"[Strong] surf has caused further damage to the Ocean Beach Pier," city officials posted on social media this week. "The pier lost a second support bracket, or 'pile," [on Monday] to the rough conditions."
This is the third year out of the past four that the iconic structure at the foot of Niagara Avenue has been battered by big waves. The rough seas have taken a toll on the structure, which was originally erected in 1966.
This week, the waves reached peaks rarely seen in San Diego, with some wave faces estimated at higher than 15 feet.
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The pier has been closed off-and-on to the public since a pounding back in January 2021, after which city workers were called in to repair and replace many wood railings destroyed by surf. Then in 2023, the pier, which the city said was nearing the end of its useful life, was permanently closed to public after more powerful winter weather slammed the structure, for which city officials have since been working on a permanent replacement.
Signs posted on the OB Pier now urge people to stay away from the pier. The San Diego Municipal Code states it is against the law for anyone to swim, wade, surf or skin dive within 75 feet of any fishing pier owned or operated by the city. In this case, the danger comes from a possible collapse or debris in the water being roiled by the waves.
The city confirmed this past August that it was no longer working toward repairing the pier and instead was looking at replacement options. A series of workshops on possible designs have been held on the pier's replacement.
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In the report released in August, the city confirmed repairing the damaged Ocean Beach Pier was no longer feasible. Last December, the 58-year-old pier had its first piling break off and fall into the ocean.
"The Ocean Beach Pier is an iconic landmark of San Diego, but it was built nearly six decades ago and no longer can withstand the impacts of rising sea levels and storm surge along our coast," Assistant Director of the Engineering and Capital Projects Department Elif Cetin was quoted as saying in August. "The decision on how to proceed factors in the likelihood that future storms will cause additional damage to the pier in coming years and whether it makes sense to pour resources into a structure that will continue to need extensive repairs or to instead invest in the long-term pier-replacement project."
Cetin's assessment was prescient in retrospect, considering the additional damage caused this week.
At the time of the 2018 study, minimal repairs would have cost about $8 million, and rehabilitation would have cost about $30 million to $50 million. Since that study was conducted, the pier damage and construction repair costs have significantly increased, further bolstering the case for replacement, according to the city.
