Michael McCarthy and his wife, Sepa, live just a few blocks from the pier at Imperial Beach. Stream San Diego News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC 7. But, it’s not stopping me from getting in (the ocean)," said Matt Barry, who has lived in Imperial Beach for a decade and surfs several days a week. 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.