cloudy misty day over water without IFR experience and proper equipped helicopter is playing russian roulette - just without knowing excatly, how much time left until you die.
I started my flying with the Navy - and was more than once happy, that IfR was part of the Syllabus, even so we operated 100 % „VFR“ over the water...
From „I can see a horizon“ to „Where the f... is the horizon“ between the grey sky and grey water was often just a glimpse of the eye.
I go along with Robbie, surprised, that he could rent that bird at that METAR with that „experience“ - but who knows, what he was telling them....