Un Mar de Colores · Carlsbad, CA
Especially effective for youth navigating anxiety, grief, immigration stress, and family instability.
Un Mar de Colores offers free surf therapy sessions for Carlsbad youth ages 6–17, combining licensed mental health support with trauma-informed surf coaching. Sessions run at Tamarack State Beach, South Ponto State Beach with full safety coverage. Referrals come through Carlsbad Unified School District counselors and community partners including Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad and Carlsbad Library (Cole & Dove branches). Cohorts are capped at 8 youth for safety and therapeutic depth.
Monthly cohorts, year-round · Completely free
Carlsbad's 7-mile coastline — from Agua Hedionda Lagoon to Batiquitos — is one of North County's most accessible learn-to-surf corridors. We run programs at Tamarack State Beach in the Village and at South Ponto, partnering with Carlsbad Unified's 11,000+ students, especially from Jefferson, Buena Vista, and Magnolia Elementary schools serving the city's inland barrio communities.
Parents searching surf therapy near Carlsbad, CA find paid wellness retreats and uncertified beach programs first. Un Mar is different: clinical staff on-site, small cohorts, Title I and agency referrals from Carlsbad Unified School District, and bilingual instruction built for Carlsbad families.
Small-group surf therapy (eight max) in San Diego outperforms large beach wellness events for youth navigating grief and anxiety. Cohort intimacy builds peer trust — critical for BIPOC teens in Carlsbad.
The ocean off Carlsbad belongs to everyone. Un Mar de Colores exists because San Diego has spent decades telling BIPOC youth otherwise — and we're changing that story one cohort at a time.
Carlsbad's relationship to the Pacific is complicated by history and economics. Our curriculum weaves Kumeyaay coastal stewardship, environmental justice, and culturally grounded instruction into every session — not as an add-on, but as the foundation.
Un Mar's primary Carlsbad teaching location. Full year-round lifeguard coverage, sand bottom, and mellow inside reform.
Tamarack sits in the heart of Carlsbad Village, with direct access to the Carlsbad Library and downtown. Named after the native tamarack trees that once lined the coastline.
Progression break for Carlsbad cohorts graduating from Tamarack. Wide sandbar accommodates group lessons with plenty of paddle-out room.
South Ponto borders the Batiquitos Lagoon ecological reserve, giving our cohorts direct access to watershed ecology programming alongside surf instruction.
In partnership with Carlsbad Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 4+ Title I schools.
Surf therapy at Un Mar de Colores is more than recreational — it's a structured, trauma-informed mental health program that uses the ocean as a therapeutic setting. Licensed mental health professionals partner with trauma-informed surf coaches to deliver small-group sessions (8 youth maximum) combining ocean-based mindfulness, somatic movement, and culturally grounded healing modules developed with Kumeyaay elders. The program is especially effective for youth navigating anxiety, grief, immigration-related stress, and family instability. All programming is free and open to youth referred through partner schools, mental health agencies, and community organizations.
Federal EIN 85-2947340. Mailing: PO BOX 232471, Encinitas, CA 92024. We operate on the ancestral lands of the Kumeyaay Nation with respect and community accountability.
“"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."”
Sessions occur at lifeguard-covered beaches chosen for beginner safety — sandy bottoms and manageable conditions near Tamarack State Beach, South Ponto State Beach. Sites vary by cohort and daily conditions.
Healing modules developed with Kumeyaay elders connect coastal stewardship, water relationships, and cultural recovery — culturally grounded practice for Carlsbad Indigenous and Latino youth, not generic wellness language.
Transportation runs from partner schools and referral organizations. If Carlsbad is inland (on the coast from the coast), we solve the commute — not your family.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Carlsbad are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Jefferson Elementary, Buena Vista Elementary, Magnolia Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Carlsbad family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at Tamarack State Beach. We also use South Ponto State Beach for skill progression. Classroom components happen at Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages 6–17. In Carlsbad specifically, our recruitment runs through Carlsbad Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Jefferson Elementary, Buena Vista Elementary, Magnolia Elementary and 1 other Title I schools. 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 Tamarack State Beach, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Carlsbad, 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 Carlsbad, where 18% 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 Carlsbad surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 41%-BIPOC Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Jefferson Elementary, Buena Vista Elementary, Magnolia Elementary and referrals from Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad and Carlsbad Library (Cole & Dove branches). Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Don't wait for summer — year-round Carlsbad cohorts fill fast. Reach out now for free enrollment.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Carlsbad 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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