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There's nothing whatsoever to do with surface tension, which is utterly minimal.

The actual reason water is so hard is simply that the water need to move out of your way when you fall into it, and if you are moving faster than it can do that then you simply hit the water as if it were a solid.

Both bubbles and waves make it easier for the water to move out of your way.

My guess is it is very unlikely he hit where the plane did. More likely the rough sea and high swells created the turbulence needed.

And there were waves. He could have hit in the froth of a breaking wave. Waves must have been of decent size for the amphibious airplane to not be able to land.