Un Mar de Colores · La Jolla, CA
Free wetsuits, boards, transportation, and bilingual staff — zero cost during grief, stress, or instability.
Un Mar de Colores offers free surf therapy sessions for La Jolla youth ages 6–17, combining licensed mental health support with trauma-informed surf coaching. Sessions run at La Jolla Shores, Windansea Beach with full safety coverage. Referrals come through San Diego Unified School District counselors and community partners including Scripps Institution of Oceanography and La Jolla Recreation Center. Cohorts are capped at 8 youth for safety and therapeutic depth.
Monthly cohorts, year-round · Completely free
La Jolla Shores has the gentlest beginner waves in San Diego County — a gradual sandbar bottom, 500 yards of lifeguarded beach, and consistent waist-high surf. Our cohorts come from San Diego Unified's Muirlands Middle, Kate Sessions Elementary, and Mission Bay High, with curriculum support from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Windansea serves only our advanced Surf Athletic Scholarship athletes.
Somatic therapy through surf integrates paddle, breath, and wave rhythm — movement-based healing for youth who shut down in traditional talk therapy offices in La Jolla.
Surf therapy pathways connect to Ocean Stewards after-school and year-round lessons — La Jolla youth aren't discharged into emptiness after one cohort.
Safe, lifeguard-coordinated instruction is non-negotiable for La Jolla youth. Every water session runs inside flagged zones with certified coaches — parents shouldn't have to choose between access and safety.
With 46,781 residents, La Jolla 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.
The safest beginner break in San Diego County. Gradual sandbar, 500 yards of lifeguarded beach, consistent waist-high surf.
La Jolla Shores is home to Scripps Institution of Oceanography, our partner for marine ecology curriculum. The beach is protected by the La Jolla Underwater Park & Ecological Reserve.
Advanced-only break used exclusively for our Surf Athletic Scholarship cohort. Never used for beginner instruction.
Windansea is one of California's most historic surf spots, famously chronicled in Tom Wolfe's 'The Pump House Gang.' The iconic palm-frond shack dates to the 1940s.
In partnership with San Diego Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ 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.
We do not charge families. Ever. That policy is structural — grants, donors, and shop revenue fund access so La Jolla youth are never waitlisted for inability to pay.
“"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 La Jolla Shores, Windansea 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 La Jolla Indigenous and Latino youth, not generic wellness language.
Surf therapy is a structured, trauma-informed mental health program using the ocean as a therapeutic setting. Licensed mental health professionals partner with certified surf coaches to deliver small-group sessions (eight youth max) combining ocean-based mindfulness, somatic movement, and Kumeyaay-led healing modules for BIPOC youth ages 6–17 in La Jolla.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in La Jolla are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No La Jolla family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at La Jolla Shores. We also use Windansea Beach for skill progression. Classroom components happen at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages 6–17. In La Jolla specifically, our recruitment runs through San Diego Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock 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 La Jolla Shores, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In La Jolla, 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 La Jolla, where 22% 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 La Jolla surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 35%-BIPOC La Jolla 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 La Jolla, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary and referrals from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and La Jolla Recreation Center. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Ready to get your child in the water? Contact Un Mar de Colores — priority enrollment for La Jolla Title I school students.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for La Jolla 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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