I ride a shitload of water crossings and mud and the GG bearings hold up fine.
I do as above, and leave the seals in place, but put a nice thick layer of water proof grease over the bearing to act as another barrier. Very easy to wipe this away and reapply any time you have the wheel off.
I carry a set of spare bearings and seals on hand. If they get any side play or feel notchy it's only a 10min job to knock em out and drop a new set in. Checked prior to every ride (along with pads, fuel, filter, chain tension, etc).
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