OB Pier and Tide Pools

OB Pier News and Events

Repairs to damaged pier are no longer feasible; the focus now turns to long-term replacement.

Click Here to view the latest statement from The City of San Diego.

Click "OB Pier News" to view local news articles and events from a variety of publications.

Exploratory Drilling

Thanks to photographer, Jim Grant for capturing a photo of the engineers taking core samples by drilling through the pier into the ocean floor. This is the continuation of the Pier Renewal Project which is ongoing. The next community meeting will be coming up soon to bring us all up to speed on the environmental review, and the pier assessment, and map out the path going forward.

2024-09-30 OB Pier Exploritory Drilling photo by Jim Grant

Design concepts for Ocean Beach Pier replacement

Ocean Beach Pier Concept Unveil

In September 2023, The City of San Diego and its consultants presented the above-preferred design concepts for an Ocean Beach Pier replacement. These preferred design concepts were created based on public input.

To learn more, or provide public comment visit.

OBPierRenewal.com

2023-04-01 ob pier meeting photo ralph teyssier

OB Pier Renew Project

Questions? Send Email

Signup For Updates

Interesting Facts...

Originally Named the San Diego Fishing Pier. The original plaque is still there.
Over 500,000 Visitors Per Year.
At 1971 Feet It Is the Longest Concrete Pier on the West Coast. The Pier at Santa Cruz is 2745 Feet, Making it the Longest in the State.
The 1st Fish Caught on the Pier was an 8-inch Perch. The 2nd and 3rd Fish Caught was a Gray Shark and a Crab.
Often Called the "Queen Fish", Herring is the Most Common Fish Caught on the Pier. There is NO LIMIT!
Then CA Governor Edmund G. Brown Made the First Cast Off the OB Pier and Reportedly Fished for 5 minutes. Brown caught nothing and was defeated in November. (Coincidence?)
Currently, No Fishing License is Required on the Pier.
In 1991 over $2 Million was Spent on the Pier to Repair Damages Caused by Winter Storms.

If you have an OB Pier memory to share, Click Here.

More about the OB Pier

The Ocean Beach Municipal Pier, one of the most visited landmarks in San Diego County, was officially christened and introduced to eager San Diegans on July 2, 1966. Over 7,000 of San Diego's then 600,000 residents showed up to celebrate the opening, including local politicians Mayor Frank Curran and California Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown who had the honor of cutting the ribbon.

Although the pier quickly became a popular destination for locals and tourists, its original purpose was for fishing. Local Ocean Beach fishermen needed a way to prevent their fishing lines and lures from getting tangled in the vast kelp and rock beds that lie near the surface of the water near the shores. With the construction of the OB Pier, anglers can fish in 25-30 feet of water, avoiding most of the shoreline kelp and enabling them to catch species of fish that live in deeper waters. The pier extends 1971 feet into the ocean and is purported to be the longest concrete fishing pier on the West Coast. Its unique T-shape at the end of the pier adds 360 feet to the south and 193 feet to the north.

The OB Pier was not the first attempt at providing OB residents a place to fish. Before the completion of the pier, a bridge had been constructed in 1915 across the mouth of Mission Bay, which extended from the north end of Bacon Street to what is now the dunes of Mission Bay. This bridge, which was 1,500 feet long, was mainly built so residents could travel from Voltaire to Mission Beach. Soon after its construction, local fishermen thought they had finally found a place to fish. Though the bridge served its primary purpose as a means of transportation for residents, it proved to be a poor solution for the town's fishermen. When safety concerns and issues with flood control eventually resulted in the bridge becoming derelict and ultimately demolished., San Diegans were promised a replacement for the tourists and fishermen who enjoyed it. Construction began on another fishing option – a steel pier at the foot of Del Monte Avenue – in the early 1940s. Due to World War II steel shortages, construction was halted, and the pier was never completed. In 1966, the city finally came through on its promise and opened what is now the OB Pier at the foot of Niagara, a location that proved better suited for tourists and anglers alike.

Tide Pools

Photos Courtesy of Josh Utley - Please respect sea life and put it back where you found it. (=

For the Best Experience, We Recommend You Visit the Tidepools During Low Tide.

The Ocean Beach Tidepools are Located at the foot of Newport Ave. Beneath the Pier.

Ocean Beach Tide Table

Click Here to view the full photo album.

OB Pier History

Thanks to all the OB Pier fans who have submitted stories, photos, and memories for your enjoyment below. If you have a memory, photo, or story to share, please do so using the "Pierbook" form.

OB Bathing Plunge, San Diego, Calif 1918 - 1920

Historic photos: 45-year review 5078-5116 Narragansett Av Silver Spray Apts.

Golf cart on the pier Memory

When I was very young, in 1966, 67ish, my grandpa and grandma took me fishing on the pier quite often. Grandpa was blind and he had permission to drive their golf cart out onto the pier.

On the day the pier was opened in 1966 I was 10 years old

On the day the pier was opened in 1966 I was 10 years old. My older brother Warren, age 13, and I went to the pier with our fishing poles. Governor Pat Brown, and entourage, were there to officially open the pier. We were very near them when some guys in suits approached us and asked if they could borrow our fishing poles so Governor Brown could have some photos taken. Although we were anxious to fish, we gave them up. They did all their photos and then handed them back to us shaking our Little hands. I don't remember if they took any photos of us, and I can't recall if we did catch any fish, but I do remember the Governor and all the men in suits. Loved that pier while I lived there.

OB Pier - Greer Ferver, $92,000 raised and other historicaltidbits

At 1,971 feet, Ocean Beach is believed to be the longest concrete pier in the world. The Northern arm of the finishing T is 193 feet long, and the Southern arm extends 360 feet. In the original construction plan they were the same length; but when building was already underway, a group of enthusiastic San Diegans raised $92,000 more to extend the arm and so increased the pier's fishing capacity. Because of this addition, the pier has a full mile of rail space.

I was a Test Engineer, employed at the General Dynamics

I was a Test Engineer, employed at the General Dynamics Kearny Mesa facility from spring of 1977 to the beginning of summer of 1978. I worked on the Cruise Missile program there until GD and the Navy got into a budget spat, which caused me to be laid off. It was around this time that my best friend from our home state of Delaware, Malcolm Shealy, came to visit me in OB (I used to live at 5171 Long Branch, one building from the park & beach.).

The Grunion Players

Some years ago a wonderful improv group called The Grunion Players used to perform on weekend evenings in the OB Pier cafe. Great venue for the half dozen actors and good food/beverage sales for the restaurant. Wish the present owners would get together with someone from the OB Playhouse and start something when the railing is repaired and the pandemic ends.

She fell in love with the amazing pier

Several years ago my mother stayed at the Ocean Beach Hotel and she fell in love with the amazing pier. It was the topic of many conversations that she would have for years that followed.

OB Pier Blue Prints

A joint venture between Lykos & Coldhammer Architects & Engineers and Ferver - Dorland & Associates Structural Engineers. Site Plan information. Including soundings & water lines, taken from City of San Diego Engineering Dept Drawing titles "Soundings of Pacific Ocean between Point Loma Avenue & Loring Street & Westerly Portion of Mission Bay between West Point Loma Blvd. and San Fernando Place" and dated July 31, 1940.

Presentation on Pier Construction by Ralph Teyssier

Ralph Teyssier, a structural engineer and the son of OB Pier contractor Leonard Teyssier, gave a wonderful presentation to the OB Historical Society about the pier's structure, engineering, and construction in July 2016. View the slides from the presentation (PDF). View the presentation as a Power Point (PPTX).