Un Mar de Colores · Cardiff by the Sea, CA
Policy and advocacy for clean water — students learn how to fight for the watersheds that shape Cardiff by the Sea.
Un Mar de Colores's Watershed Explorers program brings Cardiff by the Sea youth into the full watershed-to-ocean story of San Diego County. Day trips and overnight summer cohorts trace mountain streams from Cuyamaca State Park to the coast, including your own Cardiff by the Sea beaches. We partner with Cardiff School District and community organizations including San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy and Cardiff 101 Mainstreet to recruit from Ada Harris Elementary, Cardiff Elementary. Every program integrates the Tijuana River watershed case study — the only cross-border river in Southern California.
Summer cohorts + year-round school field trips · Completely free
Cardiff Reef is one of California's most beginner-friendly longboard breaks — cobblestone-to-sand bottom with gentle reform. Our Cardiff cohorts draw primarily from Cardiff School District's Ada Harris and Cardiff Elementary, plus Encinitas Union partner schools. The San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve anchors our Cardiff marine biology curriculum, connecting surf to watershed in a way unique to this corner of North County.
Watershed-to-ocean tracing answers why Cardiff by the Sea storm drains matter — runoff pipelines taught from street to Cardiff Reef.
Policy advocacy training in watershed curriculum teaches Cardiff by the Sea youth how California coastal and water commissions affect their beaches.
Parents in Cardiff by the Sea often ask how a nonprofit can offer everything free. Answer: San Diego Foundation grants, community donors, and partners who believe Cardiff by the Sea youth belong in the lineup — same as any other kid in San Diego.
Cardiff by the Sea's Spanish-speaking households (10%) get parent communications in both languages, every time. Coastal access fails when language is treated as an afterthought.
Un Mar's primary Cardiff location. The cobblestone-to-sand bottom produces gentle, slow-reforming waves that are remarkably forgiving for first-time surfers.
Cardiff Reef's cobblestone point has formed over thousands of years from sediment deposited by the San Elijo Lagoon. One of the most welcoming beginner lineup cultures in California.
In partnership with Cardiff School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ Title I schools.
The Watershed Explorers program is Un Mar de Colores's flagship environmental education offering. Summer overnight cohorts trace the journey from Cuyamaca Rancho State Park's mountain streams to the San Diego coast, with special focus on the Tijuana River watershed — California's most cross-border and pollution-impacted river system. Curriculum integrates hydrology fundamentals, Indigenous Kumeyaay perspectives on water, and California coastal policy. Year-round day trips serve school field-trip groups across our 15+ Title I partner schools, and all programming is free with transportation included.
Since 2018, Un Mar de Colores has served thousands of youth across San Diego County and the Cali-Baja region — with funding from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors keeping every program 100% free.
“"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."”
Yes — bilingual curriculum materials and field instruction are standard. In Cardiff by the Sea, where 10% of households are Spanish-speaking, educators deliver watershed science in English and Spanish.
Yes — family engagement opportunities include overnight orientation sessions and select field days. Watershed literacy extends to Cardiff by the Sea households, not only classroom students.
Watershed Explorers overnight cohorts and field trips serve all ages — school field trips align to classroom grades, and family engagement opportunities welcome multi-generational Cardiff by the Sea households.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Cardiff by the Sea are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Ada Harris Elementary, Cardiff Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Cardiff by the Sea family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at Cardiff Reef. Classroom components happen at San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages All ages. In Cardiff by the Sea specifically, our recruitment runs through Cardiff School District — with priority enrollment for students from Ada Harris Elementary, Cardiff 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 Cardiff Reef, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Cardiff by the Sea, 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 Cardiff by the Sea, where 10% 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 Cardiff by the Sea surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 22%-BIPOC Cardiff by the Sea 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 Cardiff by the Sea, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Ada Harris Elementary, Cardiff Elementary and referrals from San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy and Cardiff 101 Mainstreet. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Parents in Cardiff by the Sea: bilingual staff, certified lifeguard-trained coaches, and zero cost. Sign up now.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Cardiff by the Sea 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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