Early 1950's
1980's
1990's
Early 2000's
Mid 2000's
Late 2000's
Early 2010's
Future
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(Photo above - first drift boat built by Hyde Drift Boats founder, LaMoyne Hyde)
(Photo above - Single Prop Airplane similar to the type built in the 1960's by LaMoyne Hyde)
Early 1950's
LaMoyne Hyde built his first drift boat with his father Keith Hyde (right). This boat served them on countless trips down the Salt and Snake Rivers in Wyoming.
This boat was the beginning of a life of boat building for LaMoyne and his family.
Late 1950's through 1960's
During this time LaMoyne worked in aviation building single prop airplanes for crop dusting. Those years of experience building and flying airplanes gave him a strong comprehension of fluid dynamics. Understanding how the design of an airplane affects air flow ultimately helped build the foundation of Hyde Drift Boats bottom design.
Late 1980's
The first production aluminum Hyde Boats were rolled out.
(Photo above - Hyde's first aluminum boat produced.)
The Hyde aluminum drift boats took 7 different designs and many tests to make them row and preform optimally.
(Photo above - one of many Hyde Boat testing sessions on Lunch Counter- Snake River in Idaho)
Mid 1980's
LaMoyne and his sons (Matt & Steve) started building wood drift boats to sell commercially. These boats had a rocker style bottom including a front brace to hold anglers while standing in the boat.
(Photo above - wood drift boat build by Hyde)
Other Notable Events
- - Hyde Boats continued growing and needed more space! Several additions were made to the manufacturing facility to accomodate the need for increased production
Mid 1990's
(Photo above - Traditional Style Hyde Drift Boat)
Late 1990's
Hyde started building the first Hyde Low Profile Drift Boat models. This new line was designed to meet the needs of anglers who wanted easy entry and exit from their boat. The Low Profile was also designed to handle high wind areas. This model instantly became one of the best selling drift boats in the industry.
(Photo above - 1997 Hyde Drift Boat)
Early 1990's
LaMoyne Hyde built the first fiberglass Hyde Drift Boat. Made with a rocker design and plenty of interior space. This boat was the best all around drift boat in it's day.
(Photo above - one of the first early 90's Hyde Drift Boats)
The fiberglass Hyde Boat model went through several revisions before the popular 16.8' high side model (left) was developed. This Hyde design has been the choice of many anglers all across the United States, Canada, South America, and Australia ever since.
(Photo above - original Hyde Sportsman's Drifter)
In response to the requests for a drift boat that could be "carried in" to small remote waters, Hyde built the Sportsman's Drifter Series. This boat was about 130lbs and could easily fit in the back of a pick-up truck or be trailered. Built to carry two anglers, this boat is perfect for backcountry rivers and streams.
(Photo above - Hyde Kanoe)
Hyde also built a line of flat bottom canoes for several years called the "Hyde Kanoe". To focus the company's efforts on drift boats, this popular canoe line was ended in the mid 2000's.
(Photo above - Power Drifter 1st seen on the Dean River, BC Canada)
Many anglers wanted the ability to drift down a river and motor back up to the boat ramp at the end of the day. The Hyde Power Drifter was designed to meet this need. Built with a small 60/40 H.P. jet motor this boat could move up stream with ease. Some of the features included:
- Tunnel in the transom
- Oars
- Leg Brace
- Cooler seating for passengers
(Photo above - Hyde Power Drifter)
Late 1990's - Early 2000's
Hyde's R&D department redesigned the stern on their fiberglass boats. The new rounded design reduced drag with the water significently, adding one more feature to increase the ease of rowing a Hyde Boat.
(Photo above - rounded stern on Hyde boats)
Hyde added large level floors with built in tread as a standard feature in their boats. This added comfort to the passengers and rower by providing a flat surface to stand on throughout the day. It also kept water tracked in by boots, wet dogs, ect... under the floor system.
(Photo above - Hyde Boat's raised level floor system)
(Photo above - newly designed Hyde Sportsman's Drifter Drift Boat)
Hyde also came out with a completely redesigned Sportman's Drifter model (shown above). One of the major upgrades included Hyde's innovative front leg brace (built into the bow). This addition provided increased stability and comfort to anglers fishing in the front of the boat.
Sportsman's Drifter Features
- - All fiberglass design
- - Inclusion of built-in front leg brace
- - Added the rounded stern to decrease drag and improve the ease of rowing the boat
For our many customers in the Northwest U.S. and others that run really big water, Hyde developed the Northwest Series. It's footprint is similar to Hyde's Classic 16.8' model, but with even higher sides to allow it to run many types of large rivers.
(Photo above - Hyde Northwest Series)
Mid 2000's
Hyde Started Building the Contender Series. This new line offered a more simple boat, comparable to our competitor's high end drift boats lines. While more simple than Hyde's Professional Series, this boat still offers more features than competitor boat models. They included:
(Photo above - 2006 Hyde Contender Series Drift Boat)
- Several interior seating options
- Front and Rear Leg Braces
- Built-in rod storage with recessed pocket (for the reel) and open side storage compartments
- Hyde introduced the new 3-Point Leg Brace in this model. This brace allowed anglers to stand and face any direction in the boat while maintaining full leg support. The brace also helped keep passengers centered in the boat.
(Photo above - LH Limited Edition Drift Boat)
Taking their drift boats to the next level in luxury, Hyde built the LH Limited Edition. Featuring the new G4 bottom and built-in storage compartments.