Un Mar de Colores · Ocean Beach, CA
Indigenous Kumeyaay relationship with water woven into hydrology fundamentals — not erased from science curriculum.
Un Mar de Colores's Watershed Explorers program brings Ocean Beach 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 Ocean Beach beaches. We partner with San Diego Unified School District and community organizations including OB Town Council and San Diego River Park Foundation to recruit from Ocean Beach Elementary, Dana Middle School. 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
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.
Teachers in San Diego Unified School District contact Un Mar to book free year-round field trips — Ocean Beach classrooms access mountain-to-coast science without PTA fundraising.
Family engagement in watershed programming welcomes Ocean Beach parents on orientation and select field days — environmental education as household literacy.
Ocean Beach's Spanish-speaking households (21%) get parent communications in both languages, every time. Coastal access fails when language is treated as an afterthought.
Safe, lifeguard-coordinated instruction is non-negotiable for Ocean Beach youth. Every water session runs inside flagged zones with certified coaches — parents shouldn't have to choose between access and safety.
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.
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.
We do not charge families. Ever. That policy is structural — grants, donors, and shop revenue fund access so Ocean Beach 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."”
Yes — bilingual curriculum materials and field instruction are standard. In Ocean Beach, where 21% of households are Spanish-speaking, educators deliver watershed science in English and Spanish.
Sites progress from Cuyamaca mountain streams through river and estuary systems to coastal locations near OB Pier, Dog Beach (Ocean Beach). Multi-site tracing shows the full watershed pipeline relevant to San Diego.
Aquarium trips show marine life in tanks. Watershed education traces the full pipeline — students stand in mountain streams, visit estuaries, and connect runoff from Ocean Beach to conditions at OB Pier, Dog Beach (Ocean Beach). Field science with advocacy depth.
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 All ages. 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.
Free means free. No hidden fees, no gear costs, no transportation charges for Ocean Beach participants.
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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