SAN DIEGO — Ocean Beach Pier opened Friday morning after being closed for three straight days due to high surf. Authorities said the high surf would decrease Friday with elevated surf likely to continue through the weekend.
Lifeguards kept the structure at 1850 Ocean Front Street off-limits to the public as a safety precaution, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
That didn’t stop beachgoers coming down in crowds to get pictures and video of the big waves on New Year's Day and Thursday.
“We wanted to come over and watch the waves, it's pretty amazing,” Mission bay resident Pete Chumpitaz said Wednesday.
Playing his guitar on the sand, Jamie Valdebenito recalls why lifeguards recently had to close Ocean Beach pier.
“It was really high and dangerous yesterday, but that was the reason why the pier closed down, that thing got destroyed,” Valdebenito said.
O.B. locals and tourists alike stood by the locked pier gates watching the waves.
“It's big it's big and getting steeper as the day goes on,” said surfer Michael Angulo, who got in the water despite the advisory.
"Occasionally, a big one comes and you're like ok, you ditch your board and you pray that you make it back up, you go under the wave and it takes you for a roller coaster, you try to figure out where the top is and then go,” he said.
Young surfer Justin Connolly says he skipped out on staying up late on New Year's Eve just so he could surf the huge waves.
“I saw the swell coming in, I wanted to get in today, so I took it easy last night and went to bed early; I’ll be back tomorrow too,” Connolly said.
The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a High Surf Advisory, which is in effect until 4 a.m. Saturday.
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Beachgoers are warned of strong rip currents with minor beach erosion possible. If near the water, stay in contact with a lifeguard, forecasters said.