Rubberfrog, dude, i want to start by apologizing, you but a lot of thought and time into your response and I greatly appreciate it, I'm sorry it took me so long to respond, I just got slammed the last two weeks and have barely had time to hop on the forums.
Bow wave: This little phenom i knew about, during hurricane Florence back in 06 i had an 04 hemi that took a big ole swallow because the other danger is that some bumpers also act like a funnel when they push through water they shoot water right into the bay... right at the intake tunnel. That hard ass Hemi though kept sputter and puchin and got me to high ground before she finally died on me though. That pic is awesome though, thats a nice perspective of how deep they can get.
Exhaust suction: I wasnt too worried about the exhaust when the truck is running and driving because the exhaust is so long and running that I didnt really expect it to be a problem, but if i ever had to start the truck with the exhaust submerged i would want it.
Another reason for the raised exhaust is deep snow, i know that sounds a little ridiculous but last winter i was in southern Utah when a massive winter storm blew in and dumped 18 inches of snow in like 8 hours. All the while I'm in remote areas, at 9000ft, with factory highway tires. Some of the snow drifts i went through i had to plow my way through and the worst ones i had to drive into them, and then back up and do it again and again to cut myself a path so I wouldnt get stuck... I was prepared for being stuck, i had 5 gallons of water in the truck and three cases of MRE's, but in the event i got stuck, it would have been nice to have the option to keep the truck running for heat without having to get out and clear snow from the exhaust tip every now and again.
so... there's that hahaha thanks again man, i appreciate you brainstormin with me