During the evening hours of a torrential rain- and Tornado Warning-filled day, Amy Ebert traverses the White Rock trail, noting that the spot where she normally sets up shop is under water. When you own a kayak rental company at White Rock Lake, business always is at Mother Nature’s mercy.

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Ebert and business partner Angeline Koh, both White Rock area dwellers, spent months working with the City of Dallas to get a permit to open White Rock Paddle Company. Last August, they began renting kayaks from a tent on the north side of the lake.

“People around here have been wanting something like this, you can tell.”

Their “Kayak Rentals” sign is visible from Mockingbird. In September, the experienced kayakers began offering lessons. Since opening, the women have seen a flood of business. “We’ve set up an online reservation system in order to keep up,” Ebert says. “People around here have been wanting something like this, you can tell.”

White Rock Paddle is open every day of the week, except Mondays, which the ladies reserve for relaxing. They’ll also close on the days when it pours, or freezes; those days keep them busy rescheduling reservations. They plan to stay open through October, at least. During the winter months they will play it by ear.

Ebert explains that the sit-in kayaks offer more protection from getting wet than the kayaks that you sit on top of, so cold weather kayaking is not out of the question.

“If the demand is there, we will stay open.”

Also online: Whiterockpaddle.com