The morning light is much different than the afternoon light for portraits at the beach. The sun rises in the east, therefore with the ocean directly behind the subjects, the sun is shining directly into the subjects eyes/faces. If the subjects turn at an angle, this can be helped slightly. The overall brightness and colors tones are much more stark during the morning versus the soft glow of an afternoon sky. These are things to be considered when deciding on location and time of day for portraits. An alternative to this is to take photos underneath the shade of the pier. Examples here.