Un Mar de Colores · La Jolla, CA
Background check paid by Un Mar — not another hidden cost for La Jolla adults who want to serve.
Un Mar de Colores welcomes adult volunteers (18+) from La Jolla to support beach cleanups, youth mentorship, event logistics, and community organizing across San Diego County. La Jolla volunteers regularly support our programming at La Jolla Shores, Windansea Beach and partner community sites including Scripps Institution of Oceanography and La Jolla Recreation Center. We provide free orientation, cultural competency training, and pay for your background check.
Ongoing (monthly events + weekly program support) · 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.
Parents searching volunteer opportunities near La Jolla, CA find corporate one-day events first. Un Mar volunteer program is different: BIPOC-led nonprofit with monthly continuity, youth mentorship training, and recruitment prioritizing communities where 35% of residents have been gated from coastal stewardship.
Trauma-informed volunteer training welcomes La Jolla mentors supporting teens navigating anxiety, grief, and family instability.
When we say free for La Jolla youth, we mean wetsuits, soft-tops, rashguards, sunscreen, transportation, and instruction — the full stack commercial programs charge $50–$150 per session for.
Environmental justice in La Jolla 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.
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.
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.
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."”
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 La Jolla mentors.
Annual Surf Fiesta, community showcases, summer camp Friday celebrations, and quarterly cultural arts exhibitions need logistics, setup, guest welcome, and photography volunteers from La Jolla.
Free volunteer orientation, cultural competency training for direct-youth roles, youth-safety training, and cleanup safety briefings. La Jolla adults mentor BIPOC youth with documented protocols — not improvisation.
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 18+. 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.
Support the movement or enroll your youth — Un Mar de Colores is building coastal access for La Jolla families.
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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