohort can change dozens of lives per season. Our shuttles and school partnerships make distance (on the coast) a logistics problem we solve, not a barrier families carry alone.
Cardiff by the Sea's Spanish-speaking households (10%) get parent communications in both languages, every time. Coastal access fails when language is treated as an afterthought.
Un Mar's primary Cardiff location. The cobblestone-to-sand bottom produces gentle, slow-reforming waves that are remarkably forgiving for first-time surfers.
Cardiff Reef's cobblestone point has formed over thousands of years from sediment deposited by the San Elijo Lagoon. One of the most welcoming beginner lineup cultures in California.
In partnership with Cardiff School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ Title I schools.
Our summer surf camps run Monday through Friday across North County and San Diego, serving BIPOC youth ages 6–17. Each one-week cohort combines four mornings of in-water surf instruction with afternoon programming in marine ecology, Kumeyaay coastal history, and cultural arts. Camps are capped at 18 students per cohort to maintain a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio, and every camp ends with a Friday family showcase on the beach. Camps are entirely free — wetsuits, boards, transportation, daily lunch, and all materials included.
Un Mar de Colores is a BIPOC-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in Oceanside, California in 2018. Our instructors are certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division and hold CPR + First Aid credentials.
“"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."”
Each cohort caps at 18 students with a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio. Small cohorts keep nervous first-timers from Cardiff by the Sea from getting lost in overcrowded lineups — every child gets coached attention daily.
Round-trip shuttle transportation runs from partner Title I schools. If Cardiff by the Sea is inland (on the coast from the coast), we solve the daily commute — not your family. Coastal cohorts meet directly at local teaching beaches near Cardiff Reef.
Commercial camps optimize for paying tourists and locals with gear. Un Mar is a BIPOC-led nonprofit: free instruction, Title I partnerships, marine ecology and Kumeyaay history curriculum, and coaches who reflect Cardiff by the Sea's communities. We're building access, not selling camp weeks.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Cardiff by the Sea are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Ada Harris Elementary, Cardiff Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Cardiff by the Sea family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at Cardiff Reef. Classroom components happen at San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages 6–17. In Cardiff by the Sea specifically, our recruitment runs through Cardiff School District — with priority enrollment for students from Ada Harris Elementary, Cardiff 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 Cardiff Reef, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Cardiff by the Sea, 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 Cardiff by the Sea, where 10% 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 Cardiff by the Sea surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 22%-BIPOC Cardiff by the Sea 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 Cardiff by the Sea, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Ada Harris Elementary, Cardiff Elementary and referrals from San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy and Cardiff 101 Mainstreet. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Support the movement or enroll your youth — Un Mar de Colores is building coastal access for Cardiff by the Sea families.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Cardiff by the Sea 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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