That first water crossing is where I would’ve looked at the label on my dash that says “DON’T DO STUPID THINGS” and followed the labels advice. Lol. Fair play to you for your sense of adventure.
It's not being a keyboard expert to state facts. Standing up with momentum makes it much easier to go over obstacles and trough rough terrain. Your center of gravity is lower and more controllable standing on the pegs. Your suspension has a chance of working like it should and standing allows your legs to act as suspension also. This has been a known fact for like 100 years lol. There is an art to dabbing your foot to maintain balance, learn it. Waddling seams and is easy, I do it way too often as I am lazy.