Height v. effect
It’s been the warm stuff since our Explorer and Romany were side by side, but I think you are right thatt he height is pretty much the same on both of them. But it happens sooner leaving less of a waterline in the middle on the Romany. Also under a light load like me as a paddler, my Explorer bow seems to stick up more disproportionately than the rear. But I think that’s just because the deck was adapted for me, not the hull.
Need to trim?
I have heard it said by someone who knows NDK boats well, that it is necessary to add weight to the LV’s bow so that it trims properly and sits in the water as it should. It is rather common to see LV’s with a high bow since most do not do this. I don’t now if it makes any difference to how the boat works.
It seems logical to me that if you take a hull designed for much taller and heavier people, then the trim will be all messed up and the bow too high when used by a shorter and lighter person unless the seat is moved forward unless ballast is added. It has to affect performance in theory as well since the weight will be at the bottom end of acceptable displacement, but that is likely no big deal.
Not just my size
The Romany and Explorer are really designed to go over the wave rather than slide along it. It’s just what the bow does - most I know who have one of these boats load it closer to 50/50 than 40/60 front to rear, and I see bigger guys still jam a drybag with a little weight in it into the nose of the boat for usual day tripping or expeditioning. I find that way up front is a good place to put things like the spare sprayskirt and the change of clothing bag. It’s an interesting study in contrasts when we are in Maine and Jim is going along in his Aquanaut and me in the LV - his boat has a distinctly slinky look as it handles dimension.
Over waves and slamming down
My observation is that the Explorer (and Romany) are designed to go over all chop and waves. It took some getting used to when paddling a Romany or Explorer how much the boat would slam down and shudder clearing a wave.
The Aquanaut cuts through much small chop and waves It doesn’t tend to slam down with a shudder as much as an Explorer or Romany. The times I’ve paddled an Avocet, it too seemed to cut through more than my Romany.
very bouncy
nice boats, but flatter bottom will make it like aroller coaster