Un Mar de Colores · Del Mar, CA
Partnership with ocean stewardship cleanups — Del Mar volunteers deepen into movement leadership.
Un Mar de Colores welcomes adult volunteers (18+) from Del Mar to support beach cleanups, youth mentorship, event logistics, and community organizing across San Diego County. Del Mar volunteers regularly support our programming at 15th Street Beach and partner community sites including Del Mar Foundation and Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. We provide free orientation, cultural competency training, and pay for your background check.
Ongoing (monthly events + weekly program support) · Completely free
Del Mar's 2.5-mile coastline produces some of the cleanest water and most consistent small waves in the region, protected by the San Dieguito River mouth eddies. Our 15th Street Beach lessons sit in front of Powerhouse Park, which doubles as our outdoor classroom. We partner with Del Mar Union's Del Mar Heights and Ashley Falls Elementary — serving primarily inland Del Mar Mesa and Carmel Valley neighborhoods.
Event volunteer roles for Surf Fiesta and community celebrations need Del Mar adults for logistics, setup, and guest welcome — movement building, not unpaid grunt work without context.
Weekly mentorship volunteers commit to Ocean Stewards after-school — consistent adults for Del Mar Union School District teens who need stable relationships, not rotating strangers.
With 4,161 residents, Del Mar 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.
Del Mar families deserve instructors who look like their kids and speak their language. With 20% BIPOC residents, bilingual coaching isn't a nice-to-have — it's how we earn trust on day one.
Un Mar's primary Del Mar location, directly in front of Powerhouse Park — which doubles as our outdoor classroom space.
15th Street sits in the heart of Del Mar Village, adjacent to Powerhouse Park, the historic 1928 beach concession building that gives the park its name.
In partnership with Del Mar Union School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ Title I schools.
Volunteers are the backbone of Un Mar de Colores. Monthly beach cleanups, weekly after-school program support, annual Surf Fiesta events, and ongoing community organizing all rely on volunteers from across San Diego County. We welcome adult volunteers (18+) with a range of skill sets and time commitments — from single-event cleanup volunteers to weekly mentors supporting Ocean Stewards. All volunteers complete a free orientation and a paid background check, and we provide cultural competency training to every direct-youth volunteer.
We do not charge families. Ever. That policy is structural — grants, donors, and shop revenue fund access so Del Mar 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."”
Training prepares volunteers to mentor BIPOC youth respectfully — avoiding savior dynamics, honoring cultural context, and supporting trauma-informed environments. Required before direct-youth pairing for Del Mar mentors.
Yes — monthly cleanup volunteers from Del Mar can participate in single events without weekly commitment. Supplies, bilingual briefings, and citizen science training provided at every cleanup near 15th Street Beach.
Corporate events are often one-day photo ops without training, BIPOC recruitment priority, or youth mentorship depth. Un Mar offers monthly continuity, paid background checks, cultural competency training, and BIPOC-led movement building for Del Mar volunteers.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Del Mar are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Del Mar Heights Elementary, Ashley Falls Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Del Mar family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at 15th Street Beach. Classroom components happen at Del Mar Foundation and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages 18+. In Del Mar specifically, our recruitment runs through Del Mar Union School District — with priority enrollment for students from Del Mar Heights Elementary, Ashley Falls 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 15th Street Beach, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Del Mar, 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 Del Mar, where 8% 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 Del Mar surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 20%-BIPOC Del Mar 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 Del Mar, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Del Mar Heights Elementary, Ashley Falls Elementary and referrals from Del Mar Foundation and Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Spots in our Del Mar cohorts are limited to keep instructor ratios safe. Contact us to reserve a place.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Del Mar 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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