Finally tried a split ND filter. After seeing the results, I don't know what took me so long to get around to it. Previously I'd shoot two exposures, one for shadows and one for highlights and combined them, but that wouldn't have worked here. TO do that, both shots have to be identical in subject matter. The waves in this scene would ruin that. I was sitting with one leg of the tripod at the very edge of the waves' progression up the beach. The black thinks in the water are old pilings.
Lots of 2nds starting at http://www.pbase.com/ed_k/image/45175271 and I had a tough time choosing between this sunset and the first 2nd.