A CFI PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT OPERATED AT BELOW MINIMUM APPROVED ALT OVER SUN BATHERS ON A CONGESTED BEACH.

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RPT OF LOW FLYING ACFT BTWN WATSONVILLE; CA; AND SANTA CRUZ; CA. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS I HAVE BEEN ASSESSING THE BENEFITS OF JOINING THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD (USCG) AUX AS SAFETY PATROL PLOT. I HAD DECIDED TO JOIN THE USCG AUX AND FLY MY 1946 SMA SEL AS AN OFFICIAL OBSERVATION ACFT UNDER ORDERS FROM THE COAST GUARD. I MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COAST GUARD AT THE HAYWARD ARPT ON AUG/XX/93 AND DISCUSSED TYPICAL MISSIONS WITH THEM. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY ROUTINELY PATROL THE PETALUMA RIVER COAST LINE AT 500 FT AGL AND SUGGEST THAT I TRY A SIMULATED PATROL TO SEE IF I COULD SAFELY EXECUTE THE MISSION. I DECIDED TO SIMULATE A TYPICAL MISSION ALONG THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY COAST LINE THE NEXT DAY. ON AFTERNOON; AUG/SUN/93; AT APPROX PM00 HRS; I REFUELED MY 1946 SMA SEL AT WATSONVILLE AND HAD 12 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD AT TKOF. I MADE A STRAIGHT OUT DEP ON RWY 20 AT WATSONVILLE AND 1 PAX WHO WOULD BE MY QUALIFIED OBSERVER IF I WAS ON A COAST GUARD PATROL. I DEPARTED THE AREA ON A HDG OF APPROX 270 DEG MAGNETIC. I INITIATED A CLB AND PASSED OVER THE CLIFFS AT 500 FT MSL WHILE TURNING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION ALONG THE SURF LINE. THE BEACH WAS SPARSELY POPULATED IN THIS AREA AS I PARALLELED THE COAST LINE AT LEAST 500 FT AGL AND 500 FT FROM THE SHORELINE. ALONG THIS SECTION OF THE BEACH; THERE WERE NUMEROUS ISOLATED AREAS WHERE I COULD LAND SHOULD THE ENG FAIL AT THIS POINT. I COULD CLRLY SEE OCCASIONAL SWIMMERS AND SURFBOARDERS WHO WERE OFF MY R WING. THE WAVES WERE ALSO BREAKING OFF MY R WING AND MOST SURFERS WERE INSIDE THE BREAKERS. WE WERE OBSERVING SEVERAL SCHOOLS OF PORPOISES OFF MY L WING AS WE HEADED N. I MAINTAINED 500 FT MSL UNTIL APCHING THE CONCRETE PIER NEAR APTOS. BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED DENSITY OF SUN BATHERS; I BEGAN A CLB TO 1000 FT MSL BEFORE THE PIER TO ALLOW SPACE FOR AN EMER LNDG SHOULD I HAVE AN ENG FAILURE. I FOLLOWED THE COAST LINE FROM APTOS TO PESCADERO AT 1000 FT MSL ALWAYS OUTSIDE THE SURF LINE WHICH I ESTIMATE IS AT LEAST 500 FT LATERALLY FROM THE BEACH. I WAS OPERATING THE ACFT AT FULL PWR IN ORDER TO BREAK IN NEW RINGS IN #2 AND #4 CYLINDERS. THE NOISE GENERATED AT 2450 RPM IS LOUDER THAN MOST SMALL ACFT OPERATING AT 500 FT MSL ABOVE THE SURF LINE. PERHAPS THE LIFEGUARDS SENSED THAT I WAS LOW DUE TO THE UNUSUALLY LOUD SOUNDS.