Choppy waves and elevated surf forced the San Diego Fire-Department to close the Ocean Beach Pier on Friday.
The popular 2,000-foot pier was expected to remain closed through at least Saturday due to waves that had the potential to reach up to nine feet.
The most powerful waves would hit San Diego County beaches on Saturday morning but the National Weather Service issued a High Surf Advisory through 4 p.m. Sunday.
The agency warned that during that time, swimming conditions would be dangerous and there was a possibility of strong rip currents and erosion and local beaches.
"I got stuck in a current, I couldn't be unhooked from my board and I got thrown into the pier a couple of times," a surfer told NBC 7. "So I decided to give the lifeguards something to do and give them the opportunity to save me."
Lifeguards closed the pier around 9:45 a.m. Friday and they were at the beach giving out warnings to surfers who tried to tackle the big waves.
Local
The Ocean Beach Pier was closed for more than four months this year after a January storm created what is known as King Tide waves that ripped of a portion of the pier's railing.
The city of San Diego replaced thousands of feet of railing and fixed electric, water and sewage lines at a cost of about $309,000.
At more than 1,970 feet, the Ocean Beach pier, which opened in 1966, is the second-longest on the West Coast and the longest concrete pier in the world.
