Beachgoers by 7:30 a.m. circled the parking lot north of the Newport Pier, hoping to get there early enough to nab a spot, but the crowds had already arrived.

Despite overcast skies along Orange County beaches, crowds filled in to secure their place on the sand for the first day of the holiday weekend. The clouds were thick at the beach, so we’ll have to see if the sun breaks through this afternoon.

Out in the water, surfers dotted the line up, waiting for small bumps from an expected south swell to come through after a week of no surf, adding to the crowds.  

The water has warmed up in the past week, at a cozy mid-60s this morning.

If you’re heading down to Newport Beach and want to avoid the crowds, try the south side of the pier, a less populated area.

I snapped some photos this a.m. to give you a glimpse of what it looks like out there, in case you’re headed down.

Did you surf this morning? Let me know how it was at your spot in the comments section below.

More Beach Blog tips for the weekend:

 Events along the coast this weekend

Tips on nabbing a fire ring - where to go and what to bring

AVP tourney already in full swing

Taking photos at the beach this weekend? Share them at our OC Beaches Flickr group.