FLT INSTRUCTOR DSNDS BELOW MINIMUM ALT TO REMAIN CLR OF CLOUDS.

Narrative

DURING A TRAINING MISSION; THE PLAN WAS TO TAKE OFF FROM NAS NORTH ISLAND; SAN DIEGO; CA; TO CARLSBAD/PALOMAR ARPT. WE WERE TO DEPART NAS NORTH ISLAND AND FLY OFFSHORE ALONG THE COAST TO PALOMAR ARPT. AT THE TIME OF DEP THE WX AT NORTH ISLAND WAS 700 FT CEILING AND 3-4 MI VISIBILITY. LINDBERGH ARPT; WHICH WAS ALONG OUR RTE WAS RPTING CLR SKIES AND GOOD VISIBILITY. PALOMAR ARPT ALSO RPTED NO CEILINGS AND GOOD VISIBILITY. WITH THIS WX IN MIND WE DECIDED TO DEPART SVFR OUT OF NAS NORTH ISLAND; AND AS WE PROCEEDED NBOUND; THE MARINE LAYER WOULD BE DISSIPATING AND WOULD BE VFR TO PALOMAR ARPT. AFTER TKOF WE REMAINED AT 400 FT AGL ALONG THE COASTLINE AS WE TRANSITIONED THROUGH LINDBERGH'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. AS WE PROCEEDED N WE COULD NOT GET ABOVE 400 FT AGL ABOVE THE WATER DUE TO THE MARINE LAYER. WHILE ENRTE WE PASSED OVER SEVERAL SURFERS AND PEOPLE ALONG THE SHORELINE AT AN ALT OF 300-400 FT. WE TRIED TO MAINTAIN A MINIMUM OF 500 FT OFFSHORE; BUT WHILE TRYING TO FIND A PLACE TO FLY INLAND WHERE THE WX WAS CLR; WE DID GET CLOSER THAN 500 FT TO PEOPLE.