Un Mar de Colores · Mission Beach, CA
Somatic and movement-based therapy integrated with paddle, breath, and wave rhythm — body and ocean connected.
Un Mar de Colores offers free surf therapy sessions for Mission Beach youth ages 6–17, combining licensed mental health support with trauma-informed surf coaching. Sessions run at Mission Beach with full safety coverage. Referrals come through San Diego Unified School District counselors and community partners including Mission Bay Aquatic Center and Mission Beach Elementary. Cohorts are capped at 8 youth for safety and therapeutic depth.
Monthly cohorts, year-round · Completely free
Mission Beach's 2-mile peninsula gives our programs direct access to both open-ocean surf and the protected waters of Mission Bay for paddle fundamentals. We partner with Mission Beach Elementary and the Mission Bay Aquatic Center for water-comfort programming before open-ocean sessions. The South Mission Jetty area provides beginner-friendly protected waves on most swells.
Family caregiver support sessions in surf therapy acknowledge that Mission Beach parents carry stress too — healing isn't isolated to the child on the board.
BIPOC surf therapy in Mission Beach addresses layered barriers: 37% of local residents are BIPOC, yet mental health and coastal access gaps compound. Our staff and alumni reflect the communities we serve — representation changes whether a child believes healing on the water is for them.
Environmental justice in Mission Beach isn't abstract: watershed health, beach closures, and plastic pollution affect the same communities we serve. Our programs connect surf skills to stewardship of San Diego's coastline.
Mission Beach's Spanish-speaking households (19%) get parent communications in both languages, every time. Coastal access fails when language is treated as an afterthought.
Used for intermediate progression; too exposed for first-time students on most days.
Mission Beach is home to the historic Belmont Park wooden roller coaster (1925), one of the oldest surviving seaside amusement parks in the United States.
In partnership with San Diego 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.
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."”
No swimming test is required. We begin in chest-deep whitewater under direct coach and clinical supervision, building water comfort progressively. Many Mission Beach participants start with limited pool experience.
Monthly cohorts run year-round — not summer-only. Mission Beach youth can access support across the school year when stress peaks, not only in June.
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 Mission Beach.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Mission Beach are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Mission Beach Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Mission Beach family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at Mission Beach. Classroom components happen at Mission Bay Aquatic Center and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages 6–17. In Mission Beach specifically, our recruitment runs through San Diego Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Mission Beach 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 Mission Beach, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Mission 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 Mission Beach, where 19% 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 Mission Beach surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 37%-BIPOC Mission 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 Mission Beach, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Mission Beach Elementary and referrals from Mission Bay Aquatic Center and Mission Beach Elementary. 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 Mission Beach families.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Mission 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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