Un Mar de Colores · Ocean Beach, CA
Ocean-based mindfulness, somatic movement, and culturally grounded healing modules for Ocean Beach BIPOC youth.
Un Mar de Colores offers free surf therapy sessions for Ocean Beach youth ages 6–17, combining licensed mental health support with trauma-informed surf coaching. Sessions run at OB Pier, Dog Beach (Ocean Beach) with full safety coverage. Referrals come through San Diego Unified School District counselors and community partners including OB Town Council and San Diego River Park Foundation. Cohorts are capped at 8 youth for safety and therapeutic depth.
Monthly cohorts, year-round · Completely free
Ocean Beach's OB Pier and Dog Beach locations offer our Point Loma peninsula cohorts direct-access surf instruction. The San Diego River mouth at Dog Beach provides paddle-flat-water training, and our Ocean Beach Elementary and Dana Middle partnerships anchor our youth recruitment across the 92107 zip code — one of San Diego's most culturally diverse beach neighborhoods.
Ocean-based therapy near OB Pier, Dog Beach (Ocean Beach) for Ocean Beach youth runs monthly cohorts year-round. Inland families rely on shuttles (on the coast) so distance doesn't become another stressor when a child needs support.
Trauma-informed surf therapy in Ocean Beach should pace for anxious beginners — not throw youth into overhead surf for Instagram content. Our progression model starts in chest-deep whitewater with licensed support and certified coaches coordinated with lifeguard safety protocols.
From Ocean Beach's Title I schools to the sand, our pipeline is built on real partnerships — not generic 'serving the area' language. Every cohort names the schools, beaches, and community orgs involved.
Cross-border watershed work matters to Ocean Beach because Tijuana River pollution and coastal health don't stop at a border fence. Our education modules name that reality honestly.
Primary Ocean Beach teaching location. Used for intermediate progression from Tourmaline and Mission Beach.
The Ocean Beach Pier is the longest concrete pier on the West Coast at 1,971 feet. Closed for reconstruction in 2024, with reopening projected for 2027.
Used for paddle fundamentals and flatwater training (San Diego River mouth). Not for in-water surf instruction due to no lifeguard coverage.
Dog Beach OB was California's first leash-free beach (1972). Sits at the mouth of the San Diego River — our classroom for river-to-ocean watershed lessons.
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.
Our coaches include graduates of the Surf Athletic Scholarship program and bilingual educators who reflect the BIPOC communities we serve. We partner with 15+ Title I schools across North County and San Diego.
“"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."”
Healing modules developed with Kumeyaay elders connect coastal stewardship, water relationships, and cultural recovery — culturally grounded practice for Ocean Beach Indigenous and Latino youth, not generic wellness language.
No swimming test is required. We begin in chest-deep whitewater under direct coach and clinical supervision, building water comfort progressively. Many Ocean Beach participants start with limited pool experience.
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 Ocean Beach youth.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Ocean Beach are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Ocean Beach Elementary, Dana Middle School, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Ocean Beach family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at OB Pier. We also use Dog Beach (Ocean Beach) for skill progression. Classroom components happen at OB Town Council and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages 6–17. In Ocean Beach specifically, our recruitment runs through San Diego Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Ocean Beach Elementary, Dana 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 OB Pier, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Ocean 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 Ocean Beach, where 21% 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 Ocean Beach surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 39%-BIPOC Ocean 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 Ocean Beach, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Ocean Beach Elementary, Dana Middle School and referrals from OB Town Council and San Diego River Park Foundation. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Spots in our Ocean Beach cohorts are limited to keep instructor ratios safe. Contact us to reserve a place.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Ocean 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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