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Ocean Beach Municipal Pier
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31 reviews for Ocean Beach Municipal Pier
The Ocean Beach Pier may not be the prettiest structure I've seen but it provides for a nice long walk and some good breezes. It's about 2,000 feet long and there are people fishing on it constantly.
Halfway down the pier is the Walking on Water cafe for food and an attached bait shop where you can rent poles, buckets, anything you need to try your luck at catching a ray.
Looking forward to whale season, although I'm guessing the Cabrillo is a better viewpoint for whale spotting.
As someone who has lived in various places in San Diego County for the last few decades I can honestly say that Ocean Beach is the most overrated part of the area by far and the pier fits right in.
While the praise about OB is all about 'local color' that's fine if you like a bunch of druggies, drunks and other assorted dirtbags littering the community with their appearance and debris.
The pier is no exception. Ocean Beach could really be a great place if it took a shower, shaved and got a haircut. The pier really could be charming if someone (hello, city fathers and mothers) took the time to clean it up. It has a great location and there's nothing like a stroll out on an ocean pier with the salt air blowing in your face to make you feel at one with nature.
Unfortunately, the human and trash debris on the pier and nearby spoils everything. I suppose there's always going to be a mess on any pier from the remnants of fishermen and women but the whole pier has the appearance of a lifelong hangover.
There's a ton of potential here but it's not any more realized than the underaverage food at the cafe midway down the pier.
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The OB Pier is an institution. It's been beat up, dragged down... but it's still standing strong.
Sure, it smells faintly of rotten fish and unwashed hair. Sure, it's dirty and the idea of catching hepatitis or salmonella from the piles of bird shit are a legitimate concern. Sure, you could very easily get a hook in the eye from some jerk wad overhead casting when it's clearly a no-no... but I still dig the spot.
On a clear and sunny day in San Diego, you can take a little stroll to the end of the longest pier in Southern California... and it almost justifies the crazy rent prices we pay in this city.
Almost....
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This is probably the worst place to dump a dead hooker in San Diego. There are always random tourists, vagrants, and witnesses around that will constantly be questioning your motives for throwing a rolled-up carpet/Jean-Paul Gautier suitcase stuffed with a body into the sea. That being said, the OB pier is an awesome place to shoot smack. Whether you're looking for syringes in the shade underneath the pier or tying-up for an extended slam at the end, this landmark provides you with a great setting for drifting off into oblivion.
There are also many entertaining fisherman who frequent this pier. These masters of the sea employ a special set of fish-capturing tactics that I have affectionately deemed "the OB technique". The OB technique primarily consists of:
1% casting a baited hook into the sea
99% smoking doobies
I find this unique take on sport fishing to be very inspiring (and effective!). My friend told me that you can also catch lobsters at this pier, but he obviously must have been referring to the crabs you can catch from the ladies at the nearby Sunshine Co.. Speaking of foul creatures from the sea, sometimes dolphins and whales surface near this pier. I have yet to spear one with my 1,000 psi-harpoon gun (despite 70 tries thus far), so it looks like my humpback whale casserole is never going to become a reality. Oh well, maybe I can just use my harpoon gun on the guitar-toting hippies and random hoodlums that populate the stairs leading up to the pier. Somebody needs to clear that area out.
So anyways, the OB pier isn't super cool like the piers up in Santa Monica where you can ride a dang ferris wheel over the ocean and eat cotton candy. If you are looking for a dime bag or some soul-searching though, a stroll down this pier would suit you well!
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It took me years to discover Ocean Beach. Being a North County kid, we had the Oceanside Pier, the Carlsbad Harbor, and (if we dared venture south) Mission Bay to occupy our beach time. It wasn't until an 'it's complicated and illegal' dating situation thrusted my interests into OB and I found myself venturing the cliffs and streets that surround this destination.
It's a very long pier, and provides a nice walk. And on a really clear day, You might be able to see Mexico?
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What a lame pier. You barely are above the water, you are made of cement (really?) and when I get to the end I have to make a decision. Do I go left or right? WTF? Piers are for going back and forth! Get it together OB Pier!
Imperial Beach's trusty old wood pier will kick your ass any day.
Apparently, this is the longest pier on the Pacific! It offers interesting views of the coastline and Ocean Beach. Not to mention the personalities of the local wildlife: )
If you stop to eat at the OB Pier Cafe, be ready for incoming seagulls eager for your leftovers. The birds provide great entertainment!
As for the crowds, they are generally mixed in Ocean Beach with the occasional pseduo-aristo-crap, "roughing it" with locals. If you're uncomfortable with yourself or unaccustomed to seeing people from many different walks of life, you might prefer Del Mar.
I love OB for it's realism, and it's sweet smiles.
Long live OB Pier!
Lobster season is upon us and I plan on consuming as much as I can catch.
This isnt the most ideal spot for catching lobsters but its not bad either.
Plus its just an excuse for my friends and I to get together and just hang out.
Very nice pier by the way. Ocean Beach kicks ass.
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I have fond memories on and around the OB Pier.
We used to play guitar on the pier. We had a bag piper play bag pipes. We jammed out at the expense of noise complaints, but we had fun. The OB pier is a great place to walk in the dead of night. No matter when you go, there are always people there. It's not the safest feeling in the world, but you can definitely go at night and experience the emptiness and dark oblivion when you stare out into the ocean. It's perplexing and freeing.
Walking the pier is relaxing. It's zen. It's awesome with a friend, or a loved one. It gets 3 stars because I've experienced better, safer feeling piers. But don't let that stop you. Ample, free parking and sparse visitors throughout the night make it ideal for a night to remember.
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Whenever I can't deal with the stresses of life, or just find myself in need of clarity and understanding, the Ocean Beach pier is where I find myself headed.
I find piers to be ridiculous and awesome things at the same time. Who thought it a good idea to create a huge ass piece of artificial walking/land space extending far out above the ocean? I don't know, but it's brilliant. As you walk out, you begin to feel like you're flying, as the waves move far beneath you, and your feet carry you onward to the horizon that beckons, ever playfully, out of your reach. On Saturday nights, the electric lights glow overhead with an impersonal orange glow, and create an eerie illumination for a dark oceanic vision. I feel rather like a Victorian tourist, striding up and down the grand boulevard of some aquatic imperial city, nodding politely at the sea spray and the fish odor while taking in my daily stroll.
Last night, after gong to my high school's graduation and seeing my students march off into the future, I was in a mood to reflect. So, still dressed in dress shirt, tie, and slacks, I strode down the pier, iPod playing into my ears as I just tossed memories overboard for the waves to catch and toss back and forth. I tanked God for the chance to be a teacher, I reflected on the awesomeness that life has been so far, and I just hoped for the future and let go of many of the fears I was experiencing. In short, I left happy, changed, and satisfied.
And I will miss you so much, OB Pier, when I move this fall.
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This is probably my favorite spot in San Diego.
I absolutely love to walk the pier when I have some sort of head-war to sort out, and by the time I go all the way to the end and back to the car, typically I have figured myself out. It's also very energizing to seriously, yell off the side of the pier; people might turn their heads to look, but then again it's OB and they are probably used too it. It's very refreshing.
Walking this right before a huge "storm" is about to come in makes for a scary but fun experience. Nothing like watching the waves almost make it to the pier. Scary.
If the fee for jumping off the pier was non existent, and I would be assured the tide would not sweep me into the barnacle covered pillars, jump into a bed of sharks, or break my limbs on a sand bar, I totally would do it. Way to have common sense be a buzz kill.
And seriously, this pier has to be something because the local transients have an established spot for themselves. There is an elderly black man who plays keyboards with dreadlocks on the pier seriously EVERY TIME I am there, no matter the time of day or the weather. Devoted, I tell you.
Just look out for the tweakers, and don't lean on the railings; I have almost put my hand in the remains of a dead fish.
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I love the OB pier. It is a great place to go to feel at one with the ocean. You walk lazily out on it and see all the fisherman, the surfers, all the people on the shore. Newport Ave and all the freaks, the families, the dogs, the vagabonds you can handle. I've skated out on it too, not sure if your supposed to or not, but its fun! It even has a little restaurant on it! Ahhh, I love Ocean Beach so much and this is just one reason why!
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anybody who talks shit on my pier.. is a communist and is now officially banned from Ocean Beach.
hang out at IB fuckers. Enjoy that pier.
It is a SD landmark and a must see if you are a tourist. Nice for a long stroll if it's not too windy or stormy, though it is also cool to watch the waves crash over it during rough seas. It's a great backdrop for those sunset at the beach photos.
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This pier was opened in 1966 as a Fishing pier (explaining a lot of the goo that other visitors have found on the railings and benches).
At 1,971 feet the Ocean Beach Pier is supposed to be the longest concrete pier in the world.
This is an awesome place to go and relax and just walk on or get engaged! My husband proposed to me here on this pier in 2005! We used to walk there alot.
No one seemed to mention the restaurant on the pier... Ocean Beach Pier Cafe! Neat little place. There is also a shop there to buy bait, souvineers, ice cream. Great place!
Ahhhhh...... there's nothing like doing a little night fishing at the Ocean Beach pier. That's if you like the smell of people doing marijuana or getting thrown off the pier! I probably haven't been here for about 5 years. We used to fish there a few times a week during the summers. It was nice for a few years. Then all of a sudden people found it to be the perfect place to get stoned. That didn't bother us too much (I mean, well, you know what I mean), but then we heard a bunch of people were getting thrown into the water. And let's face it, with that long walk to the end of the pier, that would be a mighty long swim back to shore!
During the times I went there, it was awesome. We wouldn't catch much fish (except for bunch of mackeral), but like they say, "the worst day of fishing is better than the best day at work!" Amen to that, brother!
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This is a very long pier adjacent to a pretty mellow neighborhood. There's a cafe about midway out, but I did not eat there. It looked nice enough, if not a little worn down from years of weather and wear.
There were ubiquitous peeps with fishing poles, I was jealous and wanted to fish. I only saw one guy pull up anything, and it was a small fry.
The view out to the sea from the end and back towards the shore was pretty amazing. The swells are pretty high at times, too, which makes you feel almost like you're out there with the surfers on the water.
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when my husband and I lived here, we use to have great romantic walks on the pier....it was sooo beautiful, just seeing the whole ocean and the sunsets.....aawwww...i miss you O.B.... i miss the summer bond fires on the beach....i miss hearing the drum circles....and the smell of ocean and mary jane..........aaawww
I love this pier.....and the tide pool on the bottom is the best....there are also great tide pools on the left side of it (if you are looking towards the ocean), by the cliffs ...yeah, there are really cool tide pools with all sorts of cute creatures there!!!
:)
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OB Pier is a fun place to check out whether you live down the block or are just visiting SD. I lived in walking distance of the pier for many years and have seen many early mornings and dusky evenings too. One thing I liked to do was walk over to the pier, go to the little cafe there and get coffee, or maybe coffee and breakfast and soak up the early morning mist. I like to watch the dudes fish. I often bring out of towners here too. In October and November it is not unheard of to see frolicking dolphins, jumping in the surf. OB often gets a bad rap, but the pier is a fun place to hit every once in a while, especially in the morning. You can chat and stroll, or go by yourself and still have a great time.
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I love this pier. I used to fish here when I was a kid. My family would spend most summer weekends at this pier fishing, if we weren't at Shelter Island pier, we were here.
I still like fishing here, mainly because you do not need to buy a fishing license to do so. Also, you can watch people surf, which can be fun. An odd dolphin will swim by now and again, pelicans hang out here, and even some interesting people.
It is just a very nice place to spend some time and soak up some of that end of land sadness.
The cafe looks like a dump, but I'm sure it's good. I want to review the pier itself, not the cafe.
I've heard the Ocean Beach Pier is the longest pier in the world. Now, whether this is actually true or not is unclear. I just thought I'd pass that one along.
If you walk the pier at night, you'll see the hardcore fisherman working to catch their families dinner. It's cool. It reminds you of a simpler life--one without all the crap that comes along with our crazy post-modern lives.
I recommend grabbing a big beer--40 or 20 ounce--keeping it in the paper bag and strolling down the pier at about midnight. You'll have a blast.
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All visitors to SD should check out the pier- it''s a nice walk any time of year. I actually prefer it in the winter, but in the summer it's cool, too. Lots of Hmong fishermen. There's also a tide pool area past the pier that is worth checking out.
The tide pools under this pier are great! Go for this alone and it's worth the trip. We found some awesome creatures living in between the reefs. The beach around it is pretty dirty and you have to bring your parking karma energy with you to find a spot close by. But OB in general is a funky town with some Venice Beach vibe mixed with a little NYC East Village.
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i think that this is my first non-food related yelp. eek. maybe i'm crossing over to be an all around yelper.
yesterday at the pier i had a great only in san diego moment. there was a kids lifeguard training camp going on and as i leisurely strolled down the pier i was engulfed by their energy, excitement, and the electricity in the air. one of the kids (teenager? youth?) stopped for a moment to share what was going on: they were going to the end of the pier and jumping off the side, treading water for what turned out to be quite a long time, and swimming back to the beach.
i must have stood there for at least 30 minutes watching successive groups of kids approach the railing, climb up, jump in. each one approached and the body language and posture--how strongly did they hold their fins above their head? were they the first in the group off the edge?--revealed so much about their individual state of mind. but the universal cheers that sounded immediately following the splash and the echoes of their cheers for one another were such great sounds.
when i first moved to san diego i used to go to the pier when i felt sad, melancholy, and was missing my former life in san francisco or my family and friends that were far away. yesterday at the pier i had this big burst of love for san diego. only in san diego on a random tuesday afternoon.
thanks ob pier, mission bay lifeguard camp, and all those brave kids facing fear and diving right in.
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I went there to see with a friend to see typical OB denizens and the ocean a couple of days ago. The Wall near the pier was partially covered with the usual collection of young derelicts waiting for the area's itinerant drug dealers, socializing, and playing bad music (usually to no apparent audience). One, whose trousers made him look like he had been dragged by a car, had a .22 caliber pistol next to him. There was a gathering of street people eating by the stairs, like a corporate board meeting that broke for lunch. I didn't see any sign of trafficking at the foot of the stairs (it was too early in the day). There was no sign of life in the tide pools on the south side except for seaweed. On the pier, a fisherman was at the first sink on the right cleaning fish and waving away the seagulls. The people who fish there cluster around particular sinks so they can take turns fighting off the birds. Some sparrows and a pigeon were eating the same things as the gulls, but they were not so aggressive. It seems that the birds are able to survive eating the same food as the people who catch fish in Ocean Beach, although I think it might be better to avoid consuming anything from the water there. The public restroom was the same as I remember with the expected lack of amenities like soap, paper towels and toilet paper, but with no interesting graffiti. My friend and I were disappointed by the pier cafe. He was of the opinion that it has changed ownership. We looked at the menu and left.
its a wonderful walk with a good friend. just be careful of fishermen over-head casting (almost ate it a few times) and stepping on little squids once used for bait.
i wouldnt recommend sitting on the benches or the railing. they're covered in bird poo, fish guts, and the stench of urine. however, the bathrooms were well stocked and quite clean.
had a grand old time at the tide pools under the pier. also kind of uriney-smelling but still quite enjoyable
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Cool place to stick yer mugg into the wind and to check out the Pacific. High surf days are quite impressive. Wind your way southwards ( past that creepy apartment building where a rather unsavory element seem to live/hang out/transact business) towards Sunset Cliffs and you will be treated to tidepools and great crashing waves, the waft of marijuana, some cool carvings in the sandstone, the odd guitar player singing to the Sirens, an occasional yogini. Real close to dog beach for you canine affiliated folks.
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OB pier is awesome. You can take the kids to the tidepools under it, make sure the tide is out and that you help them...very slippery. I've spent hours here though just watching the little crabs and sea life hang out. The pier itself is cool...walk out all the way to the end...it's so quite that it's like being in the middle of the ocean. I think that OB pier is the largest pier in CA, but don't quote me because I haven't checked validated the claim yet. The beach is a great place to hang out and let the time go by. One of my favorite places on earth. I've spent a lot of time here.
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this is for the surf...at the pier it sucked but it was pretty fun closer to dog beach.
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at the end of the pier, you can just stare out into the ocean and forget about everything behind you. in all of san diego, this is the best place to just sit, stare at the horizon and think. this is where i go when i'm sad, and this is where i go when i'm happy. the ocean beach pier is beautiful (especially around sunset time), calming, and most of all, grounding. oh and today i saw three sea lions there.
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Longest pier on the west coast of North America! Great view of the beach town at the end, and decent lobster netting too!
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