Summer 2024

OCEAN CAMPS & EXCURSIONS

Get Ready for Excursion Camps!

June 17 - August 16 2024

Apply for our waitlists between April 1 and May 19, 2024 to enter our weighted lottery. Join the waitlists any time during this date range to be included. Lottery results will be begin to be announced on April 26.

Our week-long camps are full of fun, camaraderie, and skill building.

CALENDAR

How does registration and pricing work?

Our summer camp programs fill up quickly so we use a weighted waitlist to assure that they are equitably representative of our community. We also use a sliding scale for our registration cost to assure that price is not a barrier of entry. You can also donate to the scholarship fund!

Scholarships

Core values and key take aways include:

  • Gratitude— appreciation for our peers and planet

  • Active Learning—learning about currents, tides, waves, and how these affect the marine environment

  • Stewardship—understanding the impact of human activities on the ocean and how we can help protect it

  • Creative—resourceful art activities like creating sculptures out of found objects

  • Zero Screen Time—fully immersed in our ocean habitat

We are proud to be fiscally sponsored by Wilderness Youth Project, one the organizations in Santa Barbara who were selected to provide evidence-based interventions that prevent, treat, and heal the harmful consequences of toxic stress.

 FAQs

  • We do get cancellations, so we encourage you to join the waitlists for the camps you want and we will notify you if a spot becomes available.

  • You may apply for as many waitlists as you want and in fact, the more availability you have throughout the summer, the higher the likelihood that you will receive a camp session. You do not have to pay to be on the waitlist

  • Each day there are elements of gratitude, inspiration, water safety and sports, skill focus, wandering, exploring, celebration, and storytelling. Here are examples of a day in each camp:

    A typical* day at Sea Lion Camp:

    8am Breakfast

    9:30 Gratitude Circle and Warm-up

    10:00 Surf Lessons

    12:00 Lunch

    1:00 Group Ocean Water Polo Game

    3:30 Free Play: Snorkel, Giant SUP, Hike, Crafts, Wander within boundaries.

    5:30 Dinner

    7:00 Campfire Games, Music, Stories, and S’mores.

    8:00 Quiet Time in Tents

    *Though we maintain core routines to create familiarity, we allow great flexibility within our ‘schedule’ to allow space for creativity and following spontaneous moments in nature.

  • Thanks to community fundraising, we offer scholarships at many levels. Our weighted lottery does NOT prioritize those who can pay full price. We ask you to state your family’s income as part of the application process if you are requesting a scholarship. Once our scholarship fund has been allocated, we place full-paying families into remaining spots.

  • Please pack lightly — kids carry their own packs. We ask that each day your camper shows up with the following items. Let TSL know if you need us to provide anything for your camper:

    Healthy lunch (low sugar) and plenty of snacks. Kids get hungry on our programs!

    Water bottle filled with water (minimum of 32 oz. reusable water bottle). We’ll refill during the day.

    Sunscreen SPF30 or higher. Please apply before arriving. We’ll re-apply during the day.

    Athletic Swimsuit that allows you to surf, bend, body surf, SUP, etc.

    Synthetic board shorts or athletic shorts (NO COTTON)

    Clothes that can get dirty. Please have children arrive dressed in layers with their swimsuit underneath. SB’s summers start cold and foggy and burn off to be hot later in the day.

    dry under wear (if wearing swimsuit) to change into after water activities

    Shoes that can get wet–water shoes work great! (Tevas, Natives, Keens, Chacos, etc.) old tennis shoes work as long as you have another dry pair to wear for the duration of your program. Bring shoes that stay on your feet as you walk in the surf on rocky beaches.

    Small towel (no bigger than the length of the child’s body) Changing Towel works great, if possible.

    Hat (optional, but if your child will wear it, they are a wonderful way to keep out the sun).

    sunglasses with a neck strap - glasses may get lost if not attached to you

    Lastly, we encourage parents to LABEL everything and toys & electronics need to stay at home.

    Our Sea Lion Camps begin local overnight camping on Wednesday. On those days, please bring the same items for day camp, plus all of the items for local overnight camping listed here.

    Similarly, our Blue Dolphin camp begins overnight camping on Wednesday. On those days, please bring the same items for day camp, plus all of the items for camping at Santa Cruz Island that our partner, the Santa Barbara Adventure Company, has listed here.