I'd still rather have a flying boat flying top cover
And what use would a flying boat be on most occasions?
Some might be able to land in Sea State 3, provided that the swell wasn't excessive. Shin Meiwa claim to be able to operate in Sea State 4, but even then swell would be an issue.
Flying boats are very inefficient, with high structural weight, poor fuel fraction and are obviously quite difficult to equip with large stores bays.