It's the parking, silly.

Above shot is Easter Sunday looking south towards the 1st (northern) parking
lot in Patrick Air Force Base know to the locals as Picnic Tables. The shot
below is looking north from the same spot (at the same time) into Cocoa Beach
where there is no public parking until you get to the city limits at around 18th Street
South. That's the simple secret to the uncrowded beaches of south Cocoa Beach.