To me, this is the key if ya plan a little coastal scud running -
From the investigation - Weather-related risk management tools. (extracts, pp 11, 12)
- make decisions early - when in doubt, turn about
- slow the aircraft down in precautionary mode to give more time and reduce the radius of turn
When flying over water, always keep the shoreline in sight, but leave yourself enough room to make a I80-degree turn toward it if the visibility ahead of you drops below minimums. By turning toward the shore, you always will have a visual reference to help you maintain altitude. If you turn away from the shoreline, you'll instantly be confronted with a featureless, gray void. You'll have nothing by which to judge your altitude or the airplane's attitude.