Hyde's R&D has set the bar in the industry for innovation and design. Hyde Drift Boats have built their reputation from producing the highest quality drift boat products in the world. We spend a tremendous amount of time and money researching and developing products like the G4 bottom©, 360 degree knee brace©, level aluminum floors, and many other innovations that provide our customers with the ultimate fishing experience. Hull design and its hydrodynamics remains our top priority in the research and development department. The ease with which our boats row is second to none, and we continuely work to develop new technology to even further improve the row ability of our boats.
The following is a brief overview on Hydrodynamics, turbulence, and drag as it relates to drift boat design, as well as a brief summary of the technology that we are currently using in our Drift boats. We will also review a few ideas that we have researched and found invalid for use in a drift boat situation and even refute some common myths on hull design.
Laminar flow conditions are what you look for in hull design because drag is considerably less than with turbulent flow. There is, however, technology developed by NASA Langley Research Center that helped America win an Olympic medal and the America’s cup in yacht racing; it is also saving the airline industry hundreds of millions of dollars annually. This technology is called Riblets.
The key to having an easy rowing drift boat is by maintaining laminar flow as much as possible through hull design. The following is an overview of the proven technology we use at Hyde Drift boats to do just that. Drift boat hulls are unique to all others because the stern or transom acts as the bow or keel would on a power boat. The water flow runs from stern to bow on a drift boat. We use a rounded stern on our boats to allow the water to continue its flow as normally as possible while traveling under the boat. Sharp or blunt back ends on drift boats are a bad idea as the water would immediately become turbulent creating more drag. Any added surface area at this point through adding grooves, tunnels, or funnels would disrupt the fragile laminar flow and create drag by quickly making the flow turbulent. A smooth transition is so important here and Hyde boats are the only manufacture that currently uses this technology. Tunnels are used on some power boats but are located at the rear of the boat or the waters exit point. One key detail to remember is that the exit point on a drift boat is actually the front of the boat or bow.
We use flat, rigid bottoms on our boats. As the water flows under the boat it creates lift by forcing the boat upward. Flexible bottoms will quickly turn laminar flow into turbulent flow by the up and down movement of the hull. Wave tanks intentionally create waves and turbulence by moving a panel back and forth. Remember we want to disturb the flow as little as possible to keep drag at a minimal. Rounded rocker style bottoms create more drag by having increased surface area in the water. Take a flat sheet of plywood along with a warped sheet and throw them into the water. The flat sheet floats much better and is pulled around easily compared to the warped one.
An important element that is commonly over looked in hull design is chine. Our boats are also built with a unique modular design, making your experience on the water even more tailored to you needs.
At Hyde Boats we continue to research and find technology that will help improve the rowing effectiveness of our boats. Our commitment to you, our customer, is that we will use the best material along with proven design to make your experience on the river one of pure enjoyment. We invite your call to further inquire as to why Hyde Drift Boats are the most comfortable, best designed, versatile drift boats in the world.