Un Mar de Colores · Carlsbad, CA
Year-round day-trip field trips for Carlsbad Unified School District classrooms across Carlsbad and San Diego.
Un Mar de Colores's Watershed Explorers program brings Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad beaches. We partner with Carlsbad Unified School District and community organizations including Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad and Carlsbad Library (Cole & Dove branches) to recruit from Jefferson Elementary, Buena Vista Elementary, Magnolia Elementary and other Title I schools. 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
Carlsbad's 7-mile coastline — from Agua Hedionda Lagoon to Batiquitos — is one of North County's most accessible learn-to-surf corridors. We run programs at Tamarack State Beach in the Village and at South Ponto, partnering with Carlsbad Unified's 11,000+ students, especially from Jefferson, Buena Vista, and Magnolia Elementary schools serving the city's inland barrio communities.
Cross-border watershed education from Carlsbad prepares youth to understand Cali-Baja water politics — Tijuana River as California's most pollution-impacted cross-border river system.
How much does watershed camp cost in California? Paid eco-camps run hundreds per student. Un Mar de Colores provides overnight Watershed Explorers and school field trips free for Carlsbad youth and classrooms.
The ocean off Carlsbad belongs to everyone. Un Mar de Colores exists because San Diego has spent decades telling BIPOC youth otherwise — and we're changing that story one cohort at a time.
Carlsbad sits inside San Diego County's coastal equity gap — 41% of residents identify as BIPOC, yet beach access has historically been gated by cost, transportation, and culture. Un Mar de Colores closes that gap with free programming and school-based recruitment.
Un Mar's primary Carlsbad teaching location. Full year-round lifeguard coverage, sand bottom, and mellow inside reform.
Tamarack sits in the heart of Carlsbad Village, with direct access to the Carlsbad Library and downtown. Named after the native tamarack trees that once lined the coastline.
Progression break for Carlsbad cohorts graduating from Tamarack. Wide sandbar accommodates group lessons with plenty of paddle-out room.
South Ponto borders the Batiquitos Lagoon ecological reserve, giving our cohorts direct access to watershed ecology programming alongside surf instruction.
In partnership with Carlsbad Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 4+ 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.
Un Mar is a member of the surf equity ecosystem across California — connected to Surf Justice Collective, Native Like Water, and cross-border watershed coalitions.
“"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."”
Watershed Explorers is Un Mar de Colores's flagship watershed education program — summer overnight cohorts tracing water from Cuyamaca Rancho State Park mountain streams to the San Diego coast. Carlsbad youth experience multi-day immersion in hydrology, Kumeyaay water perspectives, Tijuana River case study, and clean water advocacy.
Contact Un Mar de Colores for summer overnight cohort enrollment or ask your Carlsbad Unified School District teacher to book a year-round field trip. Priority for Title I schools and partner referrals in Carlsbad.
Sites progress from Cuyamaca mountain streams through river and estuary systems to coastal locations near Tamarack State Beach, South Ponto State Beach. Multi-site tracing shows the full watershed pipeline relevant to San Diego.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Carlsbad are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Jefferson Elementary, Buena Vista Elementary, Magnolia Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Carlsbad family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at Tamarack State Beach. We also use South Ponto State Beach for skill progression. Classroom components happen at Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages All ages. In Carlsbad specifically, our recruitment runs through Carlsbad Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Jefferson Elementary, Buena Vista Elementary, Magnolia Elementary and 1 other Title I schools. 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 Tamarack State Beach, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Carlsbad, 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 Carlsbad, where 18% 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 Carlsbad surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 41%-BIPOC Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Jefferson Elementary, Buena Vista Elementary, Magnolia Elementary and referrals from Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad and Carlsbad Library (Cole & Dove branches). Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Join hundreds of Carlsbad families who trust Un Mar de Colores for free ocean programming. Enroll today.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Carlsbad 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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