That's real nice that he said heavier people who sit in the front.
The splash you get that comes back on the log from the big splashdown *is* stronger the more people there are in the boat. If there isn't anyone in the front seats, the water will keep coming back and hit the people in the back.
It's not like if you're lighter and in the front you won't get wet at all. (When riding alone, I got just as wet in the front as I did riding in the back. When the boat was full of adults and I was in the back alone, I still got a bit wet, just not as much since there were so many people in front of me getting hit by the water.)
I liked not having to worry about getting splashed in the cooler weather, but I'll bet there will be lots of complaints once the weather is warmer.
However - we have not found the bars to be that restrictive. The foam handles are gone, so there is more knee room to a certain extent. And honestly, you could probably still get out from under the bars if you really wanted to, but its enough in the way that you can't easily do it and it would stop you from getting up instinctively.)