Any suggestions on how to simulate the ocean water with waves breaking onto a beach?

i've seen it done using buttercream and then the buttercream was airbrushed a few different colors to give it the look of water....

Piping gel tinted blue for the water, swirled onto the beach made of crushed vanilla wafers mixed with gold or yellow sanding sugar.

This is a cake I have done several times before, and I have an order for 2 quarter sheet cakes for tomorrow.

<http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1761939>

I use butter cream icing to make the waves. I make blue cursive 'c's across where I want the water, then I come back with white, and just add a small coma stroke of white to the tops of the waves to add white caps. To add splashes, I just a tip number 3 (dot tip) and make coma shapes to represent splashes where fish jump etc...

I hope this helps!
Donna T.
There are a few beach scene cake photos in my profile cause, I LIVE AT THE BEACH!