Ring-opening metathesis polymerization has been used to prepare a series of water soluble polymers based on the Diels-Alder adducts of furan and cyclopentadiene. Hydrophobically modified forms of these polymers were obtained either by copolymerization with 5-decylbicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene, post-polymerization modification of the acid forms of the polymers with 1-decylamine or chain transfer to 1-hexadecene. Polymers were characterized by NMR specroscopy and viscometry.