An experienced surfer survived a powerful rip current near Ocean Beach Pier on Saturday morning. Luke Jackson went out during high tide and was separated from his board.
He told NBC 7 that about 7:30 a.m., the powerful force of a wave ripped the leash from his ankle, leaving him treading water.
“The surfboard’s gone, and I know it’s going into the wall of water, and I just started swimming,” Jackson said.
A San Diego native who has been surfing since he was 9, Jackson also has years of water polo experience.
“When you’re going under the pier, the rip current is ripping super hard. I was getting scared of hitting the pilings and I was getting sucked out really, really far,” he said.
M.G. PerezM.G. Perez
High tide surf on Saturday morning reached almost 7 feet around the Ocean Beach Pier, November 7, 2026.
A friend on the sand recovered the broken board and called 911 prompting lifeguards from the nearby Ocean Beach station to respond.
They kept him in sight as he was able to make it back to the beach with no injuries. The surfboard did not survive.
He said, “I just pushed as hard as I could. I just said ‘alright it’s time to go’. I was kicking as hard as I could and rode the waves in until I was safe. Praise the Lord!”
A high surf advisory remains in effect through Tuesday also including another threat of coastal flooding.
Many other people stayed out of the water and just watched the breaking waves behind the sea wall at the end of Newport Avenue.
Braden Morgan, who was visiting from Arizona, expressed admiration for those taking on the rough conditions.
“I know these people out here have probably been surfing this for quite awhile. Props to them to be able to surf that.”
Higher than normal temperatures this weekend are expected to attract many more people to the beaches than usual.
Jackson’s story serves as a reminder of how quickly ocean conditions can turn dangerous, even for experienced surfers.
He said he was doing fine after the ordeal and planned to return to the water Sunday morning with another surfboard.
M.G. PerezM.G. Perez
Luke Jackson’s surfboard was ripped up on both ends and destroyed, November 7, 2026.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.