It’s very easy to say that we will never do something in aviation because of the risk. In reality is the risk greater than (for arguments sake) crashing your car, or worse someone else crashing into you?
To me it’s all about risk management, if you’re flying a single over water – then how far is it? How long to land? How high will you be. It’s no different to flying over hilly terrain or even flying in winter over snow fields. It is all about risk management, if something goes wrong then how well are you prepared and equipped to deal with it?
Personally I don’t like single engine piston at night, the only reason that I will fly a turbo prop at night is due to the greater reliability compared to piston engines. If either stops then the outcome is going to be difficult to predict (you as the pilot influence the outcome of landing into blackness less than the influence of luck). To me I have offset the risk by having an engine with proven improved reliability. The darkness is a factor I can’t change, the other factors I can.
I would be happy to fly a single engine piston aircraft over water, provided I had taken reasonable precautions in case anything went wrong. It’s no different to putting a shovel, blanket, hot flask and warm clothing into your car if you’re going out when it’s a snow storm.
Manage the risk, think of the “what if” factors and don’t work on the assumption it will never happen to you. We all carry torches at night when flying, how many light failures have happened in reality. It’s the same with carrying a raft – how often do you need it? Also immersion suits? Would you be in the water that long? Or is a PLB and pocket flares a better way of getting picked up quickly.
Take a look on Google at PainsWessex Personal Mini Flare Distress Signals This kit contains 9 red aerial flares and an integral penjector all enclosed in a tough water resistant case. Flares rise to 46m and are visible at 5 miles in daylight and 10 miles at night depending on weather conditions.
I would rather have those in my kit than an immersion suit in the English channel, Immersion suits are fine but I would rather someone knew where I was quickly rather than SAR spending hours looking for me.