The big waves that brought surfers long-awaited swells last week also swept away about 30 yards of the Ocean Beach Pier’s side rails, causing lifeguards to close the pier for more than a week.
Lifeguards made the call early when damage was reported at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4.
City crews were unable to survey the damage until the swells calmed, according to Michael Ruiz, ground maintenance manager for shoreline parks.
“The waves were just too high for us to get an idea of just how much damage was done,” he said.
The waves took out some of the wood railing and upright pylons about halfway down the pier, he said.
City plumbers were dispatched on Tuesday, Dec. 5 to fix the fish-cleaning station that had sustained some damage as well.
Ruiz said city crews should be able to fix the rails by Friday, pending stable weather conditions.
City maintenance crews were set back by about a day because of the recent rainstorm.