The Ocean Beach Pier is closed due to high surf.
Crews arrived to inspect the railings Thursday afternoon after several large waves caused damage to the pier.
Lifeguards say this is very unusual for the summer months; normally a swell of this condition happens in the winter. They say the pier's closure is a precautionary measure so people don't get swept off.
The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory and strong rip currents and higher-than-normal surf will continue through the weekend.
A long interval of southwest swell will produce waves as high as 11 feet on southwest-facing beaches, with waves elsewhere ranging from 4 to 7 feet high.
These conditions are the result of a major winter storm off New Zealand.
"This is the beginning, this is just the beginning we've got another storm coming,” one surfer said.
“We've got swells coming all the time."
Local
Swimmers and surfers are being urged to stay off jetties due to the risk of being swept away. Lifeguards say intervals between peak waves may be deceptive.
