Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during a water landing in a harbor, the airplane nosed over after touching down. The pilot stated she was attempting to land between two gust areas, which were indicated by disruption on the water's surface. After the airplane contacted the water, she reduced the engine power to idle. She was certain the airplane rolled to the right, causing the right wingtip to drag, and then the airplane nosed over.
Witness Account
A witness standing on the adjacent dock provided a different observation. According to the witness, the left float and left wing struck the water first.
Pilot Comments
The pilot explained that her instructor taught her to land with a flat nose pitch attitude to prevent the floats from becoming "sucked in" to the water.
Manufacturer Guidance
The airplane manual specifies that the airplane should be landed with a slightly tail-low attitude.