Leo Marchetti
Founder · Master Detailer
Opened the first North Park tunnel in 2014. Still hand-checks every ceramic coating that leaves the studio.
IDA Certified · Ceramic Pro Elite · 18 yrs
Since 2014 · San Diego
A spa day for your car.
Drive in dusty. Drive out dripping with gloss.
Riptide started in 2014 with one tunnel in North Park and a stubborn idea: a wash should feel less like a chore and more like a spa day for your car. Ten years on we run four bright, glass-walled locations, a soft-foam express tunnel that is gentle enough for fresh ceramic, a full detail studio, and an Unlimited club tens of thousands of San Diegans drive in for — rain or shine, every single day if they want.
Soft on paint, easy on water
Our tunnels use a soft-foam and soft-felt system — no spinning bristles — so every wash is gentle enough for fresh ceramic, vinyl wraps, and matte finishes. And we filter and re-use up to 70% of our water, so a deep clean goes easy on San Diego. Our tunnels use a water-reclamation system that filters and re-uses a substantial portion of wash water; reclamation percentages are illustrative for this template and vary by location and equipment. We operate consistent with local water-discharge and EPA stormwater guidance.
What you can expect
- 01
Pick your wash
Choose your vehicle and a package in the configurator — or just drive into the tunnel. No appointment for a wash.
- 02
Roll through the tunnel
Stay in your car. Pre-soak, soft-foam, gloss rinse, wax, and a high-velocity dry — about three minutes, start to finish.
- 03
Vacuum & finish
Pull into a free self-serve bay, vacuum the interior, wipe the dash, and finish the windows on us.
- 04
Join Unlimited
Loved it? Tap your plate to an Unlimited plan and wash any time, any location, every day if you want.
The crew
The people behind the gloss.
Nadia Flores
Detail Studio Lead
Runs the detail bays — paint correction, coatings, and the kind of interior resets that make a car feel new.
Gtechniq Accredited · IDA Skills-Validated · 12 yrs
Marcus Bell
Operations · Tunnel Systems
Keeps the foam soft, the water reclaimed, and four tunnels humming seven days a week.
ICA Certified · Water-Reclaim Tech · 10 yrs
Sofia Tran
Member Experience Lead
Looks after 38,000 Unlimited members and every fleet account — the friendly voice behind the club.
Hospitality Lead · Fleet Accounts · 8 yrs