Surfers in San Francisco are raising concerns about a city plan to transform part of the Outer Sunset’s Great Highway, fearing it could negatively impact the world-famous waves at Ocean Beach. The Outer Sunset neighborhood is a popular spot for surfers who brave the city’s cold, shark-infested waters to catch waves that can reach over 20 feet in the winter. The area is home to several surf shops and the newly renovated Pitt’s Pub, a dive bar owned by surfers known as the “Outerlands.”
The approved plan includes the installation of bike lanes, an art exhibit, and a beach access ramp at the beach’s southern end. However, one controversial aspect of the plan is the construction of a 3,200-foot underground wall to protect a nearby wastewater plant from coastal erosion. This wall has raised concerns among experts and surfers, who believe it could displace sand and potentially ruin some of the beach’s waves. Additionally, the plan involves permanently closing the Great Highway to cars between Sloat and Skyline Boulevards.
Matt Lopez, co-owner of Pitt’s Pub and a lifelong Ocean Beach surfer, expressed concern about how proposed changes could impact Sloat surf break. He noted that while periodic sand dumping for erosion control has already caused decline in wave quality at this spot, more drastic changes like those proposed in this plan could permanently damage it. Lopez emphasized that preserving this unique character of this area is crucial since many residents choose to live there for reasons beyond just weather conditions.
Lopez also highlighted that Sloat area holds significant historical importance within San Francisco’s surfing community as it’s where some of its first surfers dared into ocean water. Thus any alteration might have not only negative impacts on surf experience but also on surrounding neighborhood.
Surf enthusiasts are calling on city officials to reconsider certain aspects of their proposed plan in order to minimize any potential harm caused to this beloved surf spot.