Un Mar de Colores · Coronado, CA
Peer mentorship in small groups builds trust — Coronado youth heal alongside others who share their experience.
Un Mar de Colores offers free surf therapy sessions for Coronado youth ages 6–17, combining licensed mental health support with trauma-informed surf coaching. Sessions run at Coronado Central Beach with full safety coverage. Referrals come through Coronado Unified School District counselors and community partners including Coronado Public Library and Coronado Unified School District. Cohorts are capped at 8 youth for safety and therapeutic depth.
Monthly cohorts, year-round · Completely free
Coronado Central Beach's wide, flat sandbar and year-round lifeguard coverage make it a welcoming teaching location for our South Bay cohorts. We partner with Coronado Unified for middle school recruitment and with the Silver Strand State Beach for overflow locations. The proximity to North Island Naval Air Station also means we serve military-family youth through our Ocean Stewards program.
Somatic therapy through surf integrates paddle, breath, and wave rhythm — movement-based healing for youth who shut down in traditional talk therapy offices in Coronado.
Looking for free mental health surf programs for kids in Coronado? Every cohort includes licensed MH professionals, trauma-informed coaches, wetsuits, boards, transportation, and family caregiver sessions — commercial ocean therapy often charges $150–$300 per session.
Coronado families deserve instructors who look like their kids and speak their language. With 32% BIPOC residents, bilingual coaching isn't a nice-to-have — it's how we earn trust on day one.
Whether Coronado is on the coast or on the coast inland, we treat transportation as part of the program — not an extra parents must figure out. That's how you build real access, not marketing copy.
Our primary Coronado and South Bay teaching location. Wide flat sandbar, gentle reform.
Coronado Central is consistently ranked among America's best beaches for family swimming and beginner surfing, with exceptionally clean sand that glitters from the high mica content.
In partnership with Coronado Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 1+ 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.
Since 2018, Un Mar de Colores has served thousands of youth across San Diego County and the Cali-Baja region — with funding from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors keeping every program 100% free.
“"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."”
No swimming test is required. We begin in chest-deep whitewater under direct coach and clinical supervision, building water comfort progressively. Many Coronado participants start with limited pool experience.
BIPOC youth ages 6–17, especially those navigating anxiety, grief, immigration-related stress, and family instability. Referrals welcome from Coronado Unified School District counselors, mental health agencies, and community organizations in Coronado.
Yes — pathways open to Ocean Stewards after-school, year-round surf lessons, and other Un Mar programs. Therapy cohorts are a bridge, not a dead end for Coronado youth.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Coronado are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Coronado Middle School, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Coronado family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at Coronado Central Beach. Classroom components happen at Coronado Public Library and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages 6–17. In Coronado specifically, our recruitment runs through Coronado Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Coronado 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 Coronado Central Beach, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Coronado, 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 Coronado, where 14% 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 Coronado surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 32%-BIPOC Coronado 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 Coronado, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Coronado Middle School and referrals from Coronado Public Library and Coronado Unified School District. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Free means free. No hidden fees, no gear costs, no transportation charges for Coronado participants.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Coronado 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.