Un Mar de Colores · Imperial Beach, CA
Every session includes wetsuits, soft-top boards, and lifeguard-trained bilingual staff.
Un Mar de Colores offers free surf lessons for Imperial Beach youth ages 6–17, right on the Imperial Beach coast. Serving one of San Diego County's 73%-BIPOC communities (26,324 residents), our instruction happens at IB Pier, with certified bilingual coaches and all gear provided. Priority enrollment goes to students of Imperial Beach Elementary, Oneonta Elementary, Mar Vista Middle School.
Year-round weekly sessions · 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.
Sign-up friction keeps eligible Imperial Beach families out. We prioritize counselor referrals and partner org introductions — if you found this page, contact us and we'll route you to the right cohort.
Volunteer-trained vs certified-coach surf lessons make a safety difference. Un Mar requires CPR, First Aid, and lifeguard division coordination — non-negotiable for youth programming in open ocean.
Recruitment in Imperial Beach 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.
Serving Imperial Beach 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.
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.
Un Mar de Colores offers free surf lessons year-round for youth ages 6–17 across Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Cardiff, Del Mar, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, and partner cities. Our coaches are certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division and many are graduates of our own Surf Athletic Scholarship program. Lessons prioritize water-safety fundamentals first: students start in chest-deep whitewater under direct instructor supervision and progress to unbroken waves only after demonstrating paddle control and ocean awareness. Every session is fully equipped — wetsuit, board, rashguard — and transportation is provided from our partner Title I schools across San Diego County.
Board and staff leadership is BIPOC-majority. Decisions about Imperial Beach programming are made with community partners, not corporate sponsors.
“"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."”
Un Mar de Colores surf lessons in Imperial Beach are 100% free — including wetsuits, soft-top boards, rashguards, transportation from partner schools, and certified bilingual instruction. Commercial programs in San Diego County typically charge $50–$150 per session. We fund access through grants and donors so Imperial Beach families never pay.
Coaches hold CPR and First Aid credentials and train with San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division protocols. Many are alumni of our Surf Athletic Scholarship program. Safety documentation is available to Imperial Beach parents on request.
No swimming test is required. We begin in chest-deep whitewater under direct coach supervision and build water comfort progressively. Many Imperial Beach beginners start with limited pool experience and gain confidence within the first few weeks through structured safety drills.
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 6–17. 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.
Sign your Imperial Beach youth up today — every program is 100% free, with wetsuits, boards, and transportation included.
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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